Specialized book club may have that rare book
By LYNN OSGOOD
Col!Olen Staff Writer
For those interested in William Fry Jr.'s
latest book, "Make 'em Laugh," or a few of
Glenn Miller's old big band albums or even
an evangelical book, the best place to turn
may not be the library or the local bookstore.
Actually, the best place to go just may be one
of the many specialized book clubs operating
in America today.
Specialized book clubs cover a wide range
of subjects, from laughter to religion, and
may be as new as the 1968 Nostalgia Book
Club or as old as the 1927 Religious Book Club.
But whatever their particular charac
teristics, for the most part, they are doing
well.
"We have approximately 30,000 sub
scribers (to the Nostalgia Book Club), and
that's a good size for a small specialized
club," Neil McCaffrey, president of the
Nostalgia Book Club, said.
DOnald Vitticks, editor of the Religious
Book Club, said the organization's sales have
doubled since last year.
"If there's a trend that I can see," he said,
"it would be that people aren't thinking about'
the price of a book as much as they used to.
We sell as many of the $15.95 books as the
$7.95."
Although Vitticks couldn't explain this
trend, he did say he enjoyed what it was
doing for his sales.
Since the specialized clubs cater to the
interests of a particular group of readers,
they_
_generally do not advertise nationally.
Vitticks said his club reaches possible
subscribers through direct mail promotions.
India to punish former officials
NEW DELHI, India
(UPI) India's new
government vowed
yesterday to punish former
officials, perhaps including
Indira Gandhi, who are
found guilty of "repression
and terror" during her 21-
month emergency rule
Home Minister Charan
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The
"We have a list of possible subscribers that
is composed from profiles of various church
organizations. From those profiles we select
the people we feel would have an interest in
our club," he said.
Since they deal with a specific type book,
Vitticks said, a widespread advertising
campaign would be unnecessary.
"We are providing a way for small
religious houses to reach a market not
reached by bookstores or trade," he said.
The Religious Club itself, according to
Vitticks, is divided into three separate clubs:
the religious, for liberal Protestant and
Catholic clergy, the evangelical, for lay
people and the good reading club, which
carries inspirational books.
The club sets no minimum amount of books
its subscribers must buy.
"We don't want to pressure our readers,"
Vitticks said, "but after a certain length of
time, their subscription can be cancelled."
Before they cancel a subscription,
however, Vitticks said they take into account
how 'many books the subscriber has taken
and returned.
"Officially, we accept returns only within
10 days, but unofficially, within anytime.
What we want to avoid though, is acting as a
lending library. Some people buy a book,
read it, and then return it five months later.
If this happens too often, then we may have to
cancel their membership," Vitticks said.
Another book club, the Laff Book Club,
operates through a larger network, the
Humor Exchange network. George Q.. Lewis,
director of the Network, said he felt that now
Singh did not mention
names in his an
nouncement to 'parliament
but lawmakers understood
from his comments that
Mrs. Gandhi might be
among those investigated.
"We have recently
passed through one of the
darkest periods of our
' inder
137 E. Beaver
Open 9:30 to 5:30 Daily
Mon. and Fri. til 9:00
history," Singh said. "We
will be failing in our duty if
we do not take positive
steps to insure that the
events of the recent past
are not repeated in future
and to expose the abuse of
power by a handful of
people who had unleashed
untold repression and
terror on the nation."
He said this could be
achieved only by punishing
"all those who are guilty of
excess, malpractices and
misdeeds during the
emergency, from the
highest political authority
down to the lowest func
tionary ."
dtatzCollegian
... now accepting applications for members of the Board
of Directors, COLLEGIAN, INC., publisher of THE DAILY
COLLEGIAN. _
The 11-member board is now seeking applications to fill
upcoming vacancies. Positions that will be vacated at the
end of Spring Term are one faculty member (three-year
term); one undergraduate student (two-year term); one
graduate student (one-year term); and one journalism pro
fessional (two-year term).
Student members must be enrolled as full-time students
at the University. The faculty member must also be full-time.
The journalism professional must have experience in a
journalism-related field.
New board members will be selected according to the by
laws of Collegian, Inc. and nominations and applications
will be presented to the board at its meeting April 18.
Applications should be directed to Martha Kolln, board
president, 126 Carnegie, University Park. For additional
information about board membership, contact Martha Kolln
at 865-1988 or Linda Quigley, executive secretary, at
865-1828, Daily Collegian, 126 Carnegie. Deadline
for applications is 4 p.m., Wednesday, April 13. .
Congress stalled on works bill
WASHINGTON (UPI)
House-Senate negotiators
failed yesterday to untangle
the issues of jobs and water
pollution, leaying President
Carter's $4 billion public
works employment bill stuck
in Congress until after
Easter.
Both sides then headed
home for the congressional
recess, leaving their staffs to
more than ever the country needs laughter.
"People are so self-centered nowadays
that they don't think of anything else but
themselves," he said.
Lewis said the purpose of his book club is to
"spotlight books which would be of interest to
people in the comedy and humor industry."
He said the club began when it eame to his
attention that several people had "immense
libraries of comedy and humor books." He
added that publishers are often skeptical, of
publishing humor books since the market
seems to be for books with a deeper meaning.
According to Lewis, people can come to the
Humor Exchange Network with the intention
of either buying books or marketing books
they have written.
The membership fee for the Network is $25.
"But after the individual pays that initial
cost, he is entitled to all the privileges of the
Network," Lewis said.
Some of the activities and privileges of the
club include sponsoring a humor lobby in
Washington, D.C., participating in National
Laugh Week and publishing a newsletter.
The purpose of the newsletter, according to
Lewis, is "to educate and inform the people."
While Lewis felt the country needed a sense
of humor, Nostalgia Book Club President
Neil McCaffrey said he started his club back
in 1968 because "America was right for a
club like this."
The club largely carries show business
material dating from 1920 to 1960, but its
selection is not solely limited to nostalgic
books.
"We handle many nostalgic records, in-
continue work on the
problem. The negotiators will
try again when Congress
returns April 18.
The public works jobs bill is
a central part of the $3l
billion, two-year economic
recovery package Carter sent
Congress Jan. 31. Not a single
piece of that package has
received final congressional
approval.
The Daily Collegian Friday, April 8, 1977-
chiding a good selection of big band albums,
as well as movie and show biz books,"
McCaffrey said.
The Nostalgia Club operates much in the
same way as any other book club, according
to McCaffrey.
"We attract our customers with a
premium, a book upon joining at a low price.
From this, they agree to buy at least four
books over a two-year period. The books are,
of course, offered at a discount," he said.
McCaffrey felt that one unusual featuie of
his club was the announcement, a com
bination brochure and newsletter, which is
published every three-and-a-half weeks.
The announcement is directed towards the
tastes of the club members. Since the
response is so great, McCaffrey said the
organization has to publish a supplement
every three or four months.
"The additional publication gives the club
members a chance to submit a column or just
to write an opinion. It's kind of like a town
meeting for the members," McCaffrey said.
In addition to providing more news for.the
club members, the supplement also contains
a trade list.
"It (the trade list) gives someone who has,
say, 20 Glenn Miller albums a chance to
advertise and maybe trade them,"
McCaffrey said.
To keep these clubs, as well as the other
specialized clubs, from becoming a well-kept
secret, the Literary Market Place for 1976-
1977 has a complete listing of their addresses.
This book is located in the reference section
of Pattee..
The two houses have ap- Musk ie, D-Ma ine, who
proved differing versions of sponsored that portion, said it
the jobs measure. Negotiators is necessary to keep his and 33
said they were fairly Close to other states from running out
agreement on the subject of of sewage plant construction
jobs. funds this summer.
But the Senate version The House has passed its
includes $9 billion to continue own $lB billion, three-year
construction of sewage plants water pollution bill and
to clean up the nation's placed it before the con
waterways. Sen. , Edmund ference. -
COMPLIMENTS OF THE PENN STATE BOOKSTORE
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April 12, 1977
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(answers to papa 4 puzzle)