Converting Subscriptions from Print to Electronic
The Merrill-Cazier Library, much like other research libraries nationwide, seeks to convert print journal subscriptions into electronic subscriptions whenever possible. The primary reason that libraries are moving in this direction is that the university community demands it. While there are some people who still prefer print, most students and faculty much prefer the convenience of electronic access. Additionally, there are significant cost savings associated with moving subscriptions from print to electronic format. Most publishers offer electronic subscriptions at a slightly lower rate, but even more significant are the hidden costs of binding, processing, and storing print materials.
Several factors determine whether or not such a change is both desirable and feasible. Not surprisingly, the first question we ask is whether there are cost savings associated with migrating to an e-only subscription. Publishers generally offer a discount of between 5-15% for e-only subscriptions as an incentive to make the switch. Occasionally we are able to participate in the so-called “big deals” whereby we can gain access to a larger number of a publisher’s titles by converting all our subscriptions to electronic and joining a consortial agreement. Often, in so doing, we double or triple our number of titles for either the same amount of money or for only a few thousand dollars more (e.g. Wiley and Sage deals completed this year).
Almost every electronic journal or journal package requires the execution of a license, which stipulates the contractual arrangements governing the subscription. Terms that the Library actively seeks include: rights to campus-wide and remote access authenticated by IP address (no passwords); rights to use our electronic subscriptions to fulfill interlibrary loan requests; rights to preserve fair use provisions of copyright; walk-in rights for visitors to the USU campus; and, most importantly, perpetual access to an archive of content that we have purchased.
Because our chief concern is ongoing, stable access to titles for which we have paid subscription fees, there are several models of electronic access that we do not consider viable options to replace paper subscriptions:
* Titles included in aggregator packages such as Academic Source Premier. While these aggregators are invaluable in supporting our general undergraduate curriculum, the journal titles included are notoriously unstable. Additionally, there are often embargoes on current content of individual journals.
*JSTOR. While JSTOR has been one of the academic library community’s most successful models of archival preservation, it is just that: archival content. Moving walls protect current subscriptions and JSTOR is not a replacement for current subscriptions.
*Free online access with print subscriptions. This used to be the favored model before both publishers and libraries realized that electronic access would become so pervasive. This model offers no ongoing access and is becoming increasingly less popular among publishers.
There are also a variety of options that are acceptable to us in terms of guaranteeing ongoing access:
* Agreements with individual publishers to convert either single titles or all subscribed titles to electronic access with a USU license guaranteeing perpetual access to purchased content. (Preferred)
* A consortial agreement for a group of libraries’ titles. This type of license usually guarantees us current and backfile access to all subscriptions of the member libraries for the life of the agreement and preserves archival rights to only those titles for which we maintained local electronic subscriptions. (Preferred)
* Project Muse. While Project Muse is an aggregator in a technical sense, it is also an organization built from within the library and scholarly publishing communities. One of Muse’s primary values is the stability of their electronic collection. Publishers who are accepted to participate in Muse must contractually agree to leave all content deposited into the database as a permanent archive, even if they decide to stop participating at some later date. (Acceptable)
Finally, in order to ensure ongoing access to our electronic journal collection, the Merrill-Cazier Library participates in Portico , an electronic archiving service. Portico provides permanent preservation of scholarly electronic journals to guarantee that future scholars, researchers, and students will continue to have access to subscribed content. Publishers deposit their content into the Porticio database and our annual dues, paid to Portico, guarantee campus-wide access to e-journals when titles are no longer available from the publisher due to specific “trigger events” such as:
* A publisher stops operations
* A publisher ceases to publish a title
* A publisher no longer offers back issues
* Upon catastrophic and sustained failure of a delivery platform.
Some publishers also designate Portico as a provider of post-cancellation access when libraries cancel current subscriptions.
While not all publishers have signed Portico agreements, such participation is becoming increasingly prevalent, and a condition negotiated into most licenses. A complete list of Publishers participating in Portico is available at: http://www.portico.org/about/part_publishers.html.