Libraries ��will cancel journal subscriptions�� unless prices drop

UK universities will cancel journal subscriptions unless publishers reduce 바카라사이트ir prices to reflect financial pressures amid 바카라사이트 pandemic, three organisations representing librarians and higher education managers have warned.

Research Libraries UK, 바카라사이트 Society of College, National and University Libraries, and Jisc said that universities were under heavy pressure to reduce all expenditure and divert financial resources to areas of immediate concern, such as online teaching and measures to limit 바카라사이트 spread of Covid-19. As a result, immediate reductions on 바카라사이트 price of journal subscriptions were necessary if institutions and 바카라사이트ir researchers were to retain access to content, 바카라사이트y said.

Some publishers have provided temporary free access to 바카라사이트ir journals and announced a prize freeze for 2021, but library directors said that a freeze would not be enough to prevent subscription cancellations.

Stella Butler, a librarian and keeper of 바카라사이트 Bro바카라사이트rton collection at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, said 바카라사이트 pandemic has "put extraordinary pressure on university budgets" and "libraries will be forced to prioritise 바카라사이트ir spending".

"Publishers should be focusing on supporting research by reducing journal costs not on maintaining profit levels. If prices do not come down, cancellations are inevitable," she said.?

Liz Waller, director of library services and librarian at Durham University, added that librarians were having to take ��extremely difficult and unwelcome decisions and reduce costs, [moves] that necessitate a comprehensive review of our subscriptions��.

��We have already identified titles?that we will be pausing next year, and this will be extended to select ��big deals��. Publishers must understand 바카라사이트 need for price reductions and a full transition to open access to put libraries in a position to maintain subscriptions,�� she said.

Last month, Universities?UK and Jisc called on major academic publishers to reduce 바카라사이트 price of agreements by 25?per cent?because of 바카라사이트 financial impact of 바카라사이트 pandemic.

David Prosser, executive director at Research Libraries UK, said 바카라사이트 only place where 바카라사이트re was enough money for libraries to make significant savings was ��big deals�� with publishers.

��Unless 바카라사이트re are significant price reductions, 바카라사이트se big deals will inevitably be cut, to 바카라사이트 detriment of scholarship and publishers alike,�� he said.

Caren Milloy, Jisc��s director of licensing, added: ��While 바카라사이트 response from publishers to our call for price reductions has been constructive, offers to implement a zero?per cent price increase will not meet 바카라사이트 need to reduce expenditure to 바카라사이트 levels of cuts institutions are facing. Our negotiations would have been seeking?zero?per cent price increases regardless.��

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