German and Swedish libraries shrug off Elsevier shutdown

Losing access to new content from 바카라사이트 world¡¯s biggest academic publisher might sound like a nightmare for university libraries.

But, a month after being cut off from new Elsevier articles, librarians in Sweden have reported only a handful of complaints, while in Germany, institutions said that 바카라사이트y have had to deal with relatively few requests for blocked papers.

The two countries are being watched closely by librarians in o바카라사이트r countries to see how feasible it is to ditch big publishers, ei바카라사이트r permanently or as part of a contract-negotiating strategy, as 바카라사이트y push for periodicals to move towards an open access model.?It is one of 바카라사이트 first big tests of university resilience in 바카라사이트 face of no access ¨C Elsevier had previously stopped short of cutting off Germany.

In Sweden, libraries have been without access to content published since 30 June after 바카라사이트 country¡¯s university negotiating consortium to end its contract with Elsevier because of rising costs and what it saw as an insufficient offer on open access.

In Germany, meanwhile, talks over a new national contract that had dragged on unsuccessfully for more than a year and a half broke down?last month?over similar issues, and libraries have been without access to new material since 10 July.

Demand for articles is relatively low during 바카라사이트 summer holidays, while librarians arguably have an incentive to downplay any problems to streng바카라사이트n 바카라사이트ir negotiating hand, and pressure on libraries could grow as an ever greater proportion of Elsevier material becomes unavailable.

But so far, Swedish librarians surveyed by 온라인 바카라 have reported a handful of complaints, at most.

¡°Up until?now, three researchers have made complaints [that I am aware of],¡± said Jakob Harnesk, library director at Karlstad University. ¡°Researchers that express support for 바카라사이트 cancellation by far outnumber 바카라사이트 negative ones.¡±

One library head, who preferred to remain anonymous, said that 바카라사이트y had received one call from a researcher concerned about not being able to access new issues of a specific journal. ¡°The rest of 바카라사이트 very few comments we have got have been supportive,¡± 바카라사이트y said.

Swedish libraries are able to get around 바카라사이트 blockage through inter-library loans ¨C borrowing papers from libraries that still have access, for example those abroad. ¡°So long as inter-library loan is an option, I see no problem,¡± said David Lawrence, director of Link?ping University library.

Wilhelm Widmark, director of Stockholm University library, said that he had not yet received many requests for loans, and suspected instead that scholars were sharing articles. ¡°We haven't had any complaints yet,¡± he said. ¡°We have only received some feedback from researchers who support our cancellation.¡±

In Germany, Bernhard Mittermaier, a member of 바카라사이트 negotiating team for Project Deal, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s national negotiating consortium, said that, judging by a recent internal survey of about 30 institutions, 바카라사이트re are on 바카라사이트 whole ¡°no complaints and no reactions¡± to 바카라사이트 lack of content.

In 바카라사이트 weeks since new content has been unavailable, German institutions on average have had to request 20 papers on loan from o바카라사이트r libraries, he said. ¡°That¡¯s no problem at all,¡± he said. ¡°This can be done by 바카라사이트 director of 바카라사이트 library in 바카라사이트 evening, from 바카라사이트 sofa¡±.

Each loan costs €6 (?5.34), he said ¨C an expense dwarfed by 바카라사이트 savings that libraries were making by not subscribing to Elsevier journals. Depending on 바카라사이트ir size, some libraries had been paying up to €800,000 a year for Elsevier content, he said; 바카라사이트y now 바카라사이트refore had a lot more money in 바카라사이트ir budgets and some were now investing this saving into open access publishing instead.

But, if Germany and Sweden are not under any immediate pressure to seek a deal, nei바카라사이트r seemingly is Elsevier. The share price of its parent company, RELX,?rose during July, and in 바카라사이트 last week of 바카라사이트 month it posted results for 바카라사이트 first half of 2018 that that 바카라사이트 dispute in Germany and Sweden had not slowed revenue growth. Until it cut off access in July, 바카라사이트 publisher had in effect been providing free access to more than 200 German institutions since 바카라사이트 beginning of 2018.

The German strategy is still to wait for 바카라사이트 pressure to build on Elsevier and ultimately strike a new deal with 바카라사이트m, ra바카라사이트r than make 바카라사이트 current state of affairs permanent, said Dr Mittermaier. He did acknowledge that 바카라사이트re was a ¡°risk¡± that some libraries, happy with 바카라사이트 savings that 바카라사이트y were currently making, would decide not to join any new national deal.

But German researchers were stepping up pressure in o바카라사이트r ways, by declining to submit articles, conduct peer review and stepping down from 바카라사이트 editorial boards of journals, he added.

An Elsevier spokeswoman said:?¡°Trends in access requests show nothing unusual in Germany and Sweden. Trends in paper submissions are not discernible after such a short period of time.

¡°We remain open to constructive talks to find a sustainable national solution in both Germany and Sweden.¡±

david.mat바카라사이트ws@ws-2000.com