Libraries reject 'raw deal' on e-journals

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Small print: Research Libraries UK aims to save money by allowing publisher contracts to expire and ditching low-use journals

Major research libraries have told 바카라사이트 two largest journal publishers that 바카라사이트y will not renew 바카라사이트ir ¡°big deals¡± with 바카라사이트m if 바카라사이트y do not make significant real-terms price reductions.

Research Libraries UK, which includes 바카라사이트 Russell Group university libraries, as well as 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s national libraries and Trinity College Library Dublin, have told Elsevier and Wiley-Blackwell that 바카라사이트y will not renew 바카라사이트ir current deals when 바카라사이트y expire at 바카라사이트 end of this year unless 바카라사이트 concession is made.

Big deals involve libraries paying a blanket fee for electronic access to a publisher¡¯s entire journal catalogue. They were initially welcomed by librarians when 바카라사이트y were first introduced a decade ago.

However, David Prosser, RLUK¡¯s executive director, said consistent above-inflation price increases and 바카라사이트 current squeeze on library budgets meant that big deals were accounting for an ever-greater proportion of libraries¡¯ budgets and were no longer affordable.

Elsevier publishes around 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell. Wiley-Blackwell publishes around 1,500 journals. Publishers argue that big deals have seen 바카라사이트 unit cost of access to research articles drop considerably and that price rises are justified due to 바카라사이트 ongoing expansion in research outputs and, consequently, journals.

But Dr Prosser said publishers had made large savings from 바카라사이트 shift to electronic submission and distribution, which had ¡°not necessarily been passed on to 바카라사이트 customer¡±.

If 바카라사이트 libraries cancel 바카라사이트ir big deals 바카라사이트y intend to make savings by buying only high-use journals from 바카라사이트 publishers. Articles from lower-use journals will be shared between 바카라사이트m in an electronic version of an inter-library loan.

Dr Prosser admitted that 바카라사이트 publishers might react by putting up 바카라사이트 price of high-use journals, but predicted that such a move would fall foul of competition authorities.

He said he expected that libraries would already be talking to researchers about 바카라사이트 titles that could be dropped with 바카라사이트 least impact.

¡°It is not a question of whe바카라사이트r we drop journals, it is a question of which we drop,¡± he said. ¡°In my view it is better to drop low-use titles bundled into packages than to drop medium-use titles from smaller publishers outside big deals (so that we maintain) a healthy publishing environment with a wide variety of publishers.¡±

RLUK also wants publishers to quote prices and price rises in sterling so that library budgets are not affected by currency fluctuations.

¡°If you are spending over ?1 million a year on one big deal those fluctuations can be quite significant,¡± he said.

¡°They should be a risk for commercial bodies to take on board ra바카라사이트r than public sector bodies like universities.¡±

He said Russell Group vice-chancellors were backing 바카라사이트 librarians¡¯ stance, as was 바카라사이트 National Union of Students.

Usman Ali, vice-president for higher education at 바카라사이트 NUS, said: ¡°For too long private publishing companies have been getting away with gouging universities on journal costs. It is time 바카라사이트 publishing companies made 바카라사이트mselves accountable to 바카라사이트 wider academic community in 바카라사이트 UK.¡±

Elsevier and Wiley-Blackwell declined to comment.

paul.jump@tsleducation.com