Frequently Asked Questions
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Why is it necessary for the UNH Library to cancel journal subscriptions this year?
Supporting the threefold mission of teaching, research and public service has been an ongoing challenge for academic libraries and the UNH Library is not immune to these pressures. Recent changes in academic publishing and scholarly communication have exacerbated the problem. The Association of Research Libraries reports the following statistics:
- Journals have gone up in price an average of 9% a year since 1986, while the consumer price index has increased only 3.3% a year
- Libraries spent 170% more to purchase 6% fewer journal titles in 1999 than in 1986
- Commercial journal publishers are expanding their market control through acquisitions, mergers, and the purchase of individual titles from learned scholarly societies
(Source:
Association of Research Libraries [pdf])
The bottom line is this: we would need to have at least a 10% annual increase in the collections budget to sustain the number of continuations, periodicals and databases that we currently maintain. Given state and university budget realities, this level of funding is highly unlikely.
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What is the timetable for the cancellation project?
For 2007, The list will go up on March 1 and remain there until March 31. We will then review and consider feedback from departments and programs. Cancellations will go in effect January 2008.
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How were journal titles selected for cancellation?
The decision to cancel a journal is a complex one. We have generated a list of journals to consider for cancellation using the following factors:
- Usage statistics, including use of current and recent issues mainly in print, but in other formats when feasible.
- Current subscription cost and recent price history
- Combining usage and cost data to determine cost per use
- Availability of alternative means of access to the journal title
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If a title is cancelled, what are my alternatives?
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How can I find out what journals outside my discipline are being considered for cancellation? What about interdisciplinary journals?
Proposed list of cancellations for 2007
We recognize that journals serve many needs outside of specific disciplines. Everyone is encouraged to review the entire list of journals being considered for cancellation.
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What is the best way that I can participate and help in this process?
There are several ways in which faculty and others can assist the UNH Library in addressing this problem:
- First of all: get involved. Help the liaison for your discipline identify additional titles whose cancellation will do the least harm. We need the help of faculty and other informed users to make the best possible decisions under the circumstances. Keep in mind that these cancellations are absolutely necessary. For a list of library liaisons, see: http://www.library.unh.edu/coldev/liaisons.shtml.
- In the future, give extra consideration to where you publish your papers. Look at the cost of the journal when you submit papers for publication or are asked to serve on an editorial board. Also, consider what the publisher asks you to do with your copyright.
- Become more informed about the issues by visiting: http://www.createchange.org/createchange2003.pdf.
In times like these, faculty members may offer us their personal journal subscriptions as a substitute for the higher-priced, institutional subscriptions. While we appreciate the generosity of such offers, such arrangements may violate publishers’ subscription agreements.
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Is the Library taking advantage of all possible revenue sources?
In the past few years, the Library has increased user fees for particular services, raised fines and fees for overdue and lost materials, and, in concert with the UNH Foundation, stepped up fundraising efforts. None of these provide enough additional support for either our immediate or ongoing collection needs
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Have other universities had to cancel journals in recent years?
2007 is the third of a three year cancellation project. Prior to 2005, the UNH library had been fortunate in that it has not had a major journal cancellation project since 1992. During this same period, many institutions have had to cut journals one or more times. For many academic libraries, analyzing periodical costs and use has become an ongoing process. Even more telling is the fact that even the best-funded academic libraries have had to deal with price inflation for scholarly periodicals. Among those are:
Cornell,
University of California, San Francisco, and
Washington State University, to name just a few.
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Who will make the final decision about cancelling a specific journal?
The final decisions will be made by the library liaisons and the University Librarian.
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Will journal cancellations be necessary in future years?
For the foreseeable future, inflation rates for journals are expected to remain between 8 and 10 percent. As long as increases in the library materials budget do not match the rate of inflation, serials cancellations will be inevitable. The likelihood of another serials cancellation is one reason why we are looking beyond a quick fix. This year we began the process of reviewing serial titles for a number of departments on campus, usually in concert with scheduled program review. We plan to do the same for the next several years. In addition, we have begun an initiative to investigate and implement improved methods of managing our journal subscriptions, with the goal of reviewing journal subscriptions on a regular basis rather than undertaking large serials cancellation projects every four or five years. A new model of journal management will allow us to identify and eliminate duplication on campus and across the state, to broaden user access to diverse journal content, to cooperate more vigorously with other libraries in the state and region, and to respond with greater flexibility to changing curricular and research needs. This initiative will also explore the Library’s options for moving to electronic only subscriptions with some publishers.
There are many challenges ahead, but in light of budgetary realities and requests by faculty and students to shift to more electronic journals, it will be necessary for us to address them on an ongoing basis. Above everything else, the UNH Library is committed to sharing all information regarding our decision-making in order to make this process as transparent as possible.
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How can I offer feedback?
