Journal Subscriptions Review

Sandra Leach, Acting Head, Collection Development

HomeGlossaryTable of Contents


"Seven out of every ten disciplines saw price

increases in excess of 40% between 1991 and 1995."

"Serials vs. the Dollar Dilemma: Currency Swings and Rising Costs Play Havoc with Prices," Library Journal 120, no. 7 (15 April 1995): 44.

Library Selectors and Library Departmental Representatives in the departments of Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Math and Physics and the Colleges of Business Administration and Engineering have already reviewed the 52 most expensive journal subscriptions, which total $215,000, and have recommended for cancellation approximately $67,158.

While we wish to target these disproportionately funded expenditures, we must also remember that an overall price increase of 15-19% is expected for all subject areas, and we plan to reduce each fund by an amount which will cover this increase.

Therefore, review in these funds will now continue with attention to the examination of their entire subscription lists.

Selectors and Representatives for all funds will consult on lists of subscription titles designated for each department or college to identify candidates for cancellation.

Journals Online News

An area of OLIS (the Online Library Information System) is designated "Journals Online News" (http://toltec.lib.utk.edu/~share/jon) and will provide information on the progress of the cancellation project as well as a list of titles recommended for cancellation.

The e-mail address designated for comments and suggestions is:

jon@aztec.lib.utk.edu

You are welcome to begin consulting this electronic newsletter and using the address immediately.

Reviewing Fund Lists

While past journals review projects have sought to identify little-used or out-of-scope titles, we recognize that years of attention to subscriptions have produced very concise lists, and some funds consider the titles to which they continue to subscribe absolutely essential or core for their disciplines.

Therefore, we are asking you to pay special attention to journals which we are able to obtain through other means than subscriptions.

The Document Delivery Alternative

As noted elsewhere in this newsletter, we are now providing access to the Current Contents database available in the Libraries and on the campus network.

We are exploring automatic links between Current Contents and Interlibrary Services, where requests will be processed for article procurement from other libraries as well as commercial services. In this way we will provide for your personal use, normally at no charge to you, a copy of each article you need.

By purchasing individual articles instead of subscriptions we hope to provide more personalized service at less overall cost to the Libraries.


Please e-mail suggestions and comments to jon@aztec.lib.utk.edu.


Go to the Table of Contents.
Go to the Journals Online News glossary.
Go to the Journals Online News home page.