Managing To Librarians' Expectations: Serials Purchasing Criteria and the Impact of Open Access on Purchasing M.J. Tooey Executive Director Health Sciences and Human Services Library University of Maryland, Baltimore November 16, 2004
Managing To Librarians' Expectations: Serials Purchasing Criteria and the Impact of Open Access on Purchasing
M.J. TooeyExecutive Director
Health Sciences and Human Services LibraryUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore
November 16, 2004
First, the existential question…
Why am I here?
The Easy Answers?
Priscilla Markwood invited meI didn’t have anything else on my scheduleBaltimore is just a short train ride to PhiladelphiaI’m a librarian
The More Complex Answers?
The Chinese curse of “may you live in interesting times”The FASEB meeting this past summerConcern about relationship degradation and open accessI’m a librarian
Today, I would like to…
Review the purchase of serials in a academic health sciences library settingLook at the impact of e-journalsShare some thoughts about pricingDiscuss marketing strategies(Finally) Express some thoughts about Open Access
First a little about my environment…
Only publicly funded HSL in MarylandCampus populationd of over 10,000. Serve SoM, SoP,SoD, SoN, SSW, & Graduate School. Law School has own library (cooperative agreements. Clinical center and VANN/LM SE/ARML – five year contract with NLMPart of USM ConsortiumApprox. $ 2 Million materials budget – flat fundingCollection size – 380,000 volumes, 4200 unique serials360,000 physical and 1.5 million virtual visitors
Serials Purchasing
Or Not…
CriteriaCollection development policies based on research, education, clinical care and service programs of UMB.Journal Evaluation Projects – past two years – over $400,000 in resources cutReview committees, faculty liaisonsPricing and Licensing (more later)Format – e or print or both?
Impact of e-journalsPreferred by usersHarder to manage
Ownership vs. licensingRestrictions on accessUse in resource sharing Archival policyInstitutional repositories, copyright, and intellectual property rights
Show Stoppers (or at least Show Stumblers)
Fair and equitable pricingLicensing requirementsPermissions for sharing or interlibrary loaningArchival policyConsortial purchases – the “big deal”Perception of duplicity
Advertising and Marketing –How to Get to Us
Informal poll at HS/HSL, UMBThrow away paperLike targeted emails with imbedded web sites
• Easy to delete• Easy to forward
Review products at annual meetingsRelationships with sales repsGraft and corruption ;-)
The Role of Subscription Agents
Blessing and CurseMake our jobs much easierIncreasingly complex organizations with diverse products and servicesLibraries are frequently “middle men” tracking our rights/permissions and checking correctness of subscription lists and formats
Open AccessWhich flavor?PLoS, BioMed Central, ElsevierNIH Public Access Proposal – “Zerhouni Proposal”Issues
Who pays?Who loans?Implications for libraries
Librarians are not the enemy…
We advocate for and protect copyrightPhilosophical vs practical considerationsThe 900 lb gorilla of the “bottom line” Who really “owns” the issue of open access?Cooperation and conversation – not confrontation