Try again...
Response to the following question:
From: Christine Roysdon <cmr0_at_Lehigh.EDU>
We are embarking on the development of a policy
statement for print to electronic-only journal
access that will delineate conditions that must
be met before we decide to receive a journal or
journal service exclusively in electronic format.
[snip]
===1=======
From: Taisoo Kim Watson <watsontk_at_usq.edu.au>
For the institution like University of Southern Queensland in Australia,
the main factor is that over 70% of our students are externals, so
electronic sources offer better/faster access/service than print
versions. The Library sends to external students photocopies or
printouts. But as more and more students have Internet access, so we
encourage self retrieval.
We have been decreasing hard copy journals and move/subscribe to only
electronic version during the last 6 years. Yes, Ref staff and academics
complained that some electronic resources do not have graphics or
announcements etc. When the A$ went down in 1997, we had to cancel 10%
of print journals but we made a real effort to continue electronic
resources. In 1998, we turned the corner, now we have 30% more full text
journal titles than hard copy journal titles we subscribe to and pay.
We don't count the tiles received as gratis. Not because we do not
value their contents, but because they are not reliable and we don't
have control over them.
Even for other universities with majority students study on-campus, the
staff time processing the hard copy issues, claiming, shelving them
constantly in the Library, ILL requests for missing issues and torn/cut
pages, and most of all SHELF SPACE should be included as criteria with
other issues that you mentioned already. The latest main concern for us
is some publishers placing embargo periods on some journals. For us, the
journals through databases eg EBSCO Host is primary and important
resources. We may have to subscribe to individual electronic journals if
they are very important for university academic staff to have access to
current articles ASAP. But we try not to.
Please let me know if there are other issues you wish to know how we
have moved to electronic resources. Good luck. Some academics don't
like electronic journals.
Taisoo Kim Watson
Associate University Librarian
Collection Management
University of Southern Queensland
TOOWOOMBA QLD 4350 Australia
Telephone: (07) 4631 2466
Facsimile: (07) 4631 1844
Email: watsontk_at_usq.edu.au
====2====
From: Alison Grant <a.grant_at_auckland.ac.nz>
Hi Christine and others, we have developed a policy for electronic
journals as part of our Collection Development Policy, but it has had to
be watered down somewhat to accommodate faculty concerns. Our policy is
at the url below, let me know if you have any problem accessing it.
http://www.auckland.ac.nz/lbr/acquis/cdpejournals.htm
Section 7 was the contentious area and you will note the additional
clauses we added here to placate some faculty members.
While we are on this topic - has anyone developed policy for electronic
monographs?
Alison Grant
Head of Acquisitions, Te Tari Rauemi Hou
University of Auckland Library
Private Bag 92019
Auckland New Zealand
mailto:a.grant_at_auckland.ac.nz
phone 64 9 3737599 ext.8056 fax 64 9 3737401
http://www.auckland.ac.nz/lbr/libhome.htm
=====3=======
From: Ken Johnson <kjohnson_at_drexel.edu>
Christine,
At Drexel, we have been very aggressive in moving towards e-access to
journals and cancelling the print counterpart. Our Collection
Development policy explains our criteria for selecting an
e-journal.
http://www.library.drexel.edu/services/default.html
(Click on the .pdf version of our CDP and click "Format Guidelines" on
the table of contents page. Item 3 addresses e-journals.)
Our approach to changing the access method to our journals isn't really
spelled out in our policy, and we don't have a Serials Librarian at
Drexel. So, our approach was to divide up the print subscriptions
according to the Librarian's subject specialties, and evaluate each
print title for e-journal access. If we determined that the e-journal
was a "full-text equivalent" of the print, then the print was
cancelled. This was a big project.
We do have agreements with a few publishers which states that if we
maintain our current print subscriptions to their titles, then they will
give us their entire e-journal library for a little bit more money.
It's very interesting and strange at times.
A related article may help in the July 2000 College & Research
Libraries, titled "Building a Comprehensive Serials Decision Database at
Virginia Tech" by Janice S. Lewis. Article begins p. 313.
Regards,
Ken
===4====
From: John Abbott <abbottjp_at_appstate.edu
I don't have a policy to offer you, but I am increasingly
ill-at-ease about my previous enthusiasm regarding movement
to e-access. As the economy cools (my 403b's are flat
for the year), the price of oil climbs, the Euro is soft
against the dollar (perhaps good in the short run for some journal
pricing, but bad for my state's exports to Euro economies and
therefore for our library's budget), I wonder what will happen
when/if the state decreases our materials budget, we are forced to
cancel serials again, and the faculty ask why there is no trusty print
volume backfile on the shelf. The print volume was bought and paid for
vs. the various assurances of journal publishers/vendors for backfile
access. The faculty who are currently quiet, inattentive, or
ambivalent about conversion to e-availability will be out of their
seats. I don't approach CD as a no-mistakes-allowed business, but from
now on, rather than just noting the backfile assurances in the license,
I want to see convincing evidence of a vendor/publisher's promised
e-backfile in the event of our cancellation or their sale, merger, or
demise. Allison's sec. 7 above, addresses some of this, but as that
backfile interval grows large, purchasing a paper backfile ‘patch' in a
difficult budget year(s) has consequences for the remainder of the
strained budget.
John Abbott
Appalachian State Univ.
Received on Sun Oct 15 2000 - 13:31:27 EDT