CDL-Decision-making on Subscribing to New Journals

From: Lynn Sipe <lsipe_at_usc.edu>
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 13:39:24 -0700
To: COLLDV-L_at_usc.edu
From: Mary Summerfield <msummerfield_at_press.uchicago.edu>

Scholarly disciplines continue to evolve and, as they do, societies and 
institutes spring up or mature to the state that they would like to sponsor 
a journal that would serve the discipline better than existing journals.

As we think about the feasibility of launching new journals, not-for-profit 
presses must project how quickly libraries will choose to subscribe to 
these journals and how many will do so and at what prices.  Our financial 
reserves are small and we cannot afford to launch a new journal unless we 
can expect it to recover its initial and ongoing costs in a relatively 
short period.

Could collection development managers tell us how you think about the 
decision-making on subscribing to new journals?

What are the factors that determine whether you will subscribe to a new 
journal and how soon you will do so?

What characteristics would lead you to subscribe at launch?

How do you think about an online only journal versus one that is available 
in both print and online formats?

Thanks for your guidance on this important matter.

Mary Summerfield

Director, Business Development

Journals Division

University of Chicago Press

1427 East 60th Street

Chicago, IL   60637

Tel: 773.702.2383

Fax: 773.702.0694

E-mail: <mailto:msummerfield_at_press.uchicago.edu>msummerfield_at_press.uchicago.edu

Net: <http://www.journals.uchicago.edu>www.journals.uchicago.edu
Received on Wed Apr 11 2007 - 00:57:19 EDT