This report looks closely at the acquisition practices for scientific, technical and academic journals of academic and research libraries. Some of the many issues covered: attitudes towards the pricing and digital access policies of select major journals publishers, preferences for print, print/electronic access combinations, and elelctronic access alone arrangements. Covers spending plans, preferences for use of consortiums, and use of, and evaluation of subscription agents. Charts attitudes towards CLOCKSS, open access, use of URL resolvers and other pressing issues of interest to major purchasers of academic and technical journals.
The study presents data about the journals acquisitions and management practices of an international sample of academic and research libraries. The study reports on a broad range of issues including: spending trends, use of print vs. electronic access, purchases in 'bundles', purchases through consortia, the role of subscription agents, use and plans for use of open access, attitudes towards the pricing practices of a range of major journal publishers, sources of funding for journal purchases and relations with academic and administrative departments of library parent organizations, and the practical management of the journal acquisition process, among other issues.
See especially these findings:
... About a quarter of the libraries in the sample believe that open access has already slowed the increase in journal prices.
15.56% of the libraries in the sample have paid a publication fee on behalf of an author from their institution. ...
Posted by
Gavin Baker at 11/11/2008 08:12:00 PM.
The open access movement:
Putting peer-reviewed scientific and scholarly literature
on the internet. Making it available free of charge and
free of most copyright and licensing restrictions.
Removing the barriers to serious research.
I recommend the OA tracking project (OATP) as the best way to stay on top of new OA developments. You can read the OATP feed on a blog-like web page or subscribe to it by RSS, email, or Twitter. You can also help build the feed by tagging new developments you encounter.
