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This Serials Duplicate Format Review Project (SDFRP) at the UCI Libraries is
focused on the review of print journals where there exists an electronic equivalent
for a number of publishers. With current dual subscriptions in print and electronic
formats, the goal of this project is to retain the electronic access and not renew
the print subscriptions.
Link from this list of questions to the answers, or browse all answers.
Evolution from print to electronic journals with various publishers
1.Why
is this project necessary?
2.
How will this project help us?
3.
Why can’t the Libraries cancel some of the less-used titles to save even more
money?
4.
Won’t this migration to electronic format only make us even more dependent on
these publishers?
5.
If we buy hard copy or print, we have access to it forever. If we only have the
electronic format and the publisher no longer exists (or we no longer subscribe
to the content), do we lose access?
6.
How is the cost of an individual subscription affected by this proposed change?
7.
What can I do if I think it is really important to keep the print version of a
specific publisher title?
8.
Are there sufficient computers and printers to allow for enough access by our
growing campus community for students to access the electronic journals?
9.
Can we anticipate additional savings efforts with other serials and even monographs?
10.
Can I review a list of the titles proposed for reduction in print?
11.
What can an individual faculty member do to help hold down the cost of scholarly
information?
12.
Can faculty donate personal copies of their subscription to the Library?
13.
If I have additional questions, whom do I contact?
1. Why is this project necessary?
Faculty and students have told us that they increasingly prefer to use the
electronic versions of journals when given the choice. As more users link from
the indexing and abstracting sources or databases directly to the journal article,
they can immediately gain access to the fulltext article. We have maintained both
the print and electronic access to journals, and have seen a steady decline in
the use of the print collections while paying very high costs to subscribe, shelve,
bind, and label the volumes. Space in our library is also at a premium as the
scope of our collections expands, and as does the campus population. We have confidence
in the archiving of the electronic and will keep a full print archive within the
UC system at one of the Regional Storage Facilities.
Top of Page  2. How will this project help us?
This project will generate savings, which are needed to maintain electronic
access to the most critical content our users need. In addition, there are other
associated savings in shelf space, processing of the print, binding and shelving
that can be applied to other resources and reduce the necessity to cancel content.
SDFRP does not reduce access to journals, it simply reduces the duplication and
maintains electronic access to the journals.
Top of Page 3. Why can’t the Libraries cancel some of the less-used titles
to save even more money?
The California Digital Library (CDL) licenses all the titles in a package on
behalf of the ten UC institutions as one deal. The total cost to the UC System
is less than what each individual campus would pay on a title by title selection
basis.
Some ask if we cannot negotiate fewer titles in the package for a lower cost.
This is certainly one of the issues considered during re-negotiation. However,
there is little incentive for a publisher to give us a discount for a title that
we don't use anyway.
Top of Page 4. Won’t this migration to electronic format only make us even
more dependent on these publishers?
Many of our faculty are current members of editorial boards and contribute
to journals by the publishers addressed in this review project.. The promotion
and tenure process still rewards publication in some of the more prestigious titles.
Unless these values change, it is neither possible nor desirable for the UCI Libraries
to discontinue access to these publications.
The only way to change the system is for the academy to develop alternative,
high-quality publishing forums and such venues are emerging and the Library community
encourages scholars to aggressively pursue these
alternatives.
Top of Page 5. If we buy hard copy or print, we have access to it forever.
If we only have the electronic format and the publisher no longer exists (or we
no longer subscribe to the content), do we lose access?
In general, no, we do not lose access, but the issues of perpetual access and
archival access must be considered. As part of our contract, the UC system has
perpetual access to the online content and receives one print archival copy of
each journal; these journals will eventually be stored as a print journal archive
at the Southern Regional Library Facility (SRLF). According to publisher agreements,
if subscribers do not renew subscriptions to particular titles, they will continue
to have access to those issues for which they already have paid. If we subscribe
to content published in 2004 but decide to cancel the contract in 2006, we will
continue to have access to all content in that title that we paid for up until
2006.
Top of Page 6. How is the cost of an individual subscription affected by
proposed change?
Some journals are available to individual subscribers at a reduced rate if
their institution has a subscription. By canceling the print version of a journal,
the Library is not canceling its subscription to that title, just retaining the
electronic only. UC continues to maintain a fully paid subscription to publisher
titles with our only charge being for the electronic version.
Top of Page 7. What can I do if I think it is really important to keep the
print version of a specific publisher title?
You can convey your concerns and request to your Bibliographer/Subject
Librarian or Lorelei Tanji
(AUL, Collections). We would appreciate knowing why the electronic version does
not meet your needs, and your reasons for wanting to keep the duplicate print
format. We would appreciate receiving your comments or requests before Friday,
November 5th, 2004. If for some reason you are not able to reply by that date,
feel free to contact Lorelei Tanji.
Top of Page 8. Are there sufficient computers and printers to allow for
enough access by our growing campus community for students to access the electronic
journals?
Throughout the libraries we have installed more public access computers and
printing stations. Also, at all libraries, more wireless zones have been created
and we are confident that there is sufficient access for a growing user population.
Efforts are also underway to inform the UCI community about efficient means to
gain remote access.
Top of Page 9. Can we anticipate additional savings efforts with other serials
and even monographs?
As we see other opportunities to reduce duplicate print formats while maintaining
online access and a print archive, we will consider those products as well.
We continue to learn from the Mellon grant funded UC
Collections Management Initiative (CMI) to determine readers' preferences
and trends in ensuring perpetual and archival access.
Top of Page 10. Can I review a list of the titles proposed for reduction
in print?
Yes, there is a list of institutional print subscriptions arranged by title
and by department.
Top of Page 11. What can an individual faculty member do to help hold down
the cost of scholarly informaton?
The UCI Libraries recently launched its Scholarly Communication and Management
Program (SCAMP) and you can attend programs, events to explore issues relevant
to scholarly publishing.
SCAMP
has links to resources that cover the economics of publishing, the background
to this problem, alternative publishing venues, and other themes that address
the problems we hope to address. As authors, editors, participants in peer review
and members of scholarly and professional societies you can try and learn about
the issues and influence better solutions to the problematic areas in scholarly
communication. We also have a list of Scholarly
Publishing Options that outlines alternative venues for publishing.
Top of Page 12. Can faculty donate personal copies of their subscription
to the Library?
The Library appreciates the offer, but personal and institutional subscription
prices have different price structures and restrictions. Personal prices are less
and those subscriptions are not permitted for library use. Individual arrangements
can be quite time-consuming and can result in gaps or delays in receiving issues.
Processing individual gift copies is staff intensive. Our goal of saving processing
costs and space are not met with this approach.
13. If I have additional questions, whom do I contact?
You can contact your subject
librarian
Or contact Lorelei Tanji, AUL for Collections
Phone: (949-824-5216)
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