Our rule of thumb is that anything over $30.00 per use (B4B, Bang for the buck factor) should be cancelled in the absence of an over whelming reason to keep.  Most of our collection is electronic, so we are basing it on full-text downloads.  I also remember reading somewhere that the true cost of the average ILL is $30.00, so that is something to keep in mind.
 
Ellen
Ellen Rothbaum, MS, AHIP
Assistant Director
Daniel Carroll Payson Medical Library
North Shore University Hospital
300 Community Drive
Manhasset, NY 11030
Voice:  (516) 562-4324
Fax:  (516) 562-2865
ellenr@nshs.edu
 

From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Sutton, Sarah
Sent: Wednesday, August 05, 2009 1:40 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [SERIALST] cost per use for individual journals

Does anyone have a formula for deciding their maximum acceptable cost per use of a journal? What I’m really wondering, is how much is too much? It’s easy to justify cancelling print when the cost per use of a print journal is, say, $250 per use. But what about a journal that costs $20.47, cancel it or not?

 

Clearly there are many other criteria that play into such a decision (e.g. shelf space, curriculum support, accreditation requirements, etc.).  I’m just wondering how (if) the collective wisdom of this list use cost per use data.

 

Thanks,

 

Sarah

 

Sarah Sutton

Serials / Electronic Resources Librarian

Mary & Jeff Bell Library

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

6300 Ocean Drive

Corpus Christi, TX 78412-5702

phone 361-825-2355

fax 361-825-5973

email sarah.sutton@tamucc.edu