2 messages:

1)_____

Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 08:42:25 -0600
From: Peter Picerno <ppicerno@CHOCTAW.ASTATE.EDU>
Subject: Re: Electronic vs. print holdings (Pam Matthews)

I would add Project Muse to the list of those which I, at least, consider
stable electronic journal titles.

Peter Picerno

> Hi, all, I could use some guidance.  We're grappling with some issues here
that
> I know other people have grappled with.  I'd like to hear from anyone
who's
> pinned them to the ground.
>
> Our library is facing a severe space crunch.  One of the suggestions is to
toss
> print copies of journals as long as we subscribe to an electronic
equivalent
> that's "stable."
>
> Has anyone taken this step?  Did you toss all years that are available
> electronically or just selected years?   If just selected, how did you
choose?
> Any outcry from the print-attached faculty on your campus?
>
> What's "stable?"  I think most of us agree that JSTOR titles are more
stable
> than say EBSCOhost or Lexis-Nexis titles.  But what's stable *enough*?
Are
> publisher's sites stable?  Does it depend on the publisher?  How do you
know
> who's stable?  Has anyone come up with objective criteria for measuring
> stability?
>
> And what about price increases?  A site can last forever but if we can't
afford
> it any more it won't do us any good.  Has anyone come up with a collection
> policy that takes this into account?
>
> Finally, has anyone come up with a print v. electronic journal collection
policy
> that I can take a look at?
>
> I know this is a long post and the topic is convoluted, especially for a
Monday
> morning.  BUT I really will appreciate ANY help I can get on this! And
I'll
> gladly post a summary of responses to the list.
>
> Thanks!
>
> Pam Matthews
> Acquisitions/Serials Librarian
> Gettysburg College
> Musselman Library
> Gettysburg, PA  17325
> 717-337-7007 (phone)  717-337-6666 (fax)
> pmatthew@gettysburg.edu

2)______

From: "Michael A. Weber" <webermi@ALVERNIA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Electronic vs. print holdings (Pam Matthews)

Hi Pam!

I can tell you what we did.  Of course we are much smaller than G-burg and
we didn't do it because of space concerns.

We have cancelled print subscripitions that are available in electronic
form.  Usage was also a consideration.

As far as stable goes, well that is hard to determine, again usage was a
consideration.  We did conclude that we could ethically fill in our gaps
using dup ex. in the event the the electronic subscription became unavailable.

We didn't get rid of any of our print volumes.

I guess that our philosophy is that the electronic format will eventually
take over.  We believe that electronic subscriptions are the way go.

Call it virtual optimism!

Mike

Michael Weber
Dr. Frank A. Franco Library
ALVERNIA COLLEGE
400 St. Bernardine Street
Reading PA  19518
(610) 796-8352
(610) 796-8347 Fax
webermi@alvernia.edu