---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2000 16:18:51 -0500
From: "Pennington, Buddy" <buddy.pennington@ROCKHURST.EDU>
Subject: Cost per title of print journals versus journals in electronic da
                tabases...

Hi all,

I recently answered a survey for a grad student and got to thinking about
figuring average costs per journal title for print journals and for
electronic journals offered through online databases.  For example:  our
library is spending $115,000 this year for print and microfiche
subscriptions to 715 journals.  This comes to an average price of $160 per
title.  We are also spending $3250 to subscribe to Academic Universe, a
full-text database that has 4546 full-text journals.  This comes to an
average price of 72 cents per title.  I know this is a quick and dirty
estimation that does not take into account a lot of things (like we get the
print and microfiche forever but not the electronic, the online version
offers around 10 years of holdings per title while the cost for print and
microfiche is for only 1 year, access to the electronic content is far wider
and easier than access to the print content, etc.), but it seems to me that
full-text databases are a much better and cost-efficient way to provide
journal access to users than print subscriptions.  Not too mention that
consortia can get good prices for databases, but individual libraries cannot
for print subscriptions.

Anyway,  I would be very interested to hear about any cost studies or
journal articles that have examined these issues or any thoughts and/or
opinions from you.

Buddy Pennington
Acquisitions/Serials Librarian
Rockhurst University Greenlease Library
buddy.pennington@rockhurst.edu
#816-501-4143