-------- Original Message --------
Subject: individual vs. institutional subscriptions
   Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2001 19:47:45 -0500
   From: Susan C Shelly <susancs@goshen.edu>

I'd like to know if any members have been dealing with the dilemma of
institutional vs. individual subscriptions to journals.  This question
comes up from time to time because institutional subscriptions usually
cost significantly more than individual subscriptions.  ($660.00 vs.
$28.00 in one example.)  Probably like many of you, my initial thought
was "Horrors!  No!  Never! How unethical!" but our financial realities
demand that we look objectively at every possible way to save money.

Utilizing individual subscriptions could go something like this:
certain faculty members now subscribe individually to professional,
scholarly journals at the lower individual rate.  We need the journals
in our library.  The faculty members are willing to pass their issues
along to the library.  The library would pay for the individual
subscription.  The library could save thousands of dollars per year, and
the faculty members have no ethical dilemmas with this.

The pros I see are this:  (1) Saving thousands of dollars; (2)
stewardship of limited resources, allowing the library to add more
needed resources to the collection.

Further, the library routinely receives gifts of books and videos,
catalogs them, and places them in the collection.  If the faculty member
would be making these journals available to students anyway, does it not
make sense to have them cataloged and part of the collection?  Are the
ethical considerations outdated norms, or even manipulation by
publishers to make us pay more?

The cons I see are this:  (1) Some individuals and organizations do view
this as unethical and inappropriate; (2) the library is then dependent
upon the good will of the prof. to make sure the new issue is sent over;
(3) if the professor severs employment, or fails to renew the
subscription, there could be a gap in coverage.

I would like to know if any small academic libraries out there are
dealing with this same issue.  What has your experience been like,
and/or, what actions have been taken?  What other pros and cons do you
see?  Have you found literature on this subject? Do you have a policy
that addresses this in some way, and can you share it with me?

Please respond directly to me, and if requested, I will be happy to
share what I learn.  Of course, names of librarians and institutions
will not be revealed unless I have your permission!

*******************************
Susan Capps Shelly,  Librarian
Good Library
GOSHEN COLLEGE
1700 South Main Street
Goshen, Indiana 46526
(219)535-7637
Note: After 15 January 2002, the Goshen area code will change from (219)
                                to (574).