I noticed this, too, as I went through our 2003 renewal invoice.  I have
always estimated  a 13% increase, plus our service charge.  I cancel or add
subscriptions accordingly and as our budget allows.  However, this year it
seemed like an unusually high number of journals had a price increase of
over 50%.

Budget dollars are even tighter this year.  Consequently, I asked my EBSCO
sales rep, who happened to visit yesterday, to request a renewal
confirmation from the library for any price increase over 30%.  They did
notify me of one increase (Biochemistry) and asked if we still wanted to
renew, so it's not like they can't do this.  I consider this the "service"
part of the service charge we are paying.  Let them earn it if they want our
business!

Martha Spicuzza
Technical Services Librarian/Serials
Hillsdale College Mossey Library
517-437-7341 ext. 2405

-----Original Message-----
From: Nancy Crow [mailto:crowna@QUINCY.EDU]
Sent: Wednesday, November 20, 2002 11:20 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: History

I am going through my EBSCO renewal list and found that History: A Journal
of the History Association has raised its subscription price from $161 to
$299 per year.
I emailed Judy Cornish,marketing manager for journals at
jcornish@blackwellpublishers.co.uk
and told her it was absurd.   I'm waiting for her reply.  Maybe she should
hear from everyone!

Nancy Crow, Assistant Librarian
Serials/Interlibrary Loan
Quincy University
1800 College Ave.
Quincy, IL  62301-2699

217-228-5348 (voice); 217-228-5354 (fax)
crowna@quincy.edu
http://www.quincy.edu/library/