Sage increased the subscription price in late November of two journals
my library subscribes to by 80%. We paid for the subscriptions through
our vendor on an invoice dated Oct. 27. A supplemental invoice dated
Jan. 13 bills us for the increase of $122 over the originally invoiced
$154 for each subscription.

Rate increases between annual vendor invoices are not unusual, but am I
the only one disturbed by the timing of such a sharp increase?

Sage's choice of timing does not give librarians adequate time to react.
They must know the timing of renewals and payments libraries make to
vendors. I can't cancel a title without going through a process with our
faculty, and a late November increase on a subscription starting in
January doesn't allow time for that. To make matters worse, their
subscriptions are noncancellable after the first issue is sent.

If a representative from Sage reads this, I hope they will share an
explanation for the timing and magnitude of the rate increases.

Thank you,

Steve Black

Reference, Serials, and Instruction Librarian

Neil Hellman Library

The College of Saint Rose

392 Western Ave.

Albany, NY 12203

(518) 458-5494

blacks@strose.edu