Hello-

I'm a new serials librarian and dealing with microfilm and index
renewals for the first time.  Our New York Times and Wall Street Journal
microfilm versions are used fairly heavily.  However, our New York Times
and Wall Street Journal indexes are not (3 or fewer uses total in the
last 3 years).  We have electronic full text for both newspapers in our
databases.  What have other academic libraries done with newspaper
indexes?  If we have the microfilm should we keep receiving the indexes?
We don't have unlimited money in our budget and we just finished a 3
year contract that kept our microfilm and index prices the same.  Now
prices will go up 10% each year, unless we commit to our current
spending level and sign another 3 year contract.  I'm inclined to cancel
the index subscriptions but I don't want to throw out a valuable
resource.

We also receive the Accounting & Tax Index (mostly for the Barron's
indexing), and that has had no uses at all.

I'd appreciate any feedback!

Sincerely,

Allison Benkwitt
Reference/Periodicals Librarian
Southern New Hampshire University
2500 N. River Rd.
Manchester, NH 03106
603-668-2211 x2156
a.benkwitt@snhu.edu