We don't typically go directly to the Big Deal publishers, since we
purchase through a consortium.  Our licensing managers do a great job of
handling all the contract
arrangements and letting us know what our options are with the packages.
This might seem to reduce the need for title verification, but with some
publishers, there is that option of being allowed to cancel a certain
percentage of unwanted  titles, or "swap out" package titles for those
that better serve our users.   And even with comprehensive subject
collections, sometimes, titles we wish to include must be purchased
through our sub agent, who we also order from, and do a title
reconciliation with, each year.

I like the idea of not having to do title reconciles, and just take the
package "as is", but I'd still want the flexibility to add/delete titles
before we get the invoice.  Can't seem to get away from this painstaking
process without giving up some choice.

Joanne V. Romano, MLS
Serials and Electronic Resources Librarian
Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library
1133 John Freeman Blvd.
Houston, TX  77030
713-799-7144
fx:   713-799-7180
joanne.romano@exch.library.tmc.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum
[mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Barbara Pope
Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 3:51 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Can we get rid of annual title reconciliations
for Big Deals?

I recently wrote an article about the Big Deal and I think I may have
quoted one of your articles in Serials Librarian from 2006 where you
talked about how to make the process easier using a subscription agent.

I really liked your article.  It sounds like from what you are saying
here that even though it is easier to use a subscription agent, there is

still a lot of work involved.  I go through the title by title
verification with my regular magazine vendor every year.   I do a lot of

verification of usage, whether we have any full text, and how useful
each title is to the curriculum.  It is exhausting.  I would love to
find an easier way to do it.

Sincerely,

Barbara Pope, MALS
Periodicals/Reference Librarian
Axe Library
Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg KS  66762
620-235-4884
bpope@pittstate.edu

Gary Ives wrote:
> Under the Big Deal licenses we have with the bigger publishers such as
Elsevier, Springer, Taylor & Francis, and Wiley, part of the annual
renewal ritual is to verify the subscribed title list with the publisher
and subscription agent before invoicing occurs.  Every year.  Ad
nauseum.  Taking hours.  An alternative model might be one last title
reconciliation going into a contract to determine the dollar value, then
cutting loose from title-based pricing and moving to package-based
pricing based on previous spend, and taking a one-line-item invoice for
the package.  This doesn't cover all the nuances, but gives the basic
idea which might vary from publisher to publisher.  -g
>
>
>>>> Barbara Pope <bpope@PITTSTATE.EDU> 5/15/2008 2:35 PM >>>
>>>>
> I'm curious.  What do you mean by "title reconciliations"?  We
subscribe
> to a few deals and I have never heard this phrase.
>
>
> Barbara Pope, MALS
> Periodicals/Reference Librarian
> Axe Library
> Pittsburg State University
> Pittsburg KS  66762
> 620-235-4884
> bpope@pittstate.edu
>
> Gary Ives wrote:
>
>> I am so-o-o-o-o-o-o tired of title reconciliations for the Big Deal
renewals, and am finding increasingly appealing a model which eliminates
annual title reconciliations.
>>
>> My questions to the list:
>>
>> Have any of you independently negotiated with any of the major
publishers for a deal that gives you access to "all" but with no title
reconciliations?  Was it you who went to the publisher, or did the
publisher come to you?  What other conditions have you required to make
the deal work?  If, under such a deal, you receive a single-line-item
invoice for the package, do you see any remaining value to putting it
through a subscription agent?
>>
>> I will compile responses in a post to both this and the SERIALST
discussion lists, and maintain anonymity for libraries, publishers, and
subscription agents.
>>
>>
>> Gary Ives
>> Coordinator of Electronic Resources
>> Texas A&M University Libraries
>> 5000 TAMU
>> College Station, TX  77843-5000
>> Phone: (979) 458-0726
>> FAX:  (979) 458-1630
>> Email:  gives@lib-gw.tamu.edu
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>