Re: Identifying candidates for converting to E-only for smaller publishers Lesher, Marcella 02 Oct 2009 18:02 UTC

We have similar criteria but not quite the volume that you have.  I think I asked a similar question on the list a while back.  I've found that it really takes a combination of strategies--everything from using your vendor, scanning the website of the publisher, emailing the publisher and then calling them if necessary.

There may be easier methods but that's what I've done in the past.  We're down to such a low number of print titles that it is less of an issue.

Marcella Lesher
Periodicals Librarian
Blume Library
St. Mary's University
One Camino Santa Maria
San Antonio, TX  78228

phone:  210-431-2299 ext. 1322
fax:  210-436-3782

-----Original Message-----
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum on behalf of Pennington, Buddy D.
Sent: Fri 10/2/2009 12:07 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [SERIALST] Identifying candidates for converting to E-only for smaller publishers

Hi all,

Starting in 2009, we embarked on a multi-year project to convert titles
to E-only.  In order to do this we came up with some criteria:

*         Converting to E-only should be cheaper

*         Content should be the same

*         Post-cancellation access should be in the license with Portico
participation preferred

In 2009, we converted titles from the major academic publishers. For
2010 we are converting titles from the major university presses. For the
two years we have managed to convert nearly 600 subscriptions.

For 2011, we are left with over 1,700 print or print + electronic
subscriptions. The problem is that the vast majority of these are from
societies, trade publishers, small academic presses, or commercial
publishers where it will be much more expensive to go E-only (BMJ,
Nature, etc.).

If you have done this sort of thing, how did you tackle this?  For the
larger publishers identifying whether they met our criteria was
relatively easy to do.  Now it is not that easy.  I'm coming up with
more questions than answers as I try to determine whether Allen Press
titles (for example) meet the criteria.  Can I expect our subscription
agent to help with this?

Any advice or suggestions on this would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

Buddy Pennington

Serial Acquisitions Librarian

University of Missouri - Kansas City

800 East 51st Street

Kansas City, MO  64110

Phone: 816-235-1548

Fax: 816-333-5584

Email: penningtonb@umkc.edu

UMKC University Libraries: Discovery. Knowledge. Empowerment.