A Show of Hands?

Many of us are tired of Internet surveys, but this question is
straightforward, requires only a "yes" response, and important
for both a work project and a book of mine.

I am about to recommend cancellation a significant portion of our
science and technology journals on the basis of double criteria:
each of about 200 titles is both

   -  low in use (5 or fewer times a year), and

   -  high in cost-per-use (well over the mean charge of about
$18 for either ILL or commerical; document delivery.

My analysis is basic arithmetic but would be politically stronger
if I could argue that other academic libraries have followed the
same approach -- that what I am doing is a professional norm.

While a "show of hands" is all that is necessary now, I would
want to follow up some responses for material in a book underway
on "restructuring academic libraries."

For those who have undertaken cost-per-unit analyses to make
access-versus-ownership decisions: if you would respond directly
to me with a simple "yes", I will gladly summarize for the list.

Many thanks!

Tony Schwartz

Assistant Director for Collection Development
Healey Library
University of Massachusetts at Boston
100 Morrissey Blvd.
Boston, MA  02125-3393
617-287-5923 voice, fax 617-287-5950
Tony@delphinus.lib.umb.edu