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UW-Madison Libraries launch journal cost-cutting measures
9/18/2001
MADISON, WIS.--The UW-Madison Libraries are taking steps to curb expenditures for expensive research journals. The effort spearheads the first cooperative effort across the entire University of Wisconsin System to cancel high-cost journal subscriptions.
A letter
to faculty and researchers from Library Director Kenneth Frazier explains that
the
cuts are necessary because library budgets will
remain flat during the next biennium, while
the cost of library materials continues to increase.
With the cost of journals rising by at least
9 percent, libraries have no choice but to make significant
cuts in journal collections.
In spite of limitations imposed by budgets,
Frazier says,
"We intend to do everything in our power
to ensure that faculty and researchers continue
to have fast, convenient access to any journal
article that they need."
Cost-effective alternatives are being introduced. One is electronic delivery for journal articles through a newly expanded service called Library Express, which delivers electronic versions of journal articles directly to the user's computer.
Commenting on the rising cost of journals, Frazier says, "Too many research journals are owned and controlled by a few commercial publishers whose top priority is maximizing profits rather than expanding access to research information."
Identifying what they consider the source of the problem, the members of the University Library Committee of the Faculty Senate have made specific recommendations to fellow faculty members in a recent annual report:
"We urge UW-Madison faculty members to consider placing their published scholarship in outlets dedicated to the doctrine of fair use and the principle of free access to knowledge . . . UW-Madison faculty members who are editors of journals published by commercial houses should challenge the exorbitant increases in library subscription rates . . . concerted action [by libraries] will help to counterbalance the economic power of the commercial publishers and therefore help to restrain the rate of escalation in journal prices."
For more information about the journal cancellations, please see the following link.
For lists of proposed serial cancellations and librarians to contact in various libraries:
http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/sercan
