Message from the Director

Last year the UW-Madison Libraries' journal subscriptions and licenses accounted for 63% of all collection expenditures. Annual price increases for 2006 are projected to average approximately 8%, an inflation rate roughly three times the increase in the consumer price index. In dollars this converts to a journal collection costing $6.7 million that will increase in price by $536,000.

While the campus administration has provided regular additions to the acquisitions budget in recent years, these increases haven't kept pace with the rising cost of journals or with the growing library budgets of our regional peers. Consequently, UW-Madison Libraries can't maintain our current subscriptions or fully participate in cooperative purchases made by the Big Ten/CIC university libraries. The UW Libraries have no choice but to make cuts in the journal collection.

The campus libraries are consulting with faculty and academic staff researchers on the proposed cancellations for 2006. Campus librarians have compiled data on the cost and usage of journals that can be extremely helpful in guiding the decision-making. As part of the effort this year to better inform our users about the proposed cancellations, we have compiled a campus-wide list of titles to be canceled, one arranged by title and another by library. There is a third list of journals for which the paper subscription is being cancelled but electronic access will continue. By making the shift from paper to electronic the library will realize a savings of 5-10% of the subscription price.

To compensate for this loss of journal subscriptions, the Libraries have expanded the Library Express article delivery service. When researchers need fast access to journal articles the Libraries will purchase articles directly from publishers' websites rather than using traditional interlibrary loan service. So long as usage of these journals remains relatively low, the $25-$30 charge per article is a cost-effective way to give researchers the information they need. Although not the ideal, this is the best option we have to gain access to high-cost journals.

Ken Frazier, Director

UW Madison General Library System