From: <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2012 11:48:22 +0100

If your library takes full text databases (for example, Ebscohost), is
it normal practice to check what's in the database and cancel existing
subscriptions to journals which are duplicated by being in the
database, or to not take out new subscriptions to titles which are
already in the database?

Aggregators' argument, when signing publishers up, is that
availability in the database will not affect existing or potential
subscriptions. Anecdotally that position has been supported by a
handful of librarians, generally from major research institutions. At
the same time we have a similar level of directly contradictory
evidence, librarians specifically saying they are cancelling a title
because its now in a database, or that because it is in a database
they are not going to take out a subscription.

So, what is the general view on this among the academic library
community: does full text inclusion in a database invite cancelling or
not subscribing to a particular title, or is that simply not the case?
Are there complicating factors? Or is there not a general view at all:
some librarians see inclusion in a database as sufficient reason to
cancel/not subscribe, others don't?

Thank you,

Bill Hughes
Multi-Science Publishing Co Ltd