From: Deborah Lenares <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:14:31 -0400

To possibly add a bit more context to these numbers, it's very
possible that libraries are not reporting figures that accurately
represent spending on "books" and "journals."  The increase in
spending on serials since 1999 has certainly been impacted by the
availability of annually renewing databases.  Increased spending on
"journals" is not an indication that journal pricing is out of
control, it's an indication that libraries are buying more annually
renewing resources.  These annually renewing resources might also
include statistical databases, ebooks packages subscribed to or
purchased on an annual basis, discovery services, full text databases,
etc.

Although I have admittedly not had time to read the entire article,
the suggestion that the increase in spending on serials can be
attributed to big deals I think is incorrect.  The article claims that
multi-year contracts with 7%+ increases are typical.  I have never
signed even a one year agreement that locks in a price cap that high.
I very much doubt that that is a "typical" amount for a multi-year
contract.

Deborah Lenares

Manager Acquisitions and Resource Sharing
Science Collection Management Librarian
Clapp Library - Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481
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On Wed, Mar 27, 2013 at 10:02 PM, LIBLICENSE <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> From: Sandy Thatcher <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:05:36 -0500
>
> This passage was of particular interest to me:
>
> > Since 1999, spending on books has fallen by almost a fifth in real terms, and from almost 12
> > per cent of libraries' total spending to just over 8 per cent. Expenditure on serials, on the
> > other hand, has increased sharply: from just under £70 million to over £130 million. In real
> > terms this represents an increase of 63 per cent; journals' share of total library spendingrose
> > from 16 per cent to almost 20 per cent.
>
> I was under the impression that this change in the ratio of book to
> journal spending had ceased during the past decade, and that spending
> on books had leveled off.  I can't cite any studies to that effect
> right off the top of my head, but I wonder if others can?
>
> Sandy Thatcher
>
>
> At 11:25 AM -0700 3/27/13, Heather Morrison wrote:
>
> > Interesting preprint from Harvie, Lightfoot, Lilley and Weir:
> > https://lra.le.ac.uk/bitstream/2381/9689/1/What%20are%20we%20to%20do%20with%20feral%20publishers%20final%20August%2031.pdf
> >
> > best,
> >
> > Heather G. Morrison