Download - EJournals from the Library Directors Viewpoint Sue McKnight 29 June 2007.

eJournals from the Library Directors’ Viewpoint

Sue McKnight29 June 2007

Data Gathering

Email to SCONUL Director’s List What you Hate What you Love What you would change if you could

28 Responses from 20 libraries Serials, eSerials, Acquisitions Librarians Liaison Librarians Directors

What We Hate

VAT E should be much cheaper than print! Disadvantages UK against other more

enlightened nations E.g. Australia, USA

Publishers lobby as well as library and scholarly organisations

What We Hate Costs

Big Deals cost too much for smaller libraries Additional costs for separate campuses/sites Too many pricing plans Too many archiving options Charging for access to archives Charging for specialist content on basis of total FTE

even though only a small subset use the content Annual price increase way above inflation Link to historic print spend

What We Hate

Big Deals are too big Keep bundles, but make these smaller and more

specific Limiting flexibility and providing dross

Packages locking in budget for x years Library budgets are not guaranteed years ahead

Restrictive cancellation policies Tying prices for eJournals to Print Journals Print cancellations impacting eJournal access

What We Hate

Complicated licence agreements Multi-site licences instead of recognising multi-

campuses of same institution No consistency between suppliers

No model licence Too many licences Course pack restrictions

Holdings changing suddenly mid term Transfer of title to another publisher with

different license conditions

What We Hate

Titles dropping out of Big Deals mid term

Authentication/Access Difficulties Separate Passwords for different services Too many subscriber numbers for access Not using specific IP range Not allowing proxies for off-campus access Not allowing ‘walk in users’ access Complicated log-on screens

What We Hate Uncertainty regarding perpetual access

for previously licensed eJournals Titles being split between platforms

As often happens if a title is bought out Too complicated than it ought to be

Downloading as easy as online shopping (some do it well now; others don’t)

Lack of communication on title changes in Big Deals

What We Hate Needing specialist staff to set up

access and federated searching Publishers not using Open URLs Federated search engines that don’t

include everything subscribed to Link resolvers that make the library

do most of the work Representatives that don’t bother to

visit the library

What We Love

Ease of Use 24 x 7 access Full text articles Not too many clicks to the full-text Searching possible across multiple

systems/cross searching (open URL) Abiding by Standards

Good statistical reporting on use

What We Love

Good searching facilities Geographic terms Industry codes Product names Thesauri facilities

What We Love

Model Licenses CHEST Licenses JISC national negotiations Generous/unlimited concurrent access Choice in how to license content

Title Subject packages Medium to Big bundles

What We Love

Support for open URLs Title and Article linking Use of DOIs Easy Authentication

Athens; Shibboleth Providing access to remote

customers

In a Perfect World…

The opposite to everything we do not like!!

In a Perfect World… No VAT

Or at least clarity how it is applied to combined subscriptions

Pricing Simple pricing models Prices that increase at a reasonable rate Early advice on pricing for budget purposes Incentives to convert to ‘e’ only

Perpetual access to content that has been previously licensed

Fixed date and Not rolling access Even when a title changes publisher

In a Perfect World… Sign-on and authentication

Athens; Shibboleth Seamless access to everyone’s journals One sign on protocol to get to all journals Customers don’t have to get a special

password IP access and proxy access

‘Filing’/Access by Subject Discipline We don’t shelve books by publisher!

In a Perfect World… Inbound OpenURL complaint to

article level Outbound OpenURL compliant from

all article references/citations Support rich integration with Z39.50

and other remote searching protocols Support direct citation export to

standard bibliographic management software packages

In a Perfect World… Offer a simple, clean, intuitive interface

Focused on searchers needs, not ‘selling’ the title Subscription entitlements transparent to visitor

What can visitor access Allow visitor to filter searching by subscription

content, should they wish Does not require non-standard plug-ins or other

software Fully accessible /assistive technology compliant Allows a degree of branding, customisation and

inclusion of support contacts

In a Perfect World… Standardisation of native interfaces

Customers know they are searching eJournals Referencing should be integral

Eliminate overlap between aggregators Make it easier to extend access

Associates of the Library e.g. emeritus professors Alumni Collaborative Partners Walk in readers Ability to use eJournals for ILL

In a Perfect World… Common or consistent approach to

licences Clarity in Licenses/renewal notices No doubt on renewal terms; able to cancel without financial

penalty Web Site with all relevant information available Account managers/technical support to call Access/activation guaranteed each year while payments are

made

More flexibility in changing titles within a subscription package

No link to print titles Include new titles in Big Deals Able to choose titles required

In a Perfect World… Federated Searching even simpler

Work with SFX, Serial Solutions etc Knowledge bases are accurate Different packages can be ’switched on’ with

minimum manual work Don’t change URLs

Information on mergers and acquisitions Improved statistical reporting

At least COUNTER compliant Clarity as to whether statistics from different hosts

are included in publishers’ statistics Include breakdown by user ID Standard across suppliers


Content More Art and Design eJournals

Great image quality Everything ever published is online

Commitment to provide speedy response to access problems for hosted content 24 x 7 help desks

Easy linking into VLEs


Prior announcements of publisher web site ‘improvements’ and these not ‘just happening’

More competition amongst publishers


Publishers would make knowledge available to the developing world at a price they can afford

Publishers would support Open Access and Institutional repositories

Other Information

http://www.uksg.org/projects/linkfinal

http://www.journalsupplychain.org SCONUL Survey (Ian Snowley)

20 of 141 libraries responded 26%-90% of journal subscriptions or for

eJournals In 10 years, expect 75-100% electronic Pick & Mix is preferred licensing model