RE: NEJM

["Rick Anderson" <rickand@unr.edu>]

> Now this one's a real money saver for libraries. . . cancel all those
> expensive contracts with Ebsco, Proquest etc., and just tell patrons they
> should subscribe individually to the electronic journals of their choice!!
> Do we want to start down this road?? If publishers want to "act rationally
> and maximize revenue" let's go this route and see if they can match the
> revenues they get now from libraries!!

I think many journal publishers would love to see us do this.  They've
never been thrilled by the idea of several thousand people getting the use
of a single subscription.  Imagine if my library gave up its single
subcription to NEJM and the number of individual faculty subscriptions
doubled as a result -- the MMS would be thrilled, of course, and should
be.  Actually, it wouldn't need to double; it would only need to increase
by two for the publisher to realize a net gain.

This is the essence of the tension between libraries and publishers.  We
want to give away what they want to sell.

-------------
Rick Anderson
Director of Resource Acquisition
The University Libraries
University of Nevada, Reno        "Beware the cynic as well as
1664 No. Virginia St.                    the huckster."
Reno, NV  89557                         -- Ted Marchese
PH  (775) 784-6500 x273
FX  (775) 784-1328
rickand@unr.edu