Chronicle article: Libraries' Consortium Conundrum

[Ann Okerson <ann.okerson@yale.edu>]

Scott Carlson's article is of possible interest to many readers of this
list.

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This article is available online at this address:

http://chronicle.com/weekly/v50/i07/07a03001.htm

              - The text of the article is below -

  From the issue dated October 10, 2003

  Libraries' Consortium Conundrum

  By SCOTT CARLSON
     In 1999, when times were flush for the library at St.
  Ambrose University, John H. Pollitz paid $26,000 for two
  full-text databases.

  Since then, as his budget has gotten leaner, he has had to use
  all his creativity to whittle down his spending -- but he
  hasn't given up databases and services in the process. How? By
  working with a statewide consortium to get 16 full-text
  databases for a total of $1,200 a year.

  He also belongs to a group of libraries that catalogs books,
  which saves him $40,000 a year in librarians' salaries.
  Through another consortium he buys 4,000 electronic books
  annually for about a dollar each. Adding the same number of
  books to his paper collection would cost $150,000. His library
  has also benefited from tens of thousands of dollars in grants
  from private foundations. The consortia secured the grants to
  help pay for databases and other information tools.

  Tough times and rising costs have taught librarians at many
  colleges across the country that there is strength in numbers.

  Libraries are using consortia as their main tool for making
  deals with publishers and one another. Although publishers
  often sell their products to consortia members for less than
  single buyers would pay, the publishers are happy to make such
  deals. Consortia allow one company to corner the market for
  sales in competitive markets, offer a wide distribution of new
  products, and generally eliminate the hassle of making deals
  with many individual libraries.

  [SNIP]
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Copyright 2003 by The Chronicle of Higher Education