Questions about Pay-Per-View Journal article access

["k m" <libsciny@hotmail.com>]

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Greetings!

I am doing some research on issues surrounding journal subscriptions in
libraries and am wondering if anyone would be willing to provide some
insight into the the idea of a pay-per-view model of accessing journal
articles.

> From my work/research in library school and in the academic library world,
I learned about the many challenges posed by the current subscription
model.  Libraries spend the bulk of their acquisitions budget on journal
subscriptions, many of them accessible online. It seems that many of the
publications that are included in the packages made available by the
publishers go unused and end up costing much more than they are worth.  
Student also seem to be overwhelmed by the numerous interfaces of the
full-text databases and the limited access--on-campus only or via proxy
server access etc..

I guess the question I have is how feasible would it be to use an
aggregator model like Ebsco and instead of paying for years of access to
journals, simply use a pay-per-view scenario? I am sure that this is not
as simple as it sounds and I guess that is what I am trying to wrap my
brain around. What are the major issues surrounding a solution like this?
What concerns do librarians have about using a pay-per-view model? What
would it have to do to be worthwhile for libraries?

I am sure that this is something that you have discussed in the past in
some way but I would appreciate any insights you might be able to provide.

Feel free to write to me offlist at libscinyc@hotmail.com

Kara Masciangelo
www.infomascia.com