Journal pricing
Journals have always been costly, but the subscription rates have increased noticeably in recent years. Some libraries are having to cancel subscriptions because of lack of funding, and this limits access to research publications. However, faculty members still depend on publication in leading journals for tenure evaluation. This results in a publisher “stranglehold” on the universities who subscribe to these journals.
How this issue affects Purdue
Purdue has not had a major cancellation project for many years. Instead, Libraries has requested additional funding each year to cover the rising subscription costs. This budget increase only allows us to maintain our current holdings; it does not enable us to add new titles to our collections.
In addition, faculty members who wish to publish in open-access journals or hybrid open-access journals have to pay additional open-access fees in order to do so. Last year, individual schools and departments spent more than $230,000 on open-access fees for their faculty members.
If things do not change, there is the possibility that Purdue could have to cancel journal subscriptions in the coming years.
For more information, please see the following articles:
“Serial Wars: As open access gains ground, STM publishers change tactics, and librarians ask hard questions” by Lee Van Orsdel and Kathleen Born, http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6431958.html
“Journals in the Time of Google” by Lee Van Orsdel and Kathleen Born, http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6321722.html
