Study re. costs of handling p- vs. e-journal formats

[Ann Okerson <aokerson@pantheon.yale.edu>]

The new (Jan 4th, 2004) issue of D-Lib is now available at the usual site
<http://www.dlib.org> and contains, as always, interesting articles (see
the one by Jonas Holstrom, for example).

For the first study of its kind (led by Roger Schonfeld of Ithaka)
regarding the comparative costs of handling, in a library, of print vs.
electronic journals over time, and for some surprises as well as
enlightenment, see the just published D-Lib here:

http://www.dlib.org/dlib/january04/schonfeld/01schonfeld.html

The full report will appear as a monograph later this spring, under the
imprint of the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR).

Citation:

"Library Periodicals Expenses: Comparison of Non-Subscription Costs of
Print and Electronic Formats on a Life-Cycle Basis," by Roger C.  
Schonfeld, Donald W. King, Ann Okerson, and Eileen Gifford Fenton. D-Lib
Magazine, January 2004, Volume 10 Number 1 (ISSN 1082-9873)

Abstract

What are the implications of the transition to electronic periodicals on
non-subscription library expenditures, such as those required to select,
accession, catalog, and provide ongoing access and services? New data on
staff activities and costs were collected from eleven US academic
libraries, and a life-cycle analysis was utilized to study the longer-term
cost implications of the transition. We find that, on a per-title basis,
the non-subscription costs of the electronic format are consistently and
substantially lower than those of the print format. We conclude by
considering the implications of the transition to electronic formats�and
the consequent favorable cost differentials�on long-term preservation.

***

Discussion and comments from all are most welcome. 

Ann Okerson