RE: Journal/Publisher 2010 price freeze info on MLA website

["Nat Gustafson-Sundell" <n-gustafson-sundell@northwestern.edu>]

Maybe everyone is on vacation, but it seems like fewer and fewer 
actual librarians are using this particular listserv.  If you are 
doing research, you might try a more direct approach with 
structured interviews or surveys. Based on the anecdotal evidence 
and some material in the lit, I'd say it's abundantly clear that 
many libraries hold publishers with abusive policies accountable, 
but there are limits to what libraries can do in the short term. 
Long term, though, the big boat started to turn a while ago.

-Nat

[MOD note:  a quick scan thru the last 76 messages seems to show 
that exactly half were posted by "real" librarians; and several 
others by folks who work in library space but may not have the 
conventional library degree or background.  Seems okay, no?]

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
[mailto:owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Nawin Gupta
Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 6:58 PM
To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
Subject: RE: Journal/Publisher 2010 price freeze info on MLA website

It is gratifying to see that a number of publishers are foregoing
price increases for the upcoming year.  Anecdotal evidence to
date is that many of the libraries, if not most, are expecting
budget cuts of around 10% or more. Sadly, despite the noble
gestures of some, chances are that librarians would still need to
cut some subscriptions.

If I may ask a question of librarians on this list:

Would a journal that did not increase its subscription price
likely to be spared in your decision to cut?  Or, are the
decisions likely to be based primarily on a journal's usage and
its importance to the library "customers" and collection?

Nawin Gupta
www.nawingupta.com