Re: Future of the "subscription model?"

["FrederickFriend" <ucylfjf@ucl.ac.uk>]

Well, Ann, if you wanted to start a controversial thread, I 
suspect you will have succeeded! Let me ask for clarification on 
the definition of the topic. I assume that you are asking about 
subscriptions in relation to journals or works in series. And I 
wonder how precise you want to be in your definition of 
"subscription"? I am not sure, for example, that a "big deal" 
counts as a subscription. I have thought of a "big deal" as being 
a licence for a specific period of time, and - in my view - part 
of the problem we have currently is that "big deals" have 
swallowed up journals which would otherwise be available on 
subscription. Anybody who knows me will not be surprised to learn 
that I see OA models as replacing both "big deals" and individual 
subscriptions to a large extent, but there will certainly be 
disagreement amongst liblicense subscribers about the extent and 
the timing of that development.

Fred Friend

-----Original Message----- From: Ann Okerson
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2011 11:08 PM
To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
Subject: Future of the "subscription model?"

Liblicense-l Readers:  What do you all imagine as the future of
the "subscription model" for purchasing academic library
collections?  Is it alive and well and growing or is it on its
way out, supplanted by memberships, open access, and a growing
variety of other options for obtaining publications, particularly
electronic?

Your thoughts are most welcomed.  Ann Okerson