pay by the drink journal access

[Brian Simboli <brs4@lehigh.edu>]

Can anyone suggest an article or two about the subject of "pay by the
drink" journal access schemes, specifically the strengths and pitfalls for
academic libraries. (This could include, but need not be limited to, the
sort of "ticket" access model that was built into the "Big Deal".)

One issue with pay-as-you-go, of course, is that acad. libraries may find
it hard to set up a set of rational expectations about how much their
users in any given time period would use this method of access to
journals, thereby making it hard to plan serials budget, despite the
benefits of access to potentially a very wide range of articles.

On the other hand, of course, it is hard for academic libraries to arrive
at rational expectations about /anything /in the current publishing
environment.

Thanks

Brian Simboli
Science Librarian
Library & Technology Services
E.W. Fairchild Martindale
8A East Packer Avenue
Bethlehem, PA 18015-3170
(610) 758-5003 
E-mail: brs4@lehigh.edu