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April 26, 1999
Dear Faculty Colleague:
The purpose of this letter is to begin consultation with you as we plan this year's serials cancellation project.
Once again this year the University's libraries did not receive the full amount needed to pay the projected
10% average increase in the price of journals. If you followed the 1999 Legislative session, you know that a
last-minute appropriation provided about 60% of what is needed, leaving the Marriott Library with a shortfall
of approximately $170,000.
Librarians and faculty members locally and nationally are pursuing a variety of collaborations which may
eventually decrease our dependence on high priced print journals. We are acutely aware of the competitive
disadvantage cancellations place on your scholarly activities and this has energized us to seek new and
affordable models of delivering scholarly articles. Until these models are fully sustainable, it will be
necessary to continue to prune our collections when we do not receive increased funding.
To facilitate this year's review, librarians have prepared lists
of journals for your area. The largest number of highly priced titles
is in science and technology. For the sciences, there are two lists.
The first
includes journals whose high price and relatively low use result
in a cost exceeding $200 for each use. Considering that the cost
of delivering an article to your desk through the Utah Article Delivery
Program (available on the Marriott web page) is less than $30, journals
on this list have become substantial liabilities to all of us. The
secondary
science list includes titles that are used less than six times
per year. Many of these journals are published by the most aggressively
profit oriented publishers, which we especially wish to target.
For other disciplines, the department's faculty liaison will receive a complete list of journals with use figures
and price increases. Librarian selectors will contact each liaison to review the list for titles which are a poor
investment for this collection.
Librarians are also reviewing indexes and reference tools in all subjects which are duplicated in print and
electronic format. If experience with the electronic format indicates that it is comprehensive and reliable, we
will consider canceling the print version. Your subject selector will contact you to discuss titles in your
discipline.
Lists of titles proposed for cancellation will be posted at www.lib.utah.edu, the Library's web page, under
"Library Information: Journal Cancellations." The cancellation list will be finalized in late August, and
subscriptions will cease with the December 1999 issues. These lists represent Marriott Library holdings
only. We will collaborate with the S.J. Quinney Law Library and the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences
Library in their serials reviews.
Thank you for your cooperation in this very difficult process. I would welcome the opportunity to talk with
you and your department about this and any other library issues of concern.
Sincerely,
Sarah C. Michalak
Director of the Marriott Library
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