Serials Review Project 2010 

Les Canterbury
Acting Director, Armacost Library

909.748.8096 
les_canterbury@redlands.edu

Date:       May 14, 2010

To:         Faculty

From:     Armacost Library

Re:         Serial subscriptions for review

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

The Armacost Library is reviewing serials subscriptions for retention as described in my note to you on April 21.  We are considering around 1280 print subscriptions in this review, not the more than 30,000 online subscriptions that we will maintain.  Many of the print titles are already duplicated online.  Most of the online subscriptions come with database subscriptions or online journal packages.  We are not currently looking at database or journal package cancellations. 

Lists of proposed cancellations and retentions are posted on the Library’s LibGuide website.  To get to this site go to the Library webpage, select Course and Subject Guides and you will see the Serials Review Project 2010 box front and center.  This link will get you there, too: http://libguides.redlands.edu/SerialsReview2010.

Printed copies of the lists have been distributed to department chairs or offices.

Please give us feedback on the relevance of journal titles to your teaching by using the scale below.  Any additional feedback is welcome, as well.  We would like to hear from you by June 18^th or sooner.  Feel free to contact your subject liaison with any questions.

Rank    Description

E          Essential to teaching.

Used in classroom instruction almost every semester; a significant or core title that students are expected to use in research and assignments.

O         Occasionally used in teaching.

Used in classroom instruction as optional or supplemental material; used less frequently than "E" titles.

R          Rarely used in teaching.

Interlibrary loan will suffice; used less frequently than "O" titles.

N         Never used in teaching.

Title is not used in classroom instruction.

Thank you very much for your participation in this important effort.  We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Les Canterbury

Acting Director

Armacost Library

Date:               April 21, 2010

To:                   Faculty

From:               Armacost Library

Re:                   Review of serials subscriptions

Dear Faculty Colleagues,

The Armacost Library is reviewing serials subscriptions for retention.  Your involvement in the process is critical.  To keep pace with inflation alone on existing subscriptions the library typically receives a 6-8% budget supplement each year.  This year, we have been given a budget reduction target for FY10-11 of slightly more than 10% of the library operations and materials budget in addition to the 10% reduction for FY09-10.  These are permanent reductions.  We will not receive a budget supplement to account for inflation much less for addition of new serials.  By undertaking a thorough examination of current subscriptions, the library seeks to affirm the most useful titles and identify overpriced subscriptions and those that have become less relevant to your teaching.  This project will help the library reach our budget reduction target and compensate for inflation.  We will always consider new subscriptions.  The amount we are able to save, obviously, will affect our ability to add new titles.

In the near future, faculty will receive lists of subscribed journals and magazines in their disciplines.  We will ask you to rate the titles to help the librarians make well-informed decisions on which subscriptions to retain.  The lists will be available online via the library website.  You will have until mid-June to give us this important feedback.  The subscriptions that are being considered at this point are our stand-alone subscriptions, about 1280 titles, not the more than 30,000 online journals accessible via the library website.  Some of those 30,000+ come packaged with our subscribed database access.  For example, the online journals we can reach via JSTOR or ProQuest will still be available.

Thank you in advance for your participation in this important effort.  Please contact me or your subject liaison (see attached) if you have questions.

Sincerely,

Les Canterbury

Acting Director

Armacost Library