Biology
Faculty:
The
University Libraries are facing difficult financial times in the face of a
level funding decision for the next fiscal year. A variety of steps are being
taken to conserve funds and, predictably, one of those steps is journal cuts.
In Biology we are facing the largest cut (because we consume the largest
percentage of the serials budget) with a target of $38,000 over the next two
years. I have reviewed our journal holdings and come up with a list of titles
for your review and comments.
There
are no easy or simple cuts left to make. Each title we drop will hurt. I have
tried to spread the pain across all three departments, but MCB and PNB will be
hurt the most because you have the most commercial titles and the worst
inflators. I invite your comments and concerns, and will provide whatever
additional information you ask for. However please recognize that there is not
much wiggle room in this. If you want to pull a title from the list another
title or group of titles of comparable cost must take its place.
My
criteria for making potential cancellation decisions has focused on journal
use, inflation rates, and core versus non-core titles. Use is reflected in a
number of ways: statistics of electronic use where available, and both the
publishing in, and citing of, journals by faculty and graduate students on the
Storrs campus (using information from Biosis and Web of Science since 1995.)
For the past six years I’ve also conducted informal weekly surveys of print
journal use so I have a good idea of print use, but that is not reflected in
the statistics because it is an inexact process.
Inflation
rates are calculated from 1998 journal prices to the present, with that four
year record averaged out into comparable numbers. In the best of times the
Library gets only a 5% increase and only a portion of that goes to increasing
journal budgets. Even modest 6% and 7% subscription increases are unsustainable
in the long run.
Core
versus non-core titles come from the determination of core status of journals
by biology faculty in 1997. In that designation was an acknowledgement that the
title was central to undergraduate teaching or that it was central to research
and did not lend itself to interlibrary loan (for example because of graphics
or article length, etc.) I have tried
very hard to leave core titles untouched. However many of the worst inflation offenders are core titles, and their
immunity from future cancellation cannot be guaranteed. There are two titles designated as core
which I do have on the cancellation list. Individual explanations are given
below.
This
year the situation is more complex than in past years. In the past we had a
free hand in dropping titles because we only had print subscriptions. Now
however many titles are part of electronic packages with contractual
limitations on whether print copies can be cancelled. These restricted packages
tend to be with commercial publishers, and because they are also the worst
inflators the difficulty is centered on the most “untouchable” titles.
However
because we do not want to support commercial titles at the expense of
noncommercial society and non profit titles we are working on ways to modify
our large package commercial journal holdings.
We
are actively investigating our options for canceling packaged titles but cannot
act on those this summer. They will probably be delayed until the following
subscription year (2004). However those titles which are not a part of
restricted electronic packages can be cancelled sooner. Therefore, the cancellations
will take place in two parts. The non-packaged titles will occur for 2003, and
the packaged titles will probably occur for 2004.
Below
is a list of journal titles separated into two sections. The first section is
my preferred “A List” of journal cuts, divided into those journals which are
part of restricted commercial packages and those which are not. These are the
titles which I think have the strongest case for cancellation and cutting the
full list will satisfy the cancellation requirement. The second section is my
“B List” of potentially cancelable titles. I don’t think their case is as
strong for cancellation but they could be substituted for A List titles. Other
title suggestions for cancellation are also welcome, though the usage data must
support any cancellation decision.
Please
send your comments to me via phone or email (486-1263 or
carolyn.mills@uconn.edu) by August 15th. I'll be on vacation the week of August
5th.
Carolyn
Mills
Library
Liaison to Biology
NOTE: For those titles which do
get cancelled, all titles not available at the Health Center are available from
a variety of dependable, high quality interlibrary loan vendors. The head of
our Interlibrary Loan Department, Joe Natale, predicts no difficulty in
acquiring good quality copies and graphics.
Statistical
and price information for the listing of journals below is available in a new
section of the Biology Subject Page (http://www.lib.uconn.edu/subjectareas/bioserialintro.htm)
as “List of Potential Journal Cancellations
for 2003 and 2004.” A copy of this letter is also available and I will soon
link the full list of journals in the biology area with price and statistical
information as well, along with a separate listing of seriously inflating
titles which will be vulnerable to cancellations in future years.
Blood (Grune & Stratton) - Relatively low use,
available at the Health Center.
Cytogenetic
and Genome Research (formerly Cytogenetics & Cell Genetics) (Karger) – This is available electronically
through a Health Center subscription which we also receive. We can cancel the
print but still receive the electronic version.
Developmental
Neuropsychology (Erlbaum) – 32% annual inflation rate is unsustainable,
relatively low use. Available at Health Center.
Entomological
Review (Ent. Soc. Of Am.) – 14% annual inflation rate is unsustainable, relatively low use.
Functional
Plant Biology (formerly Australian Journal of Plant Physiology) (CSIRO) – 23% annual inflation rate is
unsustainable, relatively low use. This is a core title but the high inflation rate and low publishing and
citation levels argue for this cancellation.
Hybridoma
& Hybridomics (formerly Hybridoma) (Lieabert) – 17% inflation rate is unsustainable, relatively low use. Available at the
Health Center.
Journal
of Histochemistry & Cytochemistry (Histochem Soc.) – 18% inflation rate is unsustainable, relatively low use. Available at the
Health Center.
Marine
Mammal Science (Soc. Marine Mamm.) – we have another subscription to this title at the Avery Point campus. No point
in having a duplicate copy here.
Transplantation
(William & Wilkins) – Relatively low use, available at the Health Center
Cell
Calcium (Elsevier) – 11% inflation rate,
relatively low use.
Cellular
Immunology (Elsevier) – 15% annual
inflation rate is unsustainable, relatively low
use, available at the Health Center.
Developmental Psychobiology (Wiley) – 18% annual inflation rate is unsustainable, relatively low use. Available at Health Center.
Journal
of Comparative Neurology (Wiley) – 11%
annual inflation rate on a $17,080 annual
subscription means $1900 in
inflation alone for next year, and 2100 the next year etc., in an
ever-increasing cycle that we cannot support. This is a core title, but the price, inflation
rate, and its availability at the Health Center argue for this cancellation.
Journal
of Genetics & Development (formerly Developmental Genetics) (Wiley) – 14% annual
inflation rate is
unsustainable, with relatively low use. Available at the Health Center.
Progress
in Biophysics & Molecular Biology
(Elsevier) – 21% annual inflation rate is unsustainable, relatively low use.
Journal of General Virology (Soc Gen Microbiol) – relatively low use, available at Health Center.
Immunological Reviews (Blackwell) –relatively low use, available at Health Center.
Journal
of Mathematical Biology (Springer) –
high cost, relatively low use.
Journal
of Microscopy (Blackwell) - relatively
low use, available at Health Center.
Molecular
Immunology (Elsevier) - relatively low
use, available at Health Center.
Plant
Cell Reports (Springer) - relatively
low use.
Soil
Biology & Biochemistry (Elsevier) –
high cost, relatively low use.
Theoretical
& Applied Genetics (Springer) –
high cost, relatively low use.