Even if you don’t calculate the cost-per-use, looking at the usage statistics and the costs before renewing is a good practice.

Academic department chairs don’t object to “This journal costs $4,000 and only 5 articles were accessed from it last year, so I am cancelling it.” That said, you would not cancel anything that is necessary for accreditation and sometimes you have to continue to subscribe to a journal to appease an individual faculty member.

Ginger is right to indicate that you look at multiple years for the very reasons she stated.

Stephanie

Stephanie H. Wical, Assistant Professor
Periodicals and Electronic Resources Librarian
McIntyre Library, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
105 Garfield Avenue
Eau Claire, WI 54702
Phone: 715-836-3508
Email: wicalsh@uwec.edu
http://www.uwec.edu/Library/

From: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG] On Behalf Of Brenda L. Keane
Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2015 4:17 PM
To: SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Cost Per Use Statistics

I agree, using cost-efficiency statistics we recently made a decision to cancel an online title that we got one use out of – for $1,300 per year. Definitely not a cost-effective use of our limited monetary resources.

Brenda Keane

Library Serials Clerk

Johnson & Wales University

8 Abbott Park Place

Yena Center

Providence, RI 02903

401-598-1459

From: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG] On Behalf Of Judith Koveleskie
Sent: Thursday, May 28, 2015 3:54 PM
To: SERIALST@LISTSERV.NASIG.ORG
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Cost Per Use Statistics

Yes, I do think it is worth the time. We have had some very expensive titles that have had only one or two downloads in a year. It would be much more cost-effective to cancel and either go to a pay-per-view model or perhaps rely on interlibrary loan. So far there have been no complaints about cancellations and given that we do not have unlimited resources, we can find better ways to spend the money. I also find that faculty respond well when you can document reasons for cancellations and purchases.

Judith A. Koveleskie, MLIS, MA
Serials Librarian
Seton Hill University
Reeves Memorial Library
1 Seton Hill Drive
Greensburg, PA 15601-1548
kovelesk@setonhill.edu
724-838-7828
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On Thu, May 28, 2015 at 3:10 PM, Jason Skoog <jaskooglists@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello,

What are your thoughts on cost per use? I've started to research it. It seems like my predecessor used it in the past, but we didn't last year when I was new. Do you find it worth the time in evaluating what to renew/cancel?

Thank you

--

Jason Skoog

Archivist and Systems Librarian
Viterbo University, La Crosse, WI
608-796-3262

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