Pay-Per-View Isn’t All Wet: Providing Articles Can Save the Budget

Abstract

Could your library use an extra hundred thousand dollars? If your budget is drowning in journal expenditures, this program may suggest a lifeline. Four years after a total conversion from serial subscriptions to article pay-per-view on ScienceDirect, Trinity University has the data to show that this kind of change in journal acquisition can be a very positive experience in terms of the budget, service to faculty, and public relations. You will find out about survey results that reinforce our conclusions. Additional pay-per-view avenues will also be explored. Discussion topics will include:  Who will be served? (faculty of course, but students too?)  How do you budget for pay-per-view?  Do you cancel selectively, or cancel everything from a publisher?  How well are you tracking usage? Session participants might be librarians who want to test the waters with article pay-per-view, those who have taken the plunge and would like to swim another lap, and publishers who are hoping the subscription dam won't break. My goals include gathering additional information from swimmers and dam watchers while throwing a life preserver to those who are sinking under budget woes.