Colgate University Libraries Serials Review and Cancellation Project Spring 2009

"Three years ago we worked extensively with the faculty on a serials review project and approximately 263 subscriptions valued at $204,000 were cancelled.   The highest cost per use journals were targeted at the time.  The elimination of the eleven highest cost per use titles yielded an immediate savings of $111,000.  While we planned for increased demand for articles through interlibrary loan, that demand never materialized.

The 2006 cancellation provided the impetus for the Library Advisory Committee to obtain a vote from the faculty for the University Budget Committee to fund the annual rate of inflation for library materials through fiscal year 2012. The budget committee’s subsequent agreement to this motion was predicated on a stable economy. The current downturn, however, has voided this arrangement...."