I.R.N. Goudar* Head, ICAST Poornima Narayana** Deputy Head, ICAST National Aerospace Laboratories Bangalore –
E-Journal: Expectations Full text Back issues- Pre-web + PDF files HTML files Advanced search features References linked to full text and related articles Additional colour possible Expanded papers-access to raw data Graphics, video and sound, if required Comprehensive help Alerting Usage stats for librarians Refereed, but quick
E-Journals: Major Players Primary publishers Aggregators Vendors Subscription agents Document delivery agencies E-print systems
E-Journal Models E- journal continues to coexist with its print version. E-journal replaces its print version. E-journal gets value addition, but continues to coexist with print. Print version plus abridged e-version E-journal only. E-journal with a facility supply individual articles. Delayed e-version than its print equivalent. E-version first and then print.
Journals Publishing Costs: Print Version First copy costs more - Marginal costs for rest Article processing costs very high Refereeing costs High marketing and admin costs Low physical distribution costs
Journals Publishing Costs: E-Version Existing Print Costs + New costs: Content delivery infrastructure Software, hardware & ISP Customer support Access control New human resource: Production, IT Marketing costs New content costs: tables, maths & chemistry symbols Meta-data costs Low distribution costs Service costs
E-Journals Pricing The e-journal pricing through consortia varies from publishers to publishers and from same publishers to different library groups depending upon number of factors and issues
Price Influencing Factors Quantum of business Number of consortia members Types of institutions Contract period Number of IP enabled nodes Number of campuses Value added services Rights to archive Perpetual access Training facilities Multi year agreement
Pricing Models No Universally Acceptable E-journals Pricing and Licensing Models Ongoing experimentation Negotiation possible Charge for content Delivery format optional Increasingly will be based on usage
Pricing Models in Operation Bundled – Free with print AIP, APS, AMS, Elsevier, Wiley Print as base + surcharge on electronic Premium payments range from10-25% ACS, OSA Electronic only Small increase - ACS Same price - OSA Discount from print AIP, AMS Totally unbundled – No discount for both JBC (P=x, E=y, P+E=x+y) Free e-version only Charge for print if required British Medical Journal Continue…
…Continued Pricing Models in Operation Membership/Community Fee Sponsorship/Advertising/Govt. Funding Authors funded – Page charges Usage based pricing - Concurrent users - Site population - Based on FTE All titles of publishers with print optional Subject clusters Virtual Journals: Narrow subject from single/multiple collection Pay–per–view: Credit cards, Deposit accounts Free completely – Differently funded Extra fee for software Continue…
Customers Expectations Readers Enhanced content critical mass multimedia, more colour, additional data, ‘live’ math Enhanced functionality powerful search, alerting Seamless access ubiquitous access to past and present Powerful links abstracts to full text Authors Quality imprint journal brand stamp of authority improved visibility Better author service responsiveness faster publication times web-submissions, web peer review
Separate Current (1-2 years) + Archive Extra for value added services Consortium discount Number of sites Consortium surcharge Access to all consortia titles All titles of publisher Subscription to core titles – Rest pay-per-view Slice and dice pricing – Single article sales – Deposit accounts – Article bundles – Current and archive subscriptions …Continued Pricing Models in Operation
Flexibility for cancellations and multi-year deals Quick and Simplified Negotiations Single offers cannot meet all needs Pricing options desirable Extended electronic access desirable Unresolved terms and conditions Publishers are experimenting with pricing Clarity on VAT Regional, State, National consortia can be influential Option for Unbundling electronic from print Mixed views for access to all titles of publishers Price alone is not the only factor (licence, archiving) Libraries: Expectations & Experiences
Some publishers’ systems not ready for e-only Parallel publishing environment Test bed for electronic pricing & consortia policies Protection of current revenue Closer to the market (community feedback) Guarantee of new subscriptions? VAT Consistency with consortia overseas Challenges traditional pricing & ‘selling’ of information Experiences of Publishers
Consortia Consortia is a Strategic Alliance of Institutions that have Common Interests
So…….. There is a need for striking the balance between cooperation and competition both among libraries and among publishers. Both publishers and libraries should look for sustainable economic models based on values. This is where Consortia can play a major play.
Consortia Challenges Access control and portals New price models Transition to e-only Perpetual access Archiving Tight budgets
Consortia Goals Increase the access base More e-Journals Rational utilization of funds A little more pays a lot Ensure the continuous subscription Qualitative resource sharing Effective document delivery service Avoid price plus models Pay for up-front products not for R&D
…Continued Consortia Goals Improved infrastructure Enhanced image of the library Visibility for smaller libraries Improve existing library services Boosting professional image Harness developments in IT Facilitate building digital libraries Cost sharing for technical and training support Access from desktops of users Increase user base
Consortia Services Union catalogues Books, Journals, Technical Reports and Conference Proceedings Shared library systems Hardware, Software and other infrastructure Shared professional expertise Develop and realize consortia goals Human resource development Training staff and users Electronic contents licensing for providing access to Bibliographic databases, e-Journals, Full test reports, Conference Proceedings etc. Inter Library Lending and Document Delivery ….contd.
…Continued Consortia Services Electronic content loading Contents generated by members and acquired on common server Physical storage for archiving Old back volumes and less used documents Seminar/training programmes Professional development to serve user community Development of enabling technologies IR systems, Portals and other web interfaces Evolve standards for techniques, hardware, software and services
Consortia Models Participants Oriented Models Geographical location linked Ex: - Bangalore Special Libraries Group Libraries in the same discipline Ex: - Aerospace Libraries Group Libraries belonging to the same parent organization Ex: - CSIR LICs Libraries of academic organizations Ex: - INFLIBNET
Consortia for accessing electronic journals Consortia for avoiding duplicate collection Consortia for training and library workshops Consortia Models Purpose Oriented Models
Consortia Models Client Oriented Models Clients according to their age Ex: - Children, Senior Citizen Clients according to their interest Ex: - sports, game Clients according to their educational background Ex: - Technical, Professional
Consortia Negotiation Objectives Discounts for electronic journals Ideally, choice of electronic-only Added value Standardised licensing Single year agreements Extended electronic access Capped annual inflation Price including Back files Maintain existing spend level Limit on cancellations Print optional at deep discount
Consortia Values Libraries Vs Publishers Libraries Publishers Usefulness Members driven Lower price Full text access Expert vs. Student Accessing Internet resources Combined purchasing power Simplify purchase procedure Distribute financial and other risk Increase participation of members No storage & documentation problem Instant Access Quality of services Free flow of information Sharing – ideas, information Contribution – time, resources Pricing/Education Usage Reporting Linking/Delivery Interface options Indexing/Filtering Gain credibility with libraries Increased marketing Reduced cost of production Reduced surcharges like mailing Less extra efforts and expenditure for new customers Get consortium tool o Gather library information o Invoice libraries o Products support
Pricing Models Influencing Factors Publishers Issues Quantum of business Number of consortia members Types of institutions Contract period Number of IP enabled nodes Number of campuses Value added services Rights to archive Perpetual access Training facilities Multi year agreement Free titles on Internet Free access against print subscription All titles of a publisher for fixed fee Surcharge on print subscription Discounts for electronic journals Capped annual inflation Discounts on non-subscribed titles Access to subject clusters Protection of current revenue Uncertainty of new subscription Single point payment E-Only not all publishers ready “No universally acceptable pricing models, but ongoing experimentation with lot of scope for negotiation ”
Innovative Initiatives Academic self publishing Journal of High Energy Physics - SISSA e-prints (see arXiv.org) Open Archives Initiative (OAI) Library initiatives HighWire Press - U Stanford Library ‘Digital’ Press Ingenta, HighWire Government-funded initiatives PubMedCentral (NIH), SPARC (ARL) Archival approaches JSTOR Creating online communities, portals ChemWeb, optics.org, NanoTechWeb Journal deconstruction ‘Virtual’ Journals
E-prints Archives Physics E-Print Archive ( - started by Paul Ginsparg (high energy physicist) in hosted by Los Alamos National Lab and recently moved to Cornell U - supported by academic, government funding Free at point of use, very popular >167,000 submissions since launch in August 1991 Subject based
A Lot More for a Little Extra Access to all titles of publishers for little surcharge Multi year agreements with fixed annual price cap Users happy – Wider access Publishers happy – Guaranteed revenue, greater visibility of titles But what about non-major publishers? Discount on multiple print copies
Pricing Models: Issues Underlying Prices should be publishers’ responsibility. Pricing should be market- based not formulaic. Senior scientists/ librarians may resistant to the transition from print to electronic. Small publishers like professional societies not enthusiastic about consortia pricing. Publisher – Customer disconnect Perception: Electronic Costs less than Print Reality: Electronic + Print costs more than Print
Trends in Pricing Models Increasing numbers offer electronic-only version Virtual Journals Continued experimentation of models More publishers to offer consortia pricing More subject specific packages Price decreasing More will offer pay-per-view/transactional allowance Print as ‘add on’: Optional at discounted price Choice of format and added functionality Pricing based on size (FTEs, research activity) Ongoing access to core and occasional to peripheral material The increasing archive will have a price on it
Strong Links make Strong Consortia Tactical Consortia Issues Strategic Practical Mission Funding Geographical Coverage Library Types Programs Service Technology Governance Staffing Payment
Indian Consortia Initiatives INDEST (IISc, IITs, IIMs, …..)…MHRD Consortia of IIMs CSIR Consortia RGUHS: HELINET FORSA (Forum for Resource Sharing in Astronomy and Astrophysics) ICICI- Knowledge Park ISRO Initiative INFLIBNET Initiative
Lack of awareness about consortia benefits Slow acceptance of e-information by the users. Difficulties in changing the mind setup of librarians Maintenance and balancing both physical and DL Inadequate funds Single point payment Rigid administrative, financial and auditing rules Problems of defining asset against payment Consortia Constraints Specific to Indian Libraries
Pay-Per-View not yet acceptable Uncertainty about the persistence of digital resources. Lack of infrastructure for accessing electronic sources Unreliable telecom links and insufficient bandwidth ( But lot of developments in pipeline) Lack of appropriate bibliographic tools Lack of trained personnel for handling new technologies Absence of strong professional association Big brother attitude Consortia Constraints Specific to Indian Libraries
Pricing develop more, workable models develop models that can be understood identify pricing incentives subscription/site vs. transactional choices Prices commensurate with value being added? shouldn’t the electronic environment be more affordable than print? Difficult Issues Perpetual Access and Archiving What does customer get at end of contract? is there a residual product? Is it a useful residual? Is there any ownership of a physical artifact (cd, tape, etc.)? Is backup allowed? Who does all this and at what cost? What do we all really want/need here?