Re: Can we get rid of annual title reconciliations for Big Deals? Joanne Romano 19 May 2008 12:57 UTC
We don't typically go directly to the Big Deal publishers, since we purchase through a consortium. Our licensing managers do a great job of handling all the contract arrangements and letting us know what our options are with the packages. This might seem to reduce the need for title verification, but with some publishers, there is that option of being allowed to cancel a certain percentage of unwanted titles, or "swap out" package titles for those that better serve our users. And even with comprehensive subject collections, sometimes, titles we wish to include must be purchased through our sub agent, who we also order from, and do a title reconciliation with, each year. I like the idea of not having to do title reconciles, and just take the package "as is", but I'd still want the flexibility to add/delete titles before we get the invoice. Can't seem to get away from this painstaking process without giving up some choice. Joanne V. Romano, MLS Serials and Electronic Resources Librarian Houston Academy of Medicine-Texas Medical Center Library 1133 John Freeman Blvd. Houston, TX 77030 713-799-7144 fx: 713-799-7180 joanne.romano@exch.library.tmc.edu -----Original Message----- From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Barbara Pope Sent: Friday, May 16, 2008 3:51 PM To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Can we get rid of annual title reconciliations for Big Deals? I recently wrote an article about the Big Deal and I think I may have quoted one of your articles in Serials Librarian from 2006 where you talked about how to make the process easier using a subscription agent. I really liked your article. It sounds like from what you are saying here that even though it is easier to use a subscription agent, there is still a lot of work involved. I go through the title by title verification with my regular magazine vendor every year. I do a lot of verification of usage, whether we have any full text, and how useful each title is to the curriculum. It is exhausting. I would love to find an easier way to do it. Sincerely, Barbara Pope, MALS Periodicals/Reference Librarian Axe Library Pittsburg State University Pittsburg KS 66762 620-235-4884 bpope@pittstate.edu Gary Ives wrote: > Under the Big Deal licenses we have with the bigger publishers such as Elsevier, Springer, Taylor & Francis, and Wiley, part of the annual renewal ritual is to verify the subscribed title list with the publisher and subscription agent before invoicing occurs. Every year. Ad nauseum. Taking hours. An alternative model might be one last title reconciliation going into a contract to determine the dollar value, then cutting loose from title-based pricing and moving to package-based pricing based on previous spend, and taking a one-line-item invoice for the package. This doesn't cover all the nuances, but gives the basic idea which might vary from publisher to publisher. -g > > >>>> Barbara Pope <bpope@PITTSTATE.EDU> 5/15/2008 2:35 PM >>> >>>> > I'm curious. What do you mean by "title reconciliations"? We subscribe > to a few deals and I have never heard this phrase. > > > Barbara Pope, MALS > Periodicals/Reference Librarian > Axe Library > Pittsburg State University > Pittsburg KS 66762 > 620-235-4884 > bpope@pittstate.edu > > Gary Ives wrote: > >> I am so-o-o-o-o-o-o tired of title reconciliations for the Big Deal renewals, and am finding increasingly appealing a model which eliminates annual title reconciliations. >> >> My questions to the list: >> >> Have any of you independently negotiated with any of the major publishers for a deal that gives you access to "all" but with no title reconciliations? Was it you who went to the publisher, or did the publisher come to you? What other conditions have you required to make the deal work? If, under such a deal, you receive a single-line-item invoice for the package, do you see any remaining value to putting it through a subscription agent? >> >> I will compile responses in a post to both this and the SERIALST discussion lists, and maintain anonymity for libraries, publishers, and subscription agents. >> >> >> Gary Ives >> Coordinator of Electronic Resources >> Texas A&M University Libraries >> 5000 TAMU >> College Station, TX 77843-5000 >> Phone: (979) 458-0726 >> FAX: (979) 458-1630 >> Email: gives@lib-gw.tamu.edu >> >> >> >> > > >