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Wiley and Elsevier Subscription Packages

The MIT Libraries have recently taken steps to reduce the impact of two large commercial publishers on our ability to make responsible decisions in selecting information resources for use at MIT. Specifically, we declined three-year renewal contracts that would have required us to guarantee on-going spending levels with Wiley InterScience and Elsevier Science. These actions ensure that if the Libraries need to reduce spending in the next year or two, we can make those decisions based solely on the specific needs of the MIT user community, without giving unfair advantage to certain publishers.

Through our membership in the NorthEast Research Libraries Consortium (NERL), the MIT Libraries were offered three-year renewals for our Wiley and Elsevier packages of print and electronic journals. The costs of these two packages constitute approximately one-third of the Libraries’ budget for serials (those materials we pay for by subscription on a continuing basis). The multi-year agreements required a commitment not to cancel titles (or to substitute other titles at the same price level for any cancellations). The decision to decline the three-year renewals was difficult because the terms for one-year renewals were considerably less attractive. However, the one-year renewals put us in a position of being able to cancel titles next year if we need to.

In the case of the Elsevier package, the Libraries will pay more for the content than we would have with a three-year agreement. This additional cost reduces the Libraries’ ability to purchase other useful print or electronic information resources.

In the case of Wiley, although the price of the one-year renewal was comparable to pricing in a three-year renewal, we had to agree to a significant reduction in content to avoid the long-term commitment. As part of the previous NERL package, the Libraries provided electronic access to all Wiley publications; in this one-year renewal, we can provide access only to a set list of selected titles.

While we regret that there will be a negative impact on the range of information resources available to faculty and students this year, the decisions were necessary and responsible given MIT’s current fiscal situation and the limited options these publishers provide.

For background information on this situation, visit http://libraries.mit.edu/about/journals/index.html