Institutions of higher education have long faced challenges in maintaining access to the wide array of needed journal and database subscriptions as the cost of resources outstrips available budgets. For some time, the University Library has worked hard to reduce costs and negotiate new agreements to mitigate these cost increases. However, the library’s budget for collections has increased by only 12% over the past twenty years while the cost of subscriptions has doubled. Therefore, it is necessary to rethink how we make essential resources accessible.
One of the largest categories of library spending involves large journal packages with major publishers, in which the library pays a single fee for access to a publisher’s entire portfolio instead of choosing individual journal subscriptions. Some also include fee waivers for UIC authors to publish open access. The largest four such packages account for thousands of journal titles at a total cost of roughly $4 million. While they provide great value, they lock up nearly half of the library’s collection budget in rigid and inflexible packages.
Beginning in the spring of 2025, the University Library will be undertaking a comprehensive review of these large journal packages. We are not the first to do so, and many universities have demonstrated that it is possible to gain flexibility in library spending while maintaining access to essential journals by switching from a package model to title-by-title subscriptions. This review process will involve a multi-dimensional analysis looking at cost, usage, what journals UIC faculty cite and publish in, and modes of alternative access, including open access and interlibrary loan. Along the way, input will also be solicited from campus leadership, faculty, and subject librarians.
While the particulars may change, the fundamental goals remain consistent. UIC Library is committed to an outcome that maintains access to essential scholarly resources for all disciplines to support the university’s educational, research, and clinical mission.
The University Library welcomes comments and questions about this review process.
February 10, 2025