What changes are coming to the university’s subscription to IOP journals?
Beginning in January 2026, the library will change its model for subscribing to journals from the Institute of Physics (IOP). Currently, UIC subscribes to all IOP journals as one big bundle; since 2023, this agreement has also allowed UIC authors to publish open access in IOP journals free of charge. Going forward, we will subscribe on an a la carte basis to 31 titles that provide the greatest value and return to the status quo in 2022, when UIC authors were responsible for any open access fees they incurred. Doing so will allow UIC to save 19% of the current cost while retaining access to 98% of the needed content.
Why is the library undertaking this change now?
In 2025, the library materials budget was cut by 5%. While journals prices increase every year, often greater than the rate of inflation, the library’s budget for collections has essentially remained flat for the past 20 years. Although effort has been taken to reduce the impact of reduced buying power, the most recent cut has made it necessary to restructure spending. This is part of a larger shift in how the library provides access to journals, from subscribing to large journal packages with many unused titles to a more targeted approach that increases flexibility while retaining access to high priority journals.
How were journal retention decisions made?
This review process involved 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. This allowed us to prioritize those journals where cancellation would have the biggest disruption to UIC researchers’ ability to access needed content. Click here for list of retained journals.
How can I continue to access articles from a journal that has not been retained?
The university will retain online access to issues from all years in which the library maintained an online subscription, in addition to any other access that was negotiated. For most journals, access extends back to at least 2010 or 2014, and the library owns the complete backfile to 31 of the oldest IOP titles. For journal articles from unowned issues, the library will also continue to offer quick, free interlibrary loans, with article PDFs generally delivered within 1-2 days.
What impact does this have on my ability to publish open access?
Under the previous IOP agreement going back to 2023, any UIC affiliated researcher whose article was accepted for publication in an IOP journal had the option of publishing it open access free of charge. Any articles accepted for publication after December 31, 2025, will no longer be eligible for this fee waiver. However, authors are still free to deposit the author accepted manuscript (prior to final publication formatting) in UIC’s institutional repository, Indigo.
Who can I contact with questions or concerns?
You can contact Carl Lehnen, Head of Collections at the University Library, clehnen@uic.edu, and cc Kristyn Caragher, Liaison Librarian to Physics, caraghe2@uic.edu.
November 10, 2025