scholarly journals Development of Deal- and Journal-level Metrics and Methods Assists Librarians to Evaluate Big Deals

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 34
Author(s):  
Kathleen Reed
Keyword(s):  
Research University ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
The United States ◽  
Research Libraries ◽  
Doctoral Research ◽  
Library Users ◽  
User Groups ◽  
Design Case Study ◽  
The Cost

A Review of: Blecic, D.D., Wiberley, Jr., S.E., Fiscella, J.B., Bahnmaier-Blaszczak, S., & Lowery, R. (2013). Deal or no deal?: Evaluating Big Deals and their journals. College & Research Libraries, 74(2), 178-193. Objective – To assess the value of aggregated journal packages (Big Deals) and to select individual journal titles for continued subscription should a deal be cancelled. Design – Case study. Setting – Doctoral research university library in the United States of America. Subjects – Three anonymous Big Deals. Methods – The authors define metrics at two levels (deal and journal) to evaluate Big Deal packages. The metrics rely heavily on the COUNTER JR1 metric Successful Full-Text Article Request (SFTAR). Main Results – The authors found that while 30% of journals provide 80% of SFTARs, the cost of subscribing to these journals individually would not save significant sums of money. Additionally, they speculate that library users would increase the number of interlibrary loan requests to access the 20% of SFTARs that would be inaccessible if a Big Deal was cut, amounting to increased costs. Conclusion – With no sign of publishers moving to change the price and conditions of Big Deals, these arrangements are becoming unsustainable for libraries. As this occurs, librarians require methods of assessing which deals to keep and which to cut, as well as evidence of to which individual journals they should subscribe. The authors of this paper set out one method of conducting these assessments that they have found to be useful at an academic library. They conclude by stating that even with SFTAR data, individuals must keep in mind the necessity of providing equitable access to all of a university community’s user groups.

scholarly journals Obtaining Journal Titles via Big Deals Most Cost Effective Compared to Individual Subscriptions, Pay-Per-View, and Interlibrary Loan

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Reed
Keyword(s):  
Average Cost ◽  
Research University ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
The United States ◽  
Journal Subscription ◽  
Public Research University ◽  
Medical Libraries ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Design Cost

A Review of: Lemley, T., & Li, J. (2015). "Big deal” journal subscription packages: Are they worth the cost? Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries, 12(1), 1-10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15424065.2015.1001959 Abstract Objective – To determine if “Big Deal” journal subscription packages are a cost-effective way to provide electronic journal access to academic library users versus individual subscriptions, pay-per-view, and interlibrary loans (ILL). Design – Cost-per-article-use analysis. Setting – Public research university in the United States of America. Subjects – Cost-per-use data from 1) journals in seven Big Deal packages, 2) individually subscribed journals, 3) pay-per-view from publishers’ websites, and 4) interlibrary loans. Methods – The authors determined cost-per-use for Big Deal titles by utilizing COUNTER JR1 metric Successful Full-Text Article Request (SFTAR) reports. Individual journal subscription cost-per-use data were obtained from individual publishers or platforms. Pay-per-view cost was determined by recording the price listed on publishers’ websites. ILL cost-per-use was established by reviewing cost-per-article obtained from libraries outside of reciprocal borrowing agreement networks. With the exception of pay-per-view numbers, title cost-per-use was averaged over a three-year period from 2010 through 2012. Main Results – Cost-per-article use for journals from Big Deals varied from $2.11 to $9.42. For individually subscribed journals, the average cost-per-article ranged from $0.25 to $84.00. Pay-per-view charges ranged from $15.00 to $80.00, with an average cost of $37.72. Conclusion – The authors conclude that Big Deals are cost effective, but that they consume such a large amount of funds that they limit the purchase of other resources. The authors go on to outline the options for libraries thinking about Big Deal packages. First, libraries should keep Big Deal packages in place if the average cost-per-article is less than individual subscriptions. Second, libraries could subscribe only to the most-used journals in Big Deals, cancel the packages, and rely on ILL and pay-per-view access. Third, consortia could be joined to favourably negotiate Big Deal package prices. Fourth, Big Deals could be dropped completely. Fifth, individual libraries armed with JR1 reports can negotiate with publishers for better deals.

scholarly journals Academic Libraries Should Consider Deselection of Some Electronic Books

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Elizabeth Miller
Keyword(s):  
Academic Library ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
The United States ◽  
Collection Management ◽  
Publication Date ◽  
Electronic Books ◽  
Library Collection ◽  
Content Relevance ◽  
Design Case Study

A Review of: Waugh, M., Donlin, M., & Braunstein, S. (2015). Next-generation collection management: A case study of quality control and weeding e-books in an academic library. Collection Management, 40(1), 17-26. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01462679.2014.965864 Abstract Objective – To describe and advocate for the development of a procedure to discard electronic books from an academic library collection. Design – Case study. Setting – Academic library in the United States of America. Subjects – 514 electronic books purchased from NetLibrary, a subset of 52,000 NetLibrary titles collected by the investigating library 2001-2007. Methods – The researchers examined a set of 514 electronic books in the health sciences and medical field, specifically for qualities such as currency and content relevance. An anecdotal case with limited validity, the goal was to articulate why a particular set of electronic books failed to meet the investigating library’s collection standards, and to remove these e-books. Main Results – A set of 514 e-books published by ICON Health Publications were found to be mass-produced, and displayed other notable problems, including age over seven years, outdated or irrelevant content, quality issues, and inclusion in an older platform no longer favored for e-books. The ICON Health e-books were removed from the library collection and, with some difficulty, the items were also removed from the vendor platform. The authors recommended an e-book weeding procedure that considers six potential problems: publication date; inclusion of defunct Internet links; mass production; low quality works by the same authors or publishers; e-book packages that appear to feature multiple low quality works; and e-books from early packages, which may have integration problems. Conclusion – Electronic books may take up little physical space but libraries should not ignore them when making deselection decisions because their content may be inappropriate for a library or for the disciplines the library serves. The ICON Health Publications e-book package is an egregious example of low-quality e-book content that the authors discovered and subsequently removed from their collection, offering a set of recommendations based on the experience.

Value Implications of Green Design: Case Study of a Videocassette

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Claire Kopp ◽  
Robert H. Sturges
Keyword(s):  
Green Design ◽  
Green Products ◽  
Resource Analysis ◽  
Joint Project ◽  
Physical Attributes ◽  
Design Case ◽  
Design Case Study ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Time And Energy

Abstract Recent concern for the environment has caused growing attention to recycling, both using recycled materials to make products and recycling products after use. Although environmentalists may be eager to buy recycled/recyclable products, other consumers may not be so easily convinced. It may also be difficult to convince manufacturers that it is beneficial to develop green products. This paper supports a joint project between engineering and marketing disciplines to determine the cost and value of an environmentally designed product. Specifically, this paper evaluates the resources spent to manufacture a green videocassette in comparison with a standard videocassette by performing a resource analysis. This analysis estimates the cost, time and energy necessary to produce both videocassettes. This paper also compares the value of the videocassettes in terms of performance and physical attributes.

scholarly journals Comparing the cost effectiveness of nature-based and coastal adaptation: A case study from the Gulf Coast of the United States

PLoS ONE ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. e0192132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Borja G. Reguero ◽  
Michael W. Beck ◽  
David N. Bresch ◽  
Juliano Calil ◽  
Imen Meliane
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Cost Effectiveness ◽  
Gulf Coast ◽  
The United States ◽  
Coastal Adaptation ◽  
The Cost

Measures to Relieve the Stress of Water

2013 ◽  
Vol 361-363 ◽  
pp. 636-639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shi Kai Duan ◽  
Guo Shi Shen ◽  
Zhen Dong Shan ◽  
Yan Dong ◽  
Kai Zheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Water Shortage ◽  
The United States ◽  
Three Solutions ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Pros And Cons ◽  
Water Strategy ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Significant Regional Difference

In order to develop realistic water resources strategy, we initially analyze the situation of water resources in the United States which present a significant regional difference. Then on the basis of previous studies, we propose the cost formulas of water storage, movement and desalinization. By analyzing the practical application, along with pros and cons of the above three solutions accordingly, we consider that a comprehensive utilization of these measures will be the best water strategy for America to solve the water shortage problem. Later we apply the conclusion to a case study of Southern California, we propose an optimization model which aims to minimize the total cost of the water strategy, and then use Lingo to solve the problem. Results show that 5.946 billion cubic meters of water by transferring is the best way to make up for the water use gap in 2025 and the total cost is 2.94 billion dollars. Finally, we summarize the strengths and weaknesses of our paper. What needs to be emphasized is that our model can also be adapted into the analysis of other states, which shows great flexibility.

scholarly journals Case Study: Use of Open Education Resources in Business Capstone

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorena D. Mathien
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
The United States ◽  
Open Educational Resources ◽  
Open Education ◽  
Learning Design ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Business Course ◽  
Open Education Resources ◽  
The Cost

Recent studies on textbook costs in the United States have indicated that there is a direct relationship between textbook costs and student success. With textbook costs increasing at a rate higher than the cost of living, many students have cited the textbook cost as an extremely important factor when obtaining (or not obtaining) a textbook. Open educational resources (OER) are tools that educators can use to supplement or build a course. OER are free for anyone to reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute and are a low-cost, tailored solution for faculty and students. There have been calls for research that demonstrates how OER are being put into practice. This case study examines the responses of users to a voluntary survey in a capstone business course that implemented OER in lieu of traditional textbooks. The study suggests that, for teachers and students, as well as self-directed learners, OER provide a valuable resource to eliminate the pay wall, improve learning design, and support the power of the community through sharing and collaboration.

Waste-to-Energy Project Economics and Financing: A Look Into the Factors Influencing the Future

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey F. Clunie
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Waste To Energy ◽  
Recent Analysis ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

This paper focuses on significant changes in the overall economics of waste-to-energy (WTE) during the last 30 years. The WTE industry in this country has seen several different business cycles occur since 1975, as different market drivers have caused the industry to rise and fall. This paper compares: (1) those economic factors that were in play in 1975, when the first WTE facility in the United States was built, and the industry was in its infancy; (2) the factors at play when the WTE industry was at its height in 1990; and (3) some of the factors that caused the industry’s steep downward trend since 1994, when the last greenfield WTE facility in the United States was built. The paper will identify changes that have occurred with regard to the pricing of electricity and the ability of public sectors to charge non-market-based tipping fees. The paper discusses the drivers of 2006 and focuses on completed economic factors to be considered when comparing WTE with other waste disposal means. The paper discusses the drivers of 2006 and whether the industry is finally poised to begin an upward turn in the cycle. The paper focuses on the impact of the cost of diesel fuel oil on the overall economics of long-haul transfer, and how that is likely to impact the future development of WTE facilities. The paper also presents a case study of a recent analysis that was undertaken for two counties that were evaluating the financial viability of WTE as compared to other disposal options.

scholarly journals Comparison of E-Book Acquisitions Strategies Across Disciplines Finds Differences in Cost and Usage

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 109
Author(s):  
Laura Costello
Keyword(s):  
Average Cost ◽  
Research University ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Public Research University ◽  
Usage Cost ◽  
And Mathematics ◽  
Design Case Study ◽  
Call Number ◽  
Usage Data

A Review of: Carrico, S.B., Cataldo, T.T., Botero, C., & Shelton, T. (2015). What cost and usage data reveals about e-book acquisitions: Ramifications for collection development. ALCTS, 59(3). Retrieved from https://journals.ala.org/lrts/article/view/5752/7199 Abstract Objective – To compare e-book cost-usage data across different acquisitions styles and disciplines. Design – Case study. Setting – A public research university serving an annual enrollment of over 49,000 students and employing more than 3,000 faculty members in the Southern United States. Subjects – Cost and usage data from 15,006 e-books acquired by the Library through packages, firm orders, and demand-driven acquisitions. Methods – Data was collected from publishers and vendors across the three acquisitions strategies. Usage, cost, and call number information was collected for the materials purchased via firm order or demand driven acquisitions and these were sorted into disciplines based on the call number assigned. Discipline, cost, and use were determined for each package collection as a whole because information on individual titles was not provided by the publishers. The authors then compared usage and cost across disciplines and acquisitions strategies. Main Results – Overall, e-books purchased in packages had a 50% use rate and an average cost per use of $3.39, e-books purchased through firm orders had a 52% use rate and an average cost per use of $22.21, and e-books purchased through demand driven acquisitions had an average cost per use of $8.88 and 13.9 average uses per title. Package purchasing was cost effective for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) materials and medicine (MED) materials. Demand driven acquisition was a particularly good strategy for humanities and social sciences (HSS) titles. Conclusion – There are differences between the acquisitions strategies and disciplines in cost and use. Firm orders had a higher cost per use than the other acquisitions strategies.

Social Media in Library and Information Centres

2012 ◽  
pp. 293-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayodele John Alonge
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Information Management ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Future Prospects ◽  
Professional Relationship ◽  
Academic Collaboration ◽  
Library Users

This chapter discusses social networking as a new tool in information management, using Facebook as case study. It explicates how social networking can enhance library outreach and librarians’ collaboration. It presents social networking as new tool in information management that is capable of creating future prospects, opportunities, and hope for library users, and information and library professionals. For the purpose of this work, three groups were created on Facebook. One for library users and two for Librarians: Academic Library Users, African Librarian, and Nigerian Librarians. Social networking sites could be effectively used to disseminate information and promote pleasant professional relationship among librarians and library users. It encourages academic collaboration. With Facebook group, pictures of memorable events could be shared, news could be posted, and meetings, conferences, and workshops could be announced.

Utilization of E-Resources by the Post Graduate Students and Research Scholars of Pondicherry Engineering College, Pondicherry: A Case Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (S1) ◽  
pp. 29-31
Author(s):  
D. Raju Munisamy ◽  
P. Sivaraman
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Students ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Post Graduate ◽  
Library Users ◽  
College Library ◽  
And Training ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Electronic Resources are becoming more and more important for the academic community. E-resources are considered as important resources for teaching, research and training. Thus e-resources in a library play significant role in academic libraries. E-resources have the features of easy access by many users of academic library and very important for library users. The present study identifies various e-resources, databases available in Pondicherry Engineering College Library, Pondicherry. The Post Graduate Students and researcher investigated the preferences and importance of e-resources along with identifying the purpose and problems faced while accessing online e-resources. A well structured questionnaire was designed and distributed among Post Graduate students and Research Scholars of Pondicherry Engineering College, Pondicherry. The study revealed that 85% of the respondent is aware of the availability of e-resources. The study says that 46.25% explored e-books/e-journals. This survey reveals 81.25% satisfied with e-resources available in the library.

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