TO: Deans, Department Chairs, and Library Representatives
FROM: W. T. O'Malley, University Library
DATE: 13 Sept. 1993
RE: Journal Subscriptions

The rising costs of our present journal subscriptions during the past 4 years when we last had a serious reduction in subscriptions, necessitates, yet again, another reduction in serial subscriptions. At that time we were attempting to keep the allocation to about one million dollars. With the same base in serials today, we project that this reduced number of serials will cost about $1.5 million. At best we can only allocate $1.3 million in FY94. Other costs have risen as well, so that we must cancel at least $175,000 worth of serials this year.

From the perspective of undergraduate education, our collections are substantial, broad-based, and much more than adequate for the needs of our students. The reductions we now plan will not affect that assessment. During the last review for cancelling subscriptions, it was clearly established by all of the faculty who helped us review our serials collection, that our collection contains only the basic journals needed to support the broad range of graduate programs at URI. As in the past, certain journals have risen in cost at a much higher rate than others, which creates this continuing squeeze on all of our resources. The Library intends to reduce our projected subscription expenditures by concentrating our attention on those journals which are the most expensive, and those which have risen most precipitously in cost.

All areas of the Library's budget are constrained this year: we plan to reduce book purchases by $225,000 from last year's level; personnel has seriously been curtailed; and other operating costs have been reduced as well.

The actual level of cuts in journals is not known for certain at this time, but it will be at least $175,000 and may be substantially higher for this year. We are pleased to note in the President's plan substantial increases in Library capital for the future.

At this time there are not easy choices to be made regarding cuts. While we are cutting a few of the less expensive journals, we believe that the most effective and fairest approach available is to cut the fewest, most expensive journals and seek to offset the effects of that cut by subsidizing access through CARL Uncover's document delivery service for members of the research community.