Resources for Users Committee Meeting Minutes
August 22, 2008
Present: Gene Damon (Chair), Karen Cary (recorder), Sharon Gasser, David Gray,
Louveller Luster, Paul Metz, Jane Penner, Kathy Perry, Ann Pettingill (for Pam Morgan),
Sylvia Rortvedt, Joan Ruelle, Jim Self, John Tombarge, John Walsh
Absent: Pat Van Zandt
Announcements
Ann Pettingill is attending today’s meeting for Pam Morgan.
Budget
Kathy Perry distributed copies of the FY 09 VIVA Collections budget. Kathy had
created a new format for the budget, which allows for easier interpretation and tracking.
Some general discussion about the projected shortfall in the state budget and how this
may affect VIVA and individual institutions followed. The Committee revisited the
designations of resources as high, medium, and low priority that were created in
response to the last state budget shortfall. It was decided that if cuts had to be made in
the current fiscal climate, then the following resources designated as low priority would
be candidates for cancellation: Books in Print Global, CIAO, CRC Engnetbase,
Encyclopaedia Britannica, ProQuest Serials Solutions (Ulrich’s), and STAT-USA. RUC
members were asked to get feedback from their public services staff about these
resources.
Renewals
HighWire: Molecular Biology of the Cell ( no price increase); American Journal of
Psychiatry ( 5% increase). These two were approved.
David Gray will get and distribute information on the remaining titles. An email vote on
renewal will be conducted after that.
LN Congressional: ( 3.5% increase). Approved.
OUP Reference Collection: ( 5% increase). Approved.
Academic Press: 192 titles, content from 1996-2001. Use is low, translating to
$18/use. Institutions participating in the Science Direct contract have access to all of
the Academic Press content. The RUC voted to recommend cancellation of this
resource.
Project Muse: Johns Hopkins University Press is working on consortium pricing.
Solinet anticipates having pricing ready for VIVA by September 6, 2008. Once pricing is
available, Karen Cary will distribute to the RUC and an email vote on renewal will follow.
ACS: ACS informed Sharon Gasser that they are anticipating adding two titles per year
to their journals. Currently, there are 34 titles in the package. Sharon will send the
RUC additional information on pricing and asked members to consider whether VIVA
should get the entire package or add particular titles. There will be an e-vote on this
resource.
Mergent Offer
Mergent (formerly Moody’s Investors Service) is offering VIVA an annual subscription
package that includes Mergent Online, Mergent Horizon, and Dun & Bradstreet Private
Company Data. The offer includs no price increases for the first three years.
Approximately 15 VIVA institutions already are subscribing to Mergent Online. The
Committee voted to recommend accepting the offer, if all institutions that are
currently subscribing to Mergent Online commit to their current spend and if
VIVA’s portion of the subscription price can be limited to between $90,000 and
$100,000. Those subscribers in attendance indicated that Mergent Online is a critical
resource for their institutions and that cancellation would be extremely unlikely.
Institute of Physics Cost Sharing
Background: In order to pay for the IOP package of journals, a plan was devised
several years ago whereby the VIVA materials budget would gradually absorb the entire
cost of the package over time. In 2005, VIVA paid 15% of the cost and subscribing
institutions paid the rest. In 2006, VIVA paid 72% of the cost and in 2007 and 2008 the
full cost. Use statistics make this one of the costlier journal packages, with use
concentrated in the doctoral institutions, with some use in other institutions.
After discussion, the Committee voted to recommend a cost sharing plan for IOP. Gene
Damon and Kathy Perry will work on a model to present to the Committee. It was
agreed that initially 15% of the cost would be borne by the institutions, but that gradually
over a five-year period, the institutions would pick up 50% of the cost. Paul Metz also
will negotiate with IOP to try to get a reduction in the cost of the package.
OCLC Reclamation Project
The Committee voted to recommend to the Steering Committee that VIVA undertake a
reclamation project, citing benefits to collection development and interlibrary loan. A
possible study group that could determine best practices for such a project was
discussed.
New Products
Berkeley Electronic Press: Karen Cary described an offer by the Berkeley Electronic
Press. Given the budget situation, there was no interest in pursuing this offer.
OUP Databases: Jane Penner described offers from OUP for the Oxford Digital
Reference Shelf and Oxford Language Dictionaries Online. Jane will do additional
investigation on the Oxford Digital Reference Shelf, along with asking about Grove
Music Online and Grove Art Online, now owned by OUP. She will distribute the
information, with an e-vote to follow. It was decided that Oxford Language Dictionaries
Online was not of interest at this time.
Alexander Street Press resources: Sharon Gasser asked what level of interest there
was in Alexander Street Press resources, noting titles in theater, dance, opera, and
video in general. Joan Ruelle will investigate and report to the Committee.
Atomic Learning: Sharon Gasser asked about interest in this product, but there was
none at this time.
ACLS Humanities E-Book: Sharon Gasser asked about interest in this resource.
Several institutions already have this resource.
The next meeting will be held on November 14, 2008.