Kelvin Smith Library
Case Western Reserve University
Date:
February 17, 2016
To:
Case Deans and Faculty
Mohan Reddy, Weatherhead School of Management
Cyrus Taylor, College of Arts & Sciences
Norman Tien, Case School of Engineering
10900 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44106-7151
Visitors and Deliveries
11055 Euclid Avenue
Phone (216) 368-2992
Fax (216) 368-6950
http://library.case.edu/ksl
From: Joanne Eustis, University Librarian
Gail Reese, Kelvin Smith Library Associate Director for Collections/Personnel
RE:
Kelvin Smith Library Collections/Serials Review-Cancellation Project
Human Resources
Case Western Reserve University
This memo describes in brief issues related to Kelvin Smith Library collections that may
a
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decrease in access to OhioLINK resources and perhaps a decrease in KSL book
purchases
and
serials
cancellations (a result of the global economic environment and book/serial costs inflation that for many
Phone 216-368-4729
years have exceeded annual materials budget increases).
Fax 216-368-3096
E-mail gail.shipley@case.edu
The KSL makes every effort to support library collections needed to sustain
www.case.edu/finadmin/humres/
Case Western Reserve
University as a premier research institution. Like most research libraries, the KSL’s response to book and
serial inflation rates overtime, has been to purchase less monographs, cancel serials, de-duplicate print
copies of titles when electronic access exists, and rely heavily on consortial arrangements such as
OhioLINK membership to supplement collections (see the following description of services from
OhioLINK’s website).
The Ohio Library and Information Network, OhioLINK, is a consortium of 88 Ohio college and
university libraries, and the State Library of Ohio, that work together to provide Ohio
students, faculty and researchers with the information they need for teaching and research.
Serving more than 600,000 students, faculty, and staff at 90 institutions, OhioLINK’s
membership includes 16 public/research universities, 23 community and technical colleges,
50 private colleges and the State Library of Ohio. Together, OhioLINK and its member
libraries provide access to:
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47.6 million books and other library materials
Millions of electronic articles
12,000 electronic journals
140 electronic research databases
40,000 e-books
Thousands of images, videos and sounds
17,500 theses and dissertations from Ohio students
F10/F11 OhioLINK Operating Budget outlook
The governor’s proposed budget provides for F10/F11 an amount equal to OhioLINK’s F09
funding after the 4.75% and 5.75% cuts earlier this year. Based on projected costs this will
result in $608,000 (F10) and $754,000 (F11) deficits unless reductions are made. With our
reserve level projected at only $336,000 at the end of F09, we are not even carrying an
adequate reserve (from Tom Sanville, Executive Director, OhioLINK – 20 February 2009).
OhioLINK Cancellations
On April 8, 2009 OhioLINK notified member institutions (see excerpt from memo below) that due to the
state’s financial situation potential cancellation titles have been identified in response to a state budget
crisis.
CIRM [OhioLINK’s Information Resources Management committee] has begun to address the
LAC (Library Advisory Council) request to identify candidates for up to a 10% reduction in the
value of our $34.6 million statewide electronic license portfolio. This is considered a worstcase scenario. It has not been determined the exact amount we will reduce. LAC discussed
the -5% to -10% range. The other two directors groups were supportive of as low a reduction
as we think the community can deal with collectively. While no firm decisions have been
made, we know that based on expected library budgets we cannot, as a community, sustain
our current portfolio. This memo provides an update with what the impact of a 10% cut,
$3.5 million, might look like.
The strategy OhioLINK appears to have chosen is to cancel disciplinary databases [BIOSIS, Historical
Abstracts, MLA, PsychINFO, etc.] and preserve electronic journals to the greatest extent possible. KSL’s
collection managers are working with OhioLINK to represent the interests of Case Western Reserve
University.
KSL FY10 Serials
The KSL is still in the process of paying serial invoices for FY09. Final serial expenditures will not be
confirmed until June 30, 2009. The FY10 serials budget is based upon final FY09 serial expenditures plus
a 5-10% increase (annual rise in the price of serials). Since the FY10 KSL materials budget only increased
by 3%, it is likely that some serial titles will need to be cancelled so as not to end up with 90-95% of the
materials budget spent on serials with little left for purchase of other types of library materials.
KSL Serials Review Project
Each department is being asked to evaluate journal subscriptions in their core areas, and also in areas
where there is strong interdisciplinary crossover. KSL collection managers will contact faculty during the
next few days to coordinate a serials review for the departments and programs they serve (see the
following: Methodology for Serials Review). Faculty will have an opportunity to review the titles
identified for possible cancellation and to provide feedback to the library by May 15. Lists will be
distributed both electronically and in print (documents can also be accessed from the KSL collection
management website at http://library.case.edu/ksl/collections/management/index.html). The goal is to
have this project completed by June 2009 – in order for FY10 cancellations to take effect, they must be
submitted by August 2009.
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Attachment 1
Methodology for Serials Review Project
Faculty and academic departments will be asked to review the serials lists and to provide feedback to
cancel or retain titles. Library collection managers will be available to work with the academic
departments throughout the process in reviewing the lists. The review process will proceed as follows:

The list of print serials will be sent directly to faculty via email and a print copy will be delivered
to their departmental mailbox. Library collection managers will coordinate the serials review for
the departments, programs and colleges they serve. The response period will be three weeks: from
today through May 15, 2009. An envelope is enclosed for your convenience if you would like to
return your list(s) via campus mail.

Following receipt of faculty input by May 15, 2009, a list of cancellation recommendations will
be posted on the collection management website at:
http://library.case.edu/ksl/collections/management/index.html.

To facilitate interdisciplinary review, the list will remain available until June 30, 2009. Faculty
will be alerted via email when this list is available and will be provided with a direct link to the
web address.

The final list of cancellations will be posted to the web and emailed to faculty by September 1,
2009.
Review the list and indicate importance by:
1= essential, must be kept
2=important, should be kept
3=OK to cancel
Some factors to consider in your decision:
 Cost
Amount paid for subscription over the past three years. High cost should be weighted against the
importance to the Case community and other factors.

Electronic Resource Available
Indicates if journal title is available electronically.

Perpetual Access-Own/Lease
Indicates if electronic journal data is owned or leased by Case or other vendor (e.g., OhioLINK,
EBSCOhost).

Electronic Holdings
Indicates the number of years that the journal is available electronically.
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
ISI Impact Factor
The Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) publishes the Arts & Humanities Citation Index, the
Science Citation Index, and the Social Sciences Citation Index which provides access to current
bibliographic information and cited references. The online version of ISI is called the Web of
Science. An impact factor is the relationship between a unit (a journal or a university) and the
average of a broader group (such as similar journals covering a subject discipline). For example,
if papers published at Case in the field of electrical engineering have a relative impact of
1.83, the papers have been cited 83% more than electrical engineering papers produced at
the average university. ISI produces the Journal Citation Reports for measuring impact factors,
which compares and ranks journals with similar journals covering a subject discipline. Not all
journals on the serials lists are covered in the ISI database.
If you have any questions or concerns about the Serials Review Project, please do not hesitate to contact
us Joanne Eustis, University Librarian, joanne.eustis@case.edu, 368-2992; Gail Reese, Associate Director
for Collections gail.reese@case.edu, 368-2992; or the collection manager responsible for your subject
area (see list at http://library.case.edu/ksl/collections/management/specialists.html).
Thank you in advance for helping us to make decisions necessary to support this project.
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