2019 Charleston Library Conference

In many countries, the proclamation “The King is dead, long live the King” heralds the demise of the old monarch and the accession of a new one. It was likewise intended to ensure that the throne never remain empty while facilitating a smooth transition of power. When the “big deal” journal subscription model debuted in 1996, few suspected the extent to which academic libraries would come to rely upon the big deal, that it would become “king” - the primary channel by which we procure academic journal content for our faculty, students, and staff. Yet, as budget cuts take their toll on libraries, the demise of the reigning big deal model seems inevitable as the true value of all-inclusive packages becomes less evident, particularly as innumerable titles within these packages remain unutilized and fail to add value to our serials offerings. SPARC’s Big Deal Cancellation Tracker is documenting this transition as an increasing number of libraries and consortia decide to forgo this model in favor of regaining local control over their collections and budget dollars via less restrictive packages. The Binghamton University Libraries is no exception. Recent curriculum changes and financial developments have prompted us to adopt an ongoing evaluation of our users’ information needs and proactively negotiate and cancel deals in order to better serve our constituents. This session will discuss our fact finding, workflow modifications, and data analysis processes as well as the outcomes of our adventures in pursuing and planning for the cancellation of multi-year, flexible agreements with vendors based on local collection development priorities and serials budget realities. Attendees will learn effective strategies for working with vendors to customize sustainable subscription agreements. A brief question and answer will conclude the session.