Carol Hansen Montgomery

How Electronic Journals Are Changing Patterns of Use

SUMMARY Surveys of faculty, students, and scientists in non-university settings over time show that journals and journal articles continue to be a valued resource. Scientists today read from a variety of sources including print journals, electronic journals, e-print servers, and full-text databases; the amounts for each vary with subject discipline and library collection decisions. Scientists expect the library to provide resources and electronic journals that are designed to meet the needs of their specific discipline.

The Transition to an Electronic Journal Collection: Managing the Organizational Changes

In 1998, the W.W. Hagerty Library of Drexel University made migration to an electronic journal collection as quickly as possible a key component of its strategic plan. With the year 2000 renewals, Drexels journal collection consists of 953 print subscriptions and 4,951 electronic journals. A dramatic change in budget allocation and staff workload is the most immediate impact on library operations, but space, equipment, and even supply needs have been affected. Some of these changes were obvious and predictable; others, such as a sizeable increase in the need for skilled professional staff, were not. Almost no area of the library has been left untouched.

“Fast track” transition to an electronic journal collection: a case study

Describes the background and development of the migration to an electronic journal collection by the W.W. Hagerty Library of Drexel University, Philadelphia. Starting in 1998, this transition was a key component of the library’s strategic plan, and with a few exceptions, journals are purchased in electronic‐only format whenever possible. Drexel’s collection now consists of only 800 print subscriptions and 5,500 electronic journals. The transition has had a considerable impact on library staffing and workflow. Offsetting a decrease in the activity levels relating to the print format is a large increase in workload for serials’ acquisitions and management functions. A newly created position of electronic resources librarian acts as a focal point for the integrated development of all electronic resources.

The Evolving Electronic Journal Collection at Drexel University

SUMMARY In mid-1998 the Drexel University Library made the strategic decision to migrate from a print to an electronic onlyjournal collection as quickly as possible. The change process, which did not always proceed smoothly, was nearly complete in three years. All areas of the library were affected. Drexels experience has been that the electronic paradigm requires fewer staff, but more skilled and, therefore, more highly paid staff. The previous 1,700 title print collection has been reduced to about 400 titles while the electronic collection now contains 12,000 unique titles. The electronic collection costs less per use than the print collection and has been well-received by the users.

The Economic Impact of an Electronic Journal Collection on an Academic Library

This paper provides information on the economic impact of the transition from print to electronic journals in an academic library. The technological orientation of the university and a robust network infrastructure have made it possible for Drexel to make this transition more quickly than most, if not all, U.S. academic libraries. Shifts in costs occur in all budget areas: capital (space and network infrastructure), staffing, purchased services, materials, supplies and equipment. Overall, costs are higher, but preliminary data indicates that in Drexels case per journal and per article costs are lower.

Measuring the Cost of Migrating to an ‘All’ Electronic Journal Collection

In a time of flat library budgets and increasing journal costs, librarians are evaluating their approach to providing access to journals with an eye toward journal cost, shelving, ease of use, and staffing concerns. A workshop entitled “Working Together to Solve the E-Journal Puzzle” was held April 25, 2003, at the Mitchell Memorial Library of Mississippi State University. Dr. Carol Hansen Montgomery, Dean of Libraries at Drexel University, discussed her two-year study of the issues and costs involved in moving from a primarily print journal collection to one that is primarily electronic. Her presentation, “Measuring the Cost of Migration to an ‘All’ Electronic Journal Collection: A First Step,” explained Drexel University’s background, the reasons behind the migration, the methodology used in the study, and the results and implications found.