David Ball

What's the "big deal", and why is it a bad deal for universities?

At first sight the “big (or all‐you‐can‐eat) deal” seems excellent value for libraries and their users, and represents the shining possibilities of the electronic age. A more thorough‐going evaluation, however, exposes dangers for universities, their funders and publishers. This paper examines the big deal in the light of fundamental market conditions and suggests alternative models for procuring electronic resources. The roles and strengths of the players in the information supply chain are defined and traditional hard‐copy procurement is analysed in terms of these roles and the concepts of authority, branding and monopoly. The fundamentals of procuring electronic resources and prevalent purchasing models are discussed in terms of the same roles and concepts. The advantages of the big deal are laid out ‐ access to resources, low unit costs etc. The dangers are also discussed. These arise mainly from the publishers’ position as monopolists. The possible long‐term effects, on library budgets and academic publishing, of dealing with monopoly suppliers are examined. Means of avoiding or minimising these dangers – consortia, alternative publishing methods, new economic models to promote competition – are examined.

Library purchasing consortia: the UK periodicals supply market

This article is based on surveys undertaken for a British Library Research and Innovation Centre/Library and Information Commission‐funded research project. It describes the models of operation of purchasing consortia in two library sectors (health and higher education) and their expenditure patterns. Present and future savings deriving from consortial activity and the effects of consortia on periodicals suppliers are discussed. The article closes by predicting future activity.

Public libraries and the consortium purchase of electronic resources

This paper embodies research on the purchasing of electronic resources by public libraries. It sought to identify what works well and what is problematic with respect to the management of commercial products. Views were also sought on future development, and how procurement could best be managed. The main concerns identified were the lack of a national dimension and strategy, and of expertise in individual authorities and consortia, particularly with licences. Purchasers were felt to be reactive, not taking control of the procurement by specifying requirements. E‐resources were felt to be very expensive; there was not necessarily any price advantage as a result of consortial negotiations. It was also felt that hard‐copy and e‐resource procurement and strategy should not be separated. Licence terms and pricing models were felt to be confusing, and the interfaces provided inappropriate.

A weighted decision matrix for outsourcing library services

A study, funded by Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, was undertaken in 2000‐2001 to give an up‐to‐date view of the current experience of outsourcing and externalization in libraries, museums and archives. Case studies of purchasers recognized as pioneers in the field, and of providers, were undertaken. As a result, this weighted decision matrix was developed as a tool for judging the suitability of library services for outsourcing. Illustrations of potential uses are given.

Purchasing consortia: trends and activity in the UK

In recent years libraries worldwide have been affected by an uncertain financial environment in which resource buying has been restricted, causing them to look at ways of extending their purchasing capabilities to compensate for reduced budgets. In the UK, the British Library Research & Innovation Centre (BLRIC) has recently awarded a grant to Bournemouth University Library & Information Services to investigate the activities of library purchasing consortia in four types of library: higher education, further education, public and health libraries. The project remit also includes a study of library suppliers in the deregulated marketplace following the abolition of the UK Net Book Agreement in autumn 1995. This paper charts the progress of the research that has identified a number of LIS consortia, focuses on the context that has encouraged their formation and presents early findings that illuminate cooperative purchasing activities.

Innovative models for procuring e-books

This paper gives some background on e-books and UK library purchasing consortia, before discussing in detail an innovative tender for e-books undertaken for higher education in the UK.The main aims of the tender were to provide members with agreements that were innovative in terms of business models giving value for money; were flexible, offering those with differing requirements appropriate options; exploited the electronic medium in terms of granularity and multi-user access; focused on users’ needs rather than libraries’ requirements; and encouraged the addition of library-defined con- tent.The success of the tender demonstrated that libraries are not prepared to accept the restrictive and expensive business models, often based on hard-copy practice, which some aggregators seem to be forcing on us. In terms of content, it also showed libraries taking the lead in influencing what aggregators are making available.

A new model for procuring e-books

This paper draws on a recent ground-breaking tender for e-books for higher education libraries in the United Kingdom. The strategy for the tender was informed by standard procurement practice and by the experience of acquiring other e-resources, particularly journals under the so-called big deal. Both are examined as background to the discussion of e-books in general, and the tender in particular. A full discussion of the background is given by Ball (2005).

Procuring electronic information: new business models in the context of the supply chain

Examines the information value chain and some of its concepts, first for printed information and second for electronic information. Discusses the procurement process and, in the light of the analysis made earlier in the paper, evaluates the various emerging models for procuring electronic information.

E-books and Virtual Learning Environments: Responses to a Transformational Technology

ABSTRACT The influx of Digital Natives into higher education, combined with the introduction of virtual learning environments as the primary means of interaction between students and universities, will have a transformational effect on learning and on library services. This article examines the e-book marketplace and the main UK responses to it (the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortiums tender and the JISC e-books observatory project). Within this context, the innovative measures already taken by Bournemouth University are discussed, as are plans to develop innovative pedagogic frameworks and an e-reading strategy through a Higher Education Academy–funded pathfinder project: Innovative E-Learning with E-Resources (eRes).

Managing the Market Place: The Consortium Approach

The funding context of higher education is examined, together with some of the constraints and imperatives to which it gives rise. The history, constitution and operation of the Southern Universities Purchasing Consortiums Libraries Project Group are discussed. The paper closes with a discussion of possible future roles for purchasing consortia.