Are the Methods Working?

Abstract

Subscription costs have troubled Rensselaer since 1988. The libraries have canceled 849 subscriptions since 1990. I have condensed what I have learned into the Ten Commandments for Serials Cancelations which instruct libraries to: educate and involve faculty; refrain from using book money or asking for more money; cancel the expensive titles; rely upon journal use studies; create small, focused lists; reward effort and cooperation; promote resource sharing; and foster communication. With a crystal ball, I look into the future to see: more resource sharing; more electronic exchange of information; changes in the tenure system and in accreditation requirements; the demise of some journals and publishers; increased market share for society publishers; renewed interest in university publishing; and struggles with issues of ownership and copyright, with preservation of electronic information, and with the issue of free versus fee-based library information. I see a challenging future for all of us!