University Library News Release
Date: October 31, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Jeanette Smith, NMSU Library, (575) 646-7492, jcsmith@lib.nmsu.edu
Library Serials Lists Revised and Finalized
NMSU campus community -- you spoke and the NMSU Library responded. Last month when the Library sent out final lists from its serials review project to the campus community proposing serial titles to add and to cancel, it received quite a few concerned phone calls and emails in response. More than several faculty members were anxious about specific titles slated for cancellation. The Library listened to your concerns and was able to respond.
Fortunately, the Library has electronic access to many of the titles slated for cancellation (e.g., Review of Educational Research; Cognition and Instruction; Philosophical Transactions, Series A; Journal of Women's History) either via full text databases or through a direct link. Therefore, although the Library is canceling the print subscription, it will retain access to the content of the journal. In a few instances the Library made the difficult decision to go forward with subscription cancellations for titles of concern (e.g., Journal of Plasma Physics).
The decisions were based on several important factors: price increase, low usage and relevance of the title to current curricular and research needs. In some cases, the Library opted to retain specific titles based on faculty members' unease with plans for cancellation (e.g., Critical Reviews in Toxicology; Journal of Paleontology; Proceedings of the Royal Society. Series A, Mathematical, Physical, and Engineering Science; Toxicology & Applied Pharmacology, etc.). These titles have been removed from the Titles to be Canceled.
One of the goals of the project was to align the Library's serials collection with current research and curricular needs. The Library has made progress towards this goal by adding 70 much-needed titles to the Library's collection http://lib.nmsu.edu/scrap/TitlestoAddFinal.shtml and through canceling many titles faculty no longer deemed necessary for the collection. As the result of this project the Library realized that it needed to create a new framework for its serials fund structure. Throughout the SCRAP project, it has been realized that the Library's current model of allocating serial titles to specific departments interferes with its ability to assess and meet research needs across campus due to the interdisciplinarity of scholarly communications.
Much of the controversy over serial titles slated for cancellation surfaced because departments differed in their valuation of a serial title, some wishing to cancel, others wanting to retain. In the coming year the Library hopes to move to a broader disciplinary model that not only acknowledges common interests among academic departments and research clusters but also respects departmental needs. Although not a goal, the project revealed the urgent need for electronic journal backfiles and other digital collections. Library personnel are currently working on adding these much-needed collections with one-time funds and will be announcing their acquisition soon.
Finally, the Library wants to thank you for participating in the NMSU Library Serials Collection Review and Assessment Project http://lib.nmsu.edu/scrap/index.shtml and it appreciates your continued interest. Please direct any questions or comments about this project to Susan E. Beck, Collection Development Coordinator, at (575) 646-6171 or susabeck@lib.nmsu.edu or your library subject specialist http://lib.nmsu.edu/depts/collserv/sel-liai.shtml.
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