Better pricing and increased access to content can be achieved by institutions operating as a single bloc at a national or UK-wide level.
However, bloc purchasing also presents many challenges - for example, how should the total costs be shared between participating institutions?
Our bloc payment project, managed by John Cox and Albert Prior, has researched the metrics and models for the redistribution of these costs, and a report on the findings is now available.
This report is based on an analysis of the practicability and the effect of different models for allocating costs of journal and other digital information licences between HEIs where journal collections or other information products have been licensed by a "bloc" of institutions for a single all-in price – the so-called "Big Deal". This type of transaction is contemplated for core resources that have widespread application in HE. It can operate at a national level, or on a regional basis, or for groups of academic libraries with a common interest in a particular discipline.
The report draws on two studies:
1. Activities, costs and funding flows in the scholarly communications system in the UK, Research information Network, London, 2008 (referred to as the ‘CEPA Report), and
2. Review of the Costs and Benefits of Single Payment Arrangements for JISC/NESLi2 Licences, JISC Collections, London, 2009, referred to as the ‘Single Payment Report’
Both reports point to the benefits of moving to a digital journal environment in which online-only journal lists are licensed from publishers (and print versions discontinued) and paid for in a single payment transaction and in which significant reductions in library operating costs are achievable.
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