Experience with consortia – a view from a specialist publisher

Peter WilliamsAcademic Director: Professional Engineering Publishing

ASA Meeting February 2008

Brief overview of PE Publishing Experience with Consortia

Usage based initiative JISC Business Models Trials ALPSP: ALJC Other avenues…

Observations Lessons from the 70’s!

Experience with consortia – a view from a specialist publisher

A Brief overview of PE Publishing

Publishers to the IMechE 18 Journals

Proceedings of the IMechE Online Proceedings archive from 1847 6 Magazines Publishing services for partners

40 publishing staff £7.9m turnover (2007)

Experience with Consortia

PE Publishing Usage Based Model: 2003/04 Negotiable one time set-up fee Negotiable download/article fee Negotiable % of downloads counted No existing subscription cancellation Usage/access fee CAPPED at current subscription rate Three year deal:

Year One Gratis, online access to PE Publishing Journals to all Consortia members Year One usage the basis of Year Two access fee

Year Two Access fee based upon % of Year One usage Access fee capped at current subscription rate Year Two usage used as basis of Year Three access fee

Year Three Repeat of Year Two. Deal re-negotiated

All billing and access arrangements negotiable

Experience with Consortia

NELINET: 600+ academic, public, and special libraries in the six New England states of USA

NRW: 30+ academic libraries in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

FinELib: Finnish national consortium of 108 University, Polytechnic, Research Institute, and Regional Public Libraries

iGroup: Open Consortia initiatives in Thailand, Taiwan, Philippines and Malaysia

Experience with Consortia

NELINET: 6 months. Email exchanges and phone calls. No deal. X

NRW:5 months. Email exchanges. No deal. X

FinELib:11 months. Email exchanges and face-to-face meetings. No deal. X

iGroup:18 months. Email exchanges and face-to face meetings. Small trial in Thailand.

Experience with Consortia

Questions: Unpopular model?

Cost uncertainty Administrative problems

Unpopular product? Existing market penetration

Subscriptions Usage

Size/importance of publisher? Relatively small portfolio Perception of engineering in marketplace

JISC Business Models Trial

2005 – 2006 Trial managed by Content Complete PPV converting to subscriptions U2S: University College London and University of

Greenwich Model: (Essentially that previously trialled by PE Publishing)

Access to entire PE Publishing online collection Negotiated article download price Free content and “double clicked” downloads

accommodated Usage fee capped at subscription price Usage based on Counter returns

JISC Business Models Trial

Content Complete Report to JISC in May 2007: http://www.jisc-collections.ac.uk/news_and_events/news_articles/business_models_report

Key points: Budget uncertainty – for both Libraries and

Publishers Administratively problematic and costly Pure usage-based model unacceptable to

Libraries Usage metrics possible element of future

consortia models

ALPSP Learned Journals Collection: ALJC

Considered joining ALJC in 2003 and subsequent years. Declined: Didn’t fit desired pricing model Management of internal tensions

Joined ALJC in 2008 collection 728 titles from 53 publishers in 2008 PE Publishing Member of Steering Committee Number of interesting Consortia proposals in

progress

Other avenues…

Working with a range of companies developing Consortia proposals for different regions: GIST: India Allied: India iGroup: China and Vietnam EmPact: South America and Eastern Europe PCG: Archive content into Europe NIC: Iran

Observations…

Consortia deals are both time consuming and costly to set up and administer

Are the true costs to both parties clearly identified? Is it possible for the “smaller” publisher to enter this market? Is it a fair playing field?

Are large consortia deals legal? Anti-competitive? Exclusionary behaviour: “Big Deal” bundling?

The Bundling of Academic Journals. Edlin and Rubinfield. American Economic Review Vol 95(2) 2005.

Exclusion or Efficient Pricing: The Big Deal bundling of academic journals. Edlin and Rubinfield. American Bar Association Antitrust Law Journal Vol 72(1) 2004

Between a rock and a hard place: the big squeeze for small publishers. Prosser. Learned Publishing Vol 17(1) 2004

Are large consortia deals good for scientific communication? Wider access Reduced cost/download

More access - but less choice? By-passing the rigours of the market?

Lessons from the 70’s…

1970’s self help books:

I'm Not OK, You're Not OK I'm OK, You're Not OK I'm Not OK, You're OK

Lessons from the 70’s…

I'm Not OK, You're OK

“During the next weeks, the Consortia Negotiations Resource Team (NRT) will continue to evaluate the proposals received and, as a result, may contact you should further clarifications be required on your proposal.  The evaluation period may continue until the beginning of December. Due to the longer time required for the evaluation and considering the upcoming Christmas holiday period, it is unlikely that you would be required to meet with the NRT prior to January.  However, should we contact you for a possible meeting, we will give you a 10 working days notice to arrange for such meeting.  Until then, please, make your schedule as flexible as possible for January and be aware that it is probable that not all vendors will have an opportunity to meet with the NRT.”

Lessons from the 70’s…

1970’s self help books:

I'm Not OK, You're Not OK I'm OK, You're Not OK I'm Not OK, You're OK I'm OK, You're OK

Lessons from the 70’s…

1970’s self help books: EF Schumaker:

Specialist is beautiful……