Staff Papers

The Collecting of Overseas Journals by the National Library

A paper presented by Pam Gatenby at the National Library of Australia, Collecting Advisory Committee (CAC) meeting, 11 December 2000, National Library of Australia, Canberra.


Paper 1

Background

1. The aim of this paper is to provide a summary of the current situation with regard to the Library’s collecting of overseas journals (or serials – the terms are used interchangeably in the paper) and to serve as background to Paper 2: Provision of Access to Journals in Electronic Form.

2. Serials represent a major research resource for scholars, and are an important component of academic and research library collections. The National Library receives Australian serial publications through legal deposit arrangements, and has a comprehensive collection of the major titles published in Australia. Serials published overseas are obtained by purchase, deposit or exchange arrangements and are of necessity a small selection of those published throughout the world.

3. The history of the Library’s overseas serial collection mirrors that of the collection generally. In the postwar period, and particularly in the nineteen sixties and seventies, the Library sought out and acquired large quantities of material with very little discrimination. The result was a very large overseas serials collection, but one that was uneven in quality. Major overseas serials obtained on subscription were often complemented by the acquisition of large back sets of the title, comprising an extremely valuable research resource. Other serial titles, particularly those received on exchange or as gifts were, in many cases, of lesser value or only scantily held.

4. During the nineteen-eighties the wisdom of taking in large numbers of serial titles without discrimination was questioned. There was, and is a substantial cost in handling and storing all library material. In addition, the reference value of broken and scattered holdings of serial material is doubtful. In the Collection Development Policy issued in 1990, the policy for collecting overseas serials was brought into line with the Library’s priorities for collecting generally. Serials from overseas in those subjects where the Library was endeavouring to build a strong collection, for example social sciences and humanities, were collected in greater numbers and depth than those in subjects where the Library aimed at assembling a more basic collection.

5. Following this, work was done on weeding the Library’s overseas serial collection of many titles considered to be of less value in order to concentrate resources on those titles of greater value and usefulness. Many exchanges were closed and serial titles were cancelled, or if considered valuable, moved to the much more reliable method of acquisition by subscription. The result has been a tighter, much more focussed collection with more reliable holdings.

6. Current collecting, in keeping with the principles outlined in the latest revision of the Collection Development Policy published in 1999, has continued in this direction. The overseas serial collection, as part of the total overseas collection, attempts to provide the researcher or inquirer in the field of Australian studies with access to overseas information that enables research to be placed within a broader context. The overseas collection also attempts to provide basic up to date information across most subject areas, with particular emphasis on reference sources, Asian and Pacific studies, politics, government, international affairs and economics. New titles are purchased, and as opportunity allows, back sets or issues that fill gaps are procured. The Library is careful about discontinuing subscriptions to titles where extensive back runs are held, recognising these as essential for research.

Issues

7. In maintaining and further developing its collection of overseas serials there are a number of issues that the Library must address. These relate to maintaining the purchasing power of the budget allocated to overseas serials in the face of price rises and depreciation of the Australian dollar; maintaining the relevancy and usefulness of the collection; and defining the future role of the Library with regard to providing access to overseas journals.

Expenditure and trends in purchasing power



8. For the five years to 1999/2000 expenditure on overseas journals has been close to $1.1 million each year and has averaged 24% of the total acquisition budget for library materials (Table 1). The total acquisition budget, for both Australian and overseas materials, has grown from $4.6 million in 1995/96 to $5.63 million in 2000/01 but not sufficiently to keep pace with increasing prices of library materials.

Table 1.Overseas subscription expenditure

  95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01
Subscription expenditure $1,185,194 $1,067,253 $1,151,458 $1,056,898 $1,262,231 $1,455,500
Total acquisition expenditure $4,615,597 $4,264,085 $4,425,944 $5,562,675 $5,711,345 $5,633,000
% of total 25.7% 25.0% 26.0% 19.0% 22.1% 25.8%

9. Annual serial price rises have been in the vicinity of 9-10% and book prices have risen by 4-5% each year. The Library has been able to live within its serial budget by applying a successively stricter interpretation of its Collection Development Policy, cancelling serial titles that are less central and more peripheral, and by moving money from other parts of the book vote. This is not a sustainable method of budget management and other means of collection management need to be considered. Table 2 shows the rise in expenditure on overseas journals for the past five years overlayed with the fall in number of titles actually purchased.

Table 2. Number of overseas journals compared with expenditure

  95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 Oct-00
No. of purchased o/s journals 12,317 10,600 9,518 9,108 9,068 9,139

10. Although average price rises have been increasing at a fairly steady rate it is difficult to predict how much longer this will continue as the publishing environment is changing rapidly, particularly with the availability of electronic versions of many journal titles. There exist a range of pricing models for print and/or electronic subscriptions operating in the market place and there is probably some time before a more uniform pricing model evolves.

11. The Library increased its 2000/01-budget allocation for overseas journals to $1.4 million for three reasons - to fund the purchase of some new titles identified through the reviews of core serials (described below); to pay for additional vendor services offering benefits in the delivery of titles, including more timely receipt of issues and guarantees of fewer missing issues; and to partially compensation for the depreciation in the value of the Australian dollar.

Depreciation of the Australian dollar

12. Approximately 56% of the total Acquisitions Budget is spent on overseas materials. Of this, around 22% is spent on the payment of US$ invoices including payments made to suppliers in the Philippines, Pakistan, Pacific, India, Vietnam, Japan, and China as well as the United States.

13. Fluctuation in the performance of the Australian dollar with overseas currencies and the resultant effect on purchasing power is an ongoing issue for the Library. Since July to November 2000 there has been a drop of 12% in the value of the Australian dollar compared to the US dollar, that is from 0.5898 to 0.5144. Assuming the exchange rate remains constant for the rest of this financial year, this will result in a loss of purchasing power of around $87,000.

14. Between July 1999 and November this year, there has been decrease of over 20% in the value of the Australian dollar. If the current exchange rate remains constant for the rest of this year, this will represent a loss in purchasing power to the Library of some $0.314m since July 1999.

The National Library’s reviews of core serials

15. As part of its on-going strategy to support the information needs of researchers, during 1999 the Library began a series of reviews of the serial titles from overseas to which it subscribes. The reviews were conducted on a subject or discipline basis. The primary purpose of the reviews was to examine the integrity; suitability and currency of its selection of serial titles in each discipline against stated collecting objectives in the Library’s Collection Development Policy. Following the first review, it was decided that it would also be useful to compare the Library’s selection of titles with the holdings of other Australian libraries to gain a more general picture of the nation’s serial resources.

16. The reviews were carried out using the following methodology. Core serial titles in particular subject areas were identified by consulting subject guides, bibliographies and periodical rankings. These core titles were then compared to the titles held by the Library. Omissions were investigated. Titles held by the Library but not considered to be core were looked at more closely if the Library’s Collection Development Policy indicated that collecting in that subject area was at a basic level only. From the investigation an assessment was made of the balance of the titles collected by the Library. Both titles that might be recommended for cancellation and titles that should be added for a balanced collection were identified.

17. Although the holdings of other Australian libraries is not a determining factor in decisions about the Library’s own coverage of a subject, this consideration may sometimes influence a decision as to whether to initiate a new subscription, or to cancel a title. Other libraries holdings are checked in these cases.

18. A program of reviewing all subject areas over the next 3-4 years has been drafted. To date the following reviews have been completed: Political science, Anthropology, Linguistics, Literature, History, Geography, Economics, Philosophy, Religion and Music. These subjects represent a number of areas where the Library collects intensively and might be expected to subscribe to a large number of overseas serial titles (political science, history, economics), as well as areas where the Library does not collect from overseas in depth (philosophy, religion, music). Australian serial titles are not included in the reviews as it is known that these titles come to the Library on legal deposit. Non-core serials from areas where the Library collects more intensively are likewise excluded from the reviews.

Results of the reviews

19. The reviews have revealed that generally the Library is holding slightly fewer than the recommended basic abstracts, indexes and periodicals for the subject being reviewed. The Library’s last program of serial cancellations in 1995 was a large one, and resulted in the cancellation of a small number of serial titles which, in retrospect the Library would have preferred to retain. The reviews have allowed the Library to re-establish subscriptions to these titles. The reviews have also shown that occasionally some titles of very specialised interest are being received, and these can be cancelled to help offset the cost of the new subscriptions.

20. Originally the Library sought to have the reviews examined and commented upon by an academic expert in each of the subject disciplines where the Library collects in depth, but this has proved difficult. It has been hard to find academics willing to take on the task, and such assessments require a degree of familiarity with the Library’s collection policy that is perhaps unreasonable to expect.

21. Nevertheless, the results have been useful for the National Library in checking that it has a good basic set of subscriptions to the leading periodicals in each subject area suited to the diverse needs of the public who use the Library. It has enabled the Library to confirm against the latest critical and bibliographic authorities that the titles it receives are reputable, of good quality, and contain the most current and useful sources. In those subjects where the Library collects in more depth, such as economics, politics and history, it has enabled us to verify that correspondingly larger and more detailed collections are being assembled. It has enabled the Library to ensure that its stated objectives of paying particular attention to the coverage of East Asia, South East Asia and the Pacific are being met.

22. The results of the reviews in philosophy, religion, anthropology and economics are now being subjected to a close comparison with the holdings of other Australian libraries. This is being done by comparing library holdings for each serial title on the National Bibliographic Database, and then ascertaining whether the full text of the serial is available on any one of a number of electronic subscription services to which Australian libraries have access. Detailed results are still being compiled, but what the surveys reveal so far is that:

23. The results of the Library’s surveys are being fed into the work being carried out by the Australian Libraries Collections Task Force in this area. On the basis of the national picture that is emerging from the various surveys into serials holdings, the Task Force will consider whether a more coordinated approach to provision of national access to overseas journal literature is desirable or feasible. (See Paper 2.)

24. A useful extension of the core serials surveys would be to assess national holdings of non-core titles and to evaluate the importance of these to the national collection. It is likely that holdings of these titles are not as widely dispersed or duplicated as they are for core titles – in fact, there are probably some titles that are "endangered" as they are held by one or two libraries only. Also, it is likely that it is not as common for non-core titles to be available in electronic form.

25. The implications of the situation with non-core as well as core titles need to be taken into account by the Library in determining its future strategy and role in providing access to overseas journal literature. To help shape this strategy, the Library will carry out sample surveys of non-core holdings in subject areas already surveyed for core titles. The aim of the surveys will be to gather additional information that might assist the Library to develop a considered position on the issues raised in Paper 2.

Recommendation

1. That the Collections Advisory Committee notes the report.

4 December 2000

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