In the last 
BiblioFile
, there was an article
which described the efforts of the Scholarly Publishing and Academic
Resources Coalition (SPARC) to develop alternatives to the high priced
scientific serials published by major international publishers such
as Academic (now merged with Elsevier), Elsevier, Kluwer, Springer,
and Wiley. Now, an interesting update
concerning SPARC efforts, published in Against
the Grain, April 2001, by Carla Stoffle, Dean of Libraries,
University of Arizona, is excerpted below. .
SPARC's agenda focuses on enhancing broad and cost-effective access
to peer-reviewed scientific, technical and medical (STM) research, where
the economic benefits to libraries are greatest. This objective is pursued
via a two-pronged strategy: incubation of alternative channels of scholarly
communication and public advocacy of fundamental changes in the system
and culture of scholarly communication.
Its members, affiliates, and endorsers from throughout the world support
its mission through a variety of local initiatives. Full members pledge,
in principle, a purchase commitment to SPARC-partnered journals that
fit their collection development agenda.
Overall, libraries benefit in several concrete and consistent ways from
SPARC activities. The projects are significantly less expensive for
libraries, while they attract quality authors and editors, making them
essential acquisitions. While STM journal price increases have moderated
generally, new players have entered the marketplace, and new models
are gaining acceptance, giving libraries greater options. Consequently,
journal editorial boards are forging links between libraries and faculty..
As everyone knows, costs can be gauged a number of ways: price per article,
price per page, price per character. SPARC journals are steadily building
a stable of authors and papers that will make them competitive no matter
how the statistics are calculated. Library support of these alternative
titles gives them the time to build scale, gain greater credibility,
and publish the high quality research the audience demands.
As they do so, these alternative journals provide libraries with a new
choice. For example, if a library decided to drop Tetrahedron Letters
because it subscribed to SPARC's Organic Letters, it would save
enough money to buy the rest of the SPARC alternative collection---and
still have money left over. Plus, authors are steadily switching from
the former to the latter, building its prestige.
A key to a successful alternative journal program is having libraries
inform faculty about the serials crisis and encouraging scholars to
submit to the new generation of journals. Quality content is crucial
to creating a viable alternative to traditional outlets.
-- Adapted from Carla Stoffle's article. Ed.)
