Library\'s journals come with hefty prices

July 2, 2002 - 11:51am — Blake

Gary Price, from the VAS&ND, sent over This One from Canada, on journal prices.

They repeat what we most likely already know, Libraries at research institutions,
including the University of
Guelph, have been struggling
with higher material prices for
two decades, and one of the
most prominent problems is the
skyrocketing price of prestigious,
high-end journals professors
want. The price of journals increased 226 per cent between 1986 and 2000, while
the cost of monographs (books) increased 66 per cent.

\"Libraries are being starved for funds. What is most seriously happening is the
price of materials is going up, and libraries are less able to purchase them. It
is most acute with journals,\" said Chris Dennis, chair of the Canadian
Association of University Teachers librarians committee.

\"What\'s causing the problem is the increased commercialization of the
industry. Academics need to know articles have been scrutinized by their
colleagues,\" Dennis said. \"