COC3: ACS Journals

[Ann Okerson <ann.okerson@yale.edu>]

COL3 Presentation #5
February 23, 1998

Presentation from American Chemical Society (ACS) journals

Anthony Durniak, Director Special Publishing Operations
Susan Barclay, Manager Web Editions
Dean Smith, Institutional Marketing

==>Highlights:  Please see below re. the avaialability of InterLibrary
Loan as a new feature of the ACS journals licenses; also an initial
offering for library consortia.

Context:  The print journal had an understood value equation; that is, the
relationship between information and subscription price are/were
relatively well understood in that more readers lead to more demand, which
in turn leads to more subscriptions in a library, which therefore cost the
library or institution more money.  Web technology unbalances the value
equation: customers expect more functionality and rapid delivery.
Libraries perceive low incremental cost for additional access that
publisher provide electronically (but costs of providing e-information are
not low).

ACS wants to restore the "value balance" in the Web journals equation.
- ACS is not-for-profit
- Money is not an end unto itself
- ACS feels obligation to keep library prices as low as possible
- Needs to develop business models that advance mature publishing for the
  future
- Is re-inventing science journals for this new medium
- Focuses on absolute price charged, not percentage increases

ACS is developing basic & enhanced components for WWW publishing
- Multiple formats (HTML, PDF)
- Various search tools
- Multiple years online
- Articles published online *before* print
- Expanded content (animation, models, etc.)
- Links are used to expand article "reach"

ACS journals pricing options:
1.  Price Option A offered initially:  Similar price for e-version (WWW)
    and p-version (190% of print for both together); enables libraries to
    cancel print and go for e-only, for approximately the same price as 
    print.
2.  Price Option B was developed next:  WWW access plus print; customer
    promises to keep all print & site license costs 25% more than base
    print price.
3.  Consortium Licensing Plan is the very recent development:  All
    institutions participating in a consortium have WW access to the
    maximum number of titles subscribed to by the consortium members, with
    payment as in Option B.

Other licensing terms:
- "Authorized Sites" defined as entire organization (all buildings,
  facilities, no geographic boundaries; each member institution registers
  as an Authorized Site; access sis controlled by IP addresses of
  registered institutions)
- Wide variety of customers count as "Authorized Users" (faculty,
  employes, students, walk-ins)
-"Permitted Use" is defined as that which supports research
- Limited ILL allowed too (for non-commercial libraries only; intended to
  support research; library may use WWW to find and retrieve PDF article,
  may print & mail or fax, or may forward PDF file electronically
- Customary ILL guidelines apply; copies after the "suggestion of five"
  paid via CCC or direct to ACS
- (ACS may audit once per year with notice)
- Other standard restrictions for WWW editions (no alterations, no resale,
  etc.)

More on the consortial licensing fee based on Price Option B:
- Current print subs plus 25% (see above)
- Customers agree not to cancel print
- Print subs defined as of 1/98
- All members pay their share but get access to all titles held within the
  consortium
- Standard license for each consortium (i.e., the same license for all of
  its members)
- Can have single master license or one from each member  (same one)
  signed
- Multi-year agreements possible
- The current non-subscribers in a consortium (i.e., little libraries that
  don't take chemistry titles) are not charged anything (there is no 
  minimum fee)

Archiving:  
o An issue that remains to be resolved
o Every annual sub includes access to WW archive from 1/96 to date
o ACS committed to maintaining an electronic archive
o Open to suggestion for long-term access modes, options

Where will "all this" go?
o Printed journals may go away within 5 years?
o ACS pricing may change markedly in next 5 years
o Too soon to tell (9/97 first ejournal availability from ACS)

alo

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