The Pollak Library at California State University, Fullerton utilizes a subscription agent, a common practice amongst libraries to help manage the purchasing and maintenance of print and electronic serial, journal and database subscriptions. In the summer of 2019, the library was faced with a significant materials budget cut for the following fiscal year and decided to take a fresh look at its subscriptions held with their subscription agent, Harrassowitz, in hopes of finding opportunities to make cancellations. The process of looking at subscriptions with the goal of proactively downsizing revealed that the library’s existing renewal workflows were outdated and in need of regular analysis to identify underused resources. Additionally, this project uncovered shortcomings of analysis that is reliant on usage data, the unexpected ramifications of large-scale subscription cancellations, as well as the need for improved communication within and between the many library departments affected by subscription cancellations. Attendees can expect to learn more about current practices for analyzing subscriptions based on cost and usage as well as workflows involving a subscription agent.
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