The document discusses three steps to improve the return on investment of online subscriptions with limited resources: 1) Implement an access management solution like OpenAthens to decrease administration costs and increase usage of subscriptions; 2) Innovate pricing models with publishers to reduce fixed costs per access; 3) Educate patrons about new access methods through various communications to increase usage. Implementing OpenAthens resulted in over 20,000 accesses within a year for one university with reduced costs. Innovating pricing models to charge per access instead of per subscription reduced library subscription costs and increased publisher revenue.

1. Managing the new normal
Delivering value for money with limited resources
Online subscription costs are increasing and budgets are decreasing.
Improve the Return on Investment on your subscriptions in three steps:
Step 1. Implement an access management solution
Challenges
• Cost of administrating access to online resources
• No IT resource available
Solution: Implement OpenAthens Number of accesses
Results Benefits
30,000
*
25,000
• Decreased access queries and administration • Remote access to subscriptions 20,000
• Increased resource usage • IP independent 15,000
• >20,000 accesses within 1 year • tatistics on resource usage – make informed
S 10,000
• ntegration with Google Docs and other
I decisions on your subscription needs 5,000 2011
web services • No need to involve your IT department 2009
Jan Feb Mar
*Data: UK university
Step 2. Innovate with publishers Step 3. Market the
changes to patrons
Challenges 80,000
Educate your users on
70,000 Cost per subscriptions
• ixed price per access across
F 60,000
new access methods
Price (€)
50,000
ALL publisher resources 40,000
• esume traditional subscription
R • mails and newsletters
E
30,000
20,000
model when usage increases to 10,000
• logs and websites
B
profitable levels 2007 2008
Years
2009 2010
• ibrary portal
L
• oster campaigns
P
Old model New model – fixed price
Impact of new 80,000
70,000 Cost per access
• ocial media
S
subscription model 60,000 • obile apps
M
and QR codes
Price (€)
50,000
• ncreased use of products not previously included in
I 40,000
the subscription 30,000
• raditional subscription model resumed in year 3
T 20,000
Impact
• ibrary subscription costs reduced
L 10,000
• ncreased use by patrons
I
• ublisher retains customer (revenue on upward trend)
P • ncreased ROI
I
2007 2008 2009 2010
Years
Old model Fixed price Subscriptions
subscriptions resumed
OpenAthens is the single sign-on service from Eduserv. Over 4 million users in education, healthcare, publishing
and commercial organizations worldwide use OpenAthens to provide remote access to valuable online resources.
Twitter: @openathens Email: openathens@eduserv.org.uk Tel: +44 (0)1225 470412
Address: Eduserv, Royal Mead, Railway Place, Bath, BA1 1SR United Kingdom
OpenAthens customers include: