Spending on print monographs at the University of Manchester library has fallen 37% from 2009-2013, while spending on individual eBooks has increased 148% and eBook subscriptions have increased 39%. The ratio of the average cost of an eBook to a print book has also increased during this period. While subscription eBook packages provide access to more titles at a lower individual cost, they can include unused titles and move towards the expensive "big deal" model of journal packages. The library is considering alternative models of hosting open access publishing and reducing costs of eTextbooks and research eBooks to increase access and lower barriers.

1. “Every reader his book, every book its reader”:
print and e-books at Manchester
Simon Bains, Head of Research Services & Deputy Librarian

2. Monograph spend 2009-13
•
•
•
•
Spend on print monographs has fallen by 37%
Spend on individual eBooks has increased by 148%
Spend on eBook subscriptions has increased by 39%
'On demand' spend increasing year-on-year

3. Monograph spend 2009-13
Monograph Spend by Category of Purchase - 2009-10 to 2012-13
Print Monographs
eBooks - Individual
eBook Packages Subscriptions
eBook Packages - Perpetual
EBS
PDA
2009/10
£1,124,507.98
£67,539.15
2010/11
£982,515.41
£145,707.82
2011/12
£805,636.65
£168,007.48
2012/13
£704,604.94
£162,944.90
£128,586.02
£457,258.29
£160,960.22
£267,071.56
£25,229.24
£169,949.65
£181,834.42
£24,589.24
£178,541.00
£406,363.38
£30,000.00
£72,792.14

4. Ratio Average Cost of eBook vs Print Book
3.50
Ratio of cost of average eBook vs Average Print Book
3.00
2.50
2.00
1.50
1.00
0.50
0.00
2009/10
2010/11
2011/12
2012/13

5. Average Cost of Individual eBook Purchase

6. Purchase vs Subscription
• Subscription model
– Larger number of titles
– Lower cost
• But
– Includes titles that may not be required
– Moving towards the journal ‘big deal’ model

7. For perpetual access to titles published in 2013
Subject
Philosophy
Political
Science
Public
Health
Cost
No. of Titles Cost per title
For one year's access to all titles
published since 2003
Cost per title
Cost
No of Titles (1 year's
access)
£24,000.00
160
£150
£3,933.60
1426
£2.76
£16,800.00
112
£150
£3,867.60
801
£4.83
£1,500.00
10
£150
£2,133.60
156
£13.68

8. Print book loans
Sample: 720,000
Site: Main Library
Not borrowed in 10 years: 191,000
Not borrowed
27%
Borrowed
73%

9. Ebook usage
MyILibrary
Dawson
140
250
120
200
100
80
150
60
100
40
50
20
0
0
2012
2013
112% rise
2012
2013
23% rise

10. Textbooks, ebooks, and the
student experience
•
•
•
•
Availability of textbooks and NSS
eTextbooks can cost up to 50x cost of print
And we have to maintain print purchases
eTextbook purchase and licensing models are
numerous, complicated and expensive
• Students requires easy access and high functionality

11. Are we in danger of repeating the past?
• It's ludicrous how much it costs to
publish research — let alone what we
pay.
• The scientific community carries out
peer review for free, yet subscriptionjournal publishers charge billions of
dollars per year for the final product
• It's a ridiculous transaction
Michael Eisen, cofounder of the
Public Library of
Science (PLOS),
interviewed in
Nature, March
2013

12. New models?
• Support OA monograph publishing
– Knowledge Unlatched etc.
• Reduce spend on research ebooks
• Invest in functional eTextbooks
• Reduce barriers and costs
– Digital Rights Management; licence limitations;
unnecessary purchases

14. • Hosted Open Access ejournal publishing service
• University of Manchester Library & Manchester
University Press
• To encourage OA publishing and offer alternative routes
• To provide affordable (and free) publishing models
• To raise awareness and promote new models
• Can be applied to monograph publishing

15. Roles for the University Library
• Library as publisher, not Library as purchaser?
• Publishing your research
• Curating and preserving your research
– outputs and data
• Widening access
• Increasing impact
• Measuring use and impact

16. Where next?
•
•
•
•
Test emerging business models
Further Library/Press collaboration
Consider supporting OA pioneers
Develop strategies for research monographs and
textbooks
• Engage nationally and internationally (Hefce, LIBER,
RLUK, SCONUL)

18. Thank you.