This document summarizes a panel presentation given at the Charleston Conference on November 8, 2013 about a pilot project between the Triangle Research Libraries Network (TRLN), Oxford University Press (OUP), and YBP Library Services to develop a model for consortial acquisition of print and e-book collections. In Year 1 of the pilot, TRLN aimed to maximize support for academics by acquiring e-books and shared print copies. Usage statistics showed high use of available e-books. For Year 2, TRLN plans to acquire a higher percentage of materials as e-books while keeping costs constant. OUP and YBP provided feedback on lessons learned and plans to improve data sharing and purchasing models for future years.

1. Triangle Research Libraries Network /
Oxford University Press / YBP Library Services Pilot
An Evolving Model for Consortial
Print and E-Books Collections
Charleston Conference
November 8, 2013

2. Panel
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Ann-Marie Breaux, abreaux@ybp.com
Lisa Croucher, lisa@trln.org
Teddy Gray, teddy.gray@duke.edu
Cotina Jones, cjone104@nccu.edu
Rebecca Seger, rebecca.seger@oup.com
Luke Swindler, luke_swindler@unc.edu

3. Presentation Outline
1. Year 1
a. TRLN goals, acquisitions objectives, challenges, lessons
(Luke)
b. Lessons: statistics (Teddy)
c. Lessons: NCCU anecdotal evidence, discussions, statistics
(Cotina)
d. Lessons: OUP (Rebecca)
e. Lessons : YBP (Ann-Marie)
2. Year 2 and beyond
a. TRLN (Luke)
b. OUP (Rebecca)
c. YBP (Ann-Marie)

4. Year 1: TRLN goals, acquisitions
objectives, challenges, lessons
 Maximize support for the academic enterprise
 Create model for consortial acquisition of e-books coupled
with needed print that is acceptable to users
 Move libraries and partner publishers to a decidedly
electronic environment for monographs
 Develop flexible vending framework for systematically
increasing e-books acquisitions in tandem with reducing print
intake while keeping net costs constant and therefore
sustainable over time
 Evolve model that other library consortia and publishers
would find useful and adoptable/adaptable that is not
merely another buying club

5. Year 1: TRLN goals, acquisitions
objectives, challenges, lessons
 Acquire the entire monographic output of core publishers
 Each campus individually and separately owns every e-book
on UPSO platform
 TRLN collectively owns at least a single shared print copy of
nearly every title from these publishers not on the UPSO
platform located in a joint offsite facility
 TRLN selectively duplicates with shared print some titles in
humanities and social sciences also available as e-books
 Model not designed to reduce the level of acquisitions or
save money by cutting aggregate monographic expenditures
 TRLN relies on shared vendor (YBP) to manage costs and
content and (for print) provide shelf-ready processing

6. Year 1: TRLN goals, acquisitions
objectives, challenges, lessons
 Creating rapid document delivery mechanisms and
acceptable access policies for shared print copies of new
books in an offsite facility
 Extending cooperation beyond content to the shared MARC
record creation and curation
 Getting staff buy-in for what it meant to successfully
cooperate for e-books and shared print for new high-visibility
titles and allaying fears of negative user reactions
 Dealing with staff frustrations about which titles would come
in what format and when inherent in the still imperfect
vending mechanisms for e-books

7. Year 1: TRLN goals, acquisitions
objectives, challenges, lessons learned
 Cooperation in a digital world fundamentally inverted the
metric for success from uniqueness of titles held to
extensiveness of duplication within the consortium
 Critical difference exists between what patrons might prefer
in theory and what they will accept in reality
 Users will accept e-only or shared print located offsite with
quick delivery so long as key titles are held locally
 It’s not “just in time” versus “just in case”: given acceptable
inflection points, optimal consortial solution for key
publishers would be both: broad just-in-case en bloc
acquisitions for electronic and narrow evidence-based justin-time for print—with any delays in print being made
acceptable in part by availability of electronic

8. Year 1 Lessons: statistics
Print requests by school
951 book requests
31.1%
53.8%
13.6%
Duke
NCCU
NCSU
1.5%
UNC

9. Year 1 Lessons: statistics
Print requests by e-book availability
951 book requests
27.3%
72.7%
E-Book Available
E-Book not Available

10. Year 1 Lessons: statistics
E-book title usage
60%
55.64%
50%
40%
30%
25.65%
27.92%
26.05%
NCSU
UNC
20%
10%
3.45%
0%
Duke
NCCU
All Schools

11. Year 1 Lessons: statistics
Unique e-book title usage
800
700
690
600
500
400
332
300
200
99
100
9
0
1 School
2 Schools
3 Schools
4 Schools

12. Year 1 Lessons: statistics
E-book section usage
8797 chapters downloaded
35.9%
46.0%
16.7%
Duke
NCCU
NCSU
1.4%
UNC

13. Year 1 Lessons: statistics
Median downloads per e-book
4
3
2
1
0
Duke
NCCU
NCSU
UNC

14. Year 1 Lessons: statistics
E-book title usage by LC class
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
B
H
M
K
D
P
J

15. Year 1 Lessons: statistics
E-book title usage by publisher
100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%

16. Year 1 Lessons: NCCU anecdotal
evidence, discussions, statistics
 One or two students stated that even though the item is available in
electronic format, “I still want it in print. I don’t mind waiting for it.”
 A librarian stated that “I like UPSO. It includes multiple subject
modules and brings together the best scholarly publishing from
around the world.”
 (Resources that we would ordinarily not be able to afford since
we are faced with years of continuous budget reductions.)

17. Year 1 Lessons: NCCU anecdotal
evidence, discussions, statistics
“My colleagues (members of the Deans’ Council) were very interested
in the services of UPSO. At first there was the question of copyright
and what were the provisions for ensuring that the copyright laws will
not be violated. Another critical point mentioned was the possibility
that multiple users could access a book at the same time.
The possibility of multiple users and students having access to their
texts and other references was great. One less book to buy or locate
, easy access for students. In closing, once the copyright and multiple
user concerns are addressed, with the right promotion, UPSO would be
a great resource for our students and faculty.”
• Dr. Theodosia T. Shields, Director of Library
Services, James E. Shepard Memorial Library

18. Year 1 Lessons: NCCU anecdotal
evidence, discussions, statistics
 How can we better advertise this resource to our
students, staff, and faculty?
 How can we encourage student use when we are conducting
a reference transaction?
 Will we be able to offer a version of UPSO to our students at
the conclusion of the pilot study?

19. Year 1 Lessons: NCCU anecdotal
evidence, discussions, statistics
 From the start of the pilot study until September 2013: 256
uses
 In looking at the statistics by subject: the majority of the
uses were in the social sciences and humanities

20. Year 1 Lessons: OUP
 Better understanding of acquisitions issues
 Advance title data needed improvements – a significant
issue
 Importance of simultaneous P&E to the Acquisitions
Librarian (which isn’t what you think)
 Brought to libraries a better understanding of issues from
publisher’s perspective
 Print output fluctuated more than expected; expenses were
difficult to manage

21. Year 1 Lessons: OUP
 Multiple copy discounts (beyond first shared print copy) were
not easy to manage, nor necessary to make this a sustainable
offering
 Key to collaboration is honest and open dialogue with the
library about sustainability for all parties, and what
constitutes sustainability across a broad range of book
publishing: monograph, trade, course adoption, third party
rights issues.

22. Year 1 Results: YBP
Packages
 First invoice: May 1, 2012
 May, July, September, January releases
 150 packages (2,015 titles)
 10 university presses
 Cairo, California, Edinburgh, Florida, Fordham, Hong
Kong, Kentucky, Manchester, Oxford, Policy

23. Year 1 Results: YBP
Print books
 First invoice: May 25, 2012
 Managed by UNCChapel Hill
 2,809 titles (reduced from
3,137)

24. Year 1 Lessons: YBP
 Remember it’s a pilot
 Triple-check the agreement before starting
 Slips for UPSO titles confuse library selectors
 Make duplication control easier across libraries
 Past publishing output may not accurately predict future
publishing output

25. Year 2 and beyond: TRLN
 More e-books and fewer print books acquired to keep costs
constant (adjusting for growing number of publishers and
more e-books in more subject packages available)
 Before Pilot: e-books <1% of TRLN copies from these
publishers
 After Year 1: 74% of copies TRLN acquired were e-books
 For Year 2: 81% of copies acquired projected to be ebooks
 Planning how Year 3 might work and be affordable
 Possibilities of applying model to other publishers
 Emboldened to consider moving some publishers to e-only
with print duplicates being bought on demand

26. Year 2 and beyond: OUP
 Extended to additional UPSO partner presses
 Decoupled frontlist print purchasing and left that between
YBP and the libraries
 Multiple copy purchases no longer discounted (a
library/consortia decision)
 Improved data on forthcoming titles
 Monitoring of usage and opportunities to assist libraries
 Continue to improve speed to market with E
 Continue to expand range of content into other
areas, ensuring visibility of economic impact

27. Year 2 and beyond: YBP
 Consortial enhancements based on TRLN review and other
feedback
 GOBI Alt-ed link showing P or E without having to click it
 Distinguish P/E in GobiTween
 Show consortial purchase details in real-time on member
library accounts
 Duplication control within consortial groups or linked libraries
 Refine print requirements with TRLN
 More presses
 More selective print coverage - purchasing of 100% of
publisher output across P/E not guaranteed for Year 2
 Fewer subject areas
 Print spending cap
 Is it possible to simplify Year 3+? Probably not yet.

28. Thank you.
Questions and discussion.
Charleston Conference
November 8, 2013