2005 Pricing Trends for STM Journanls
Gene Kean, 18th Annual Study of Journal Prices for Scientific and Medical Society Journals, JP: The Newsletter for Journal Publishers, No. 3, 2005. (Thanks to Colin Steele.) Excerpt:
For more than 18 years, prices of periodicals have increased at the rate of three times the Consumer Price Index, more than those of most consumer goods and services in the U.S. While the CPI has risen about 2.8% to 3.1% annually, the ALA Library Materials Price Index Committee studies show that prices of all U.S. periodicals increased annually about 9.4% on an average between 1988–2005. The 2005 edition of the U.S. Periodical Price Index (USPPI) brings better news than recent years’ studies, which featured double-digit increases in both 1998 and 1999, according to the LMPIC. In 2005, the average U.S. periodical (journal) price rose from $328.47 to $349.79, a 6.5% increase, lower than the 8.2% increase in 2004. The scope of this LMPIC study was a selected sample of 3,912 periodical titles published in the U.S….In general, library budgets have not kept pace with serials price increases. In addition, because of a weak dollar in some years, U.S. research libraries have had to bear price increases of 20% or more for some overseas journals. All of this has contributed to the current condition of the library market, which is very tight and selective in the purchase of new titles. All libraries and journals have been affected by budget cuts. Most libraries no longer purchase new titles without cutting at least one or two other titles….Our Allen Press 18-year study shows that prices for U.S. society-published journals increased an average of 7.4% annually during 1988–2005. The journal price increase was above the CPI but substantially below the average annual price increase for all U.S. periodicals of 9.4% during the same period. Librarians interviewed said that nonprofit society journals tend to be lower priced and have much smaller price increases than commercially published journals. Because of this, librarians consider society journals good buys.
[Open Access News, 10/17/05]
