In 2019, the University of California and Elsevier failed to reach a renewal deal for a laundry list of journals totalling millions of dollars. The dissolution of the agreement was what is termed as a ‘trigger event’ in many publisher licenses. Via this clause, UC was able to keep most of what it had subscribed to before deciding not to proceed, but crucially not everything.
Over the last few years, more and more universities in the US and UK have begun to move away from big publishing deals and have opted instead for a more qualitative approach, motivated largely by finances.
Frustration has grown among the library community over the cost of bundled deals, which increase every year. According to a 2024 New Statesman Opinion Piece by Hannah Rose Woods, almost half of UK vice-chancellors expected their institutions to run at a loss last year. Similarly in the US, a drop in enrolment and ever declining state funding spells a crisis for higher education. Like the frog in the ever-warming bath, higher education institutions are being forced to hop out and consider all possible options or risk being truly boiled.
Resource security looms large for those institutions cancelling large deals; will they get to keep their subscribed content, and how much of it will be lost to students and researchers?
Exact Editions has found a way to allow institutions to discerningly pick and choose titles, while still ensuring that access to content is retained in light of any ‘trigger event.’ The model is called Perpetual and Ongoing Access.
Perpetual and Ongoing Access is a purchase model that provides online access in perpetuity to the complete archives and all new issues of a range of prestigious titles. For libraries, this means uninterrupted, stable access that once acquired, ensures that resources are available for students and researchers indefinitely. After purchase, a small annual maintenance fee covers ongoing platform support, updates, and content enhancements.
This model confronts several issues which higher education faces. The issue of rising costs and inflation is counteracted by the unchanging annual maintenance fee. In the circumstances of a ‘trigger event,’ Exact Editions is partnered with Portico, who ensure access to resources in perpetuity.
The list of titles available in this format is rich, including acclaimed periodicals such as Granta, Geographical, and The Wire. The range continues to grow as more and more publishers come on board with the deal, allowing institutions to make the kind of secure, carefully considered acquisitions that mark a new era in the purchasing of e-resources.
To explore a range of the titles available in Perpetual and Ongoing Access form, click here.
To contact our institutional team about the deal, email us at institutions@exacteditons.com.
**Reading Room links to the magazines will expire on 19th May 2025.**
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