Re: Tiers and journals Helen Aiello 08 Sep 2006 20:51 UTC
Hi Beth, Wesleyan University uses EBSCO and they are able to handle the Tiered pricing on our behalf. I may be interpreting your 2nd question incorrectly but not every publisher - in fact not that many - offer Tiered pricing at this time. So it is not a matter of the subscriber having a choice. As with everything else in the economic world of serials, it is the publisher who decides whether to offer Tired pricing. Helen M. Aiello Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT At 12:05 PM 9/8/2006, you wrote: >We use the subscription service Ebsco for about 95% of our magazines >and journals. Does anyone know if Ebsco handles the tiering process for >you? Should I ask if we qualify and check to see if the pricing is >greatly different from what we currently are paying now? Shouldn't Ebsco >also offer this service to us and give us the best deal. > >Thanks, >Beth Burleigh > >Beth Burleigh >Acquisitions Specialist, >Periodicals and Electronic Resources >Pennsylavania College of Technology >Madigan Library >Dif#69 >One College Ave. >Williamsport, PA 17701-5799 >Phone: (570) 320-2400 ext. 7454 >Fax: (570) 327-4503 >e-mail bburleig@pct.edu > > >>> KENNEDY_JC@MERCER.EDU 9/8/2006 8:26 AM >>> >I also have found it worthwhile to challenge a publisher about one's >"Tier" placement. You have to be persistent. They do make mistakes >(confusing one campus with another) and the price difference can be >staggering. >Joanna Kennedy > >Helen Aiello wrote: > > In some cases tier pricing is based on your institution's Carnegie > > Classification Description < > > http://www.carnegiefoundation.org/classifications/index.asp?key=785 > > > > or, in cases where there are usage stats for an online > > product/journal, by the amount of usage an institution makes of the > > online resource being priced, e.g AIP titles or Project Muse. > > > > Who applies it? Depending on the size of your institution and/or the > > > programs offered by your institution (the website above spells it out > > > in detail) either you apply it or the pricing agent/publisher. If > > your institution does not fall into a neat Tier, then you may have to > > > have a discussion with the agent/publisher applying the pricing. > > Since Wesleyan University is one of those institutions that falls > > between Tiers, I am always having to make a case for appropriate Tier > > > pricing. > > > > Who manages it? Depends on how much you trust your vendor to be able > > > to manage that information for your account. Two of the larger >vendors > > with whom I work can keep this info as part of our records in their > > data files. Otherwise, its in your hands to assure the correct >pricing > > has been assigned for what you think is your Tier. > > > > I am assuming that the above information relates to the Tier pricing > > > you are encountering. But who knows: maybe some publisher thought up > > > another method that I have not yet come across. > > Gotta love the creative economic models for serial pricing. >Certainly > > keeps us on our toes to stay informed! > > > > ************************************** > > Helen M. Aiello, Serials/E-Resources Librarian > > Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT (A tier 2 or 3, depending on the > > > good graces of the pricing agency) > > 860-685-3828 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > At 02:52 PM 9/7/2006, you wrote: > >> Hello all, > >> > >> Can anyone point me to a document that will define the process by >which > >> journals are designated with a tier (i.e. tier one, tier two etc.)? >Or, > >> could anyone please enlighten me about this ranking? I am having a >hard > >> time finding any sort of concrete definition or explanation. Is >this a > >> standard? If so, who applies it and manages it? > >> > >> Thanks for any insight, > >> > >> Jane > >> > >> Jane Binksma > >> Acquisitions Librarian > >> Collections Team > >> Ryerson University Library > >> 350 Victoria Street > >> Toronto, ON > >> M5B 2K3 > >> 416-979-5000 ex. 4855 > >