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K-State Today

Division of Communications and Marketing
Kansas State University
128 Dole Hall
1525 Mid-Campus Drive North
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-2535
vpcm@k-state.edu

February 25, 2019

Access a recording of the Feb. 12 open forum on subscription costs, their local impact and impending cuts

Submitted by Sarah McGreer Hoyt

On Feb. 12, Lori Goetsch, dean of K-State Libraries, and Joelle Pitts, head of collection development, held an open forum to present a deeper understanding of the serials crisis and what it means for K-State. Their brief presentation was followed by a question and answer session.

A recording of the forum is available online.

The forum spoke directly to issues raised in a joint statement from Provost Chuck Taber and Goetsch that was released on Jan. 29. They announced a moratorium on all new library materials spending through the end of FY 2019 in order to balance the budget.

The moratorium and related budget challenges are largely the result of an international crisis in academic publishing and the skyrocketing rates of subscription materials.

Since the open forum, librarians have been reaching out to faculty and departments to learn more about each area’s current teaching and research needs. If you haven't already, we strongly encourage departments to meet with their librarian.

These discussions will inform decisions regarding cancellations later in the semester. Unfortunately, this will be the largest cut to date.

The Feb. 12 open forum and the ensuing discussions with K-State librarians will lay the groundwork for an ongoing conversation regarding researchers' continued access to the materials and services they need.

"We're planning a series under the umbrella of 'Publishing, Access and the Future of Academic Research' so we can gain common understanding of what's at stake for the campus community," Pitts said.

The next presentation will take place at 11:45 a.m. on Tuesday, March 19, in Town Hall of the Leadership Studies Building. It will address issues related to Open Access publishing. More information will be posted in K-State Today as it becomes available.