ARL publishes report on transition to e-journals

For immediate release:
December 5, 2007

For more information, contact:
Lee Anne George
Publications Program Officer
Association of Research Libraries
202-296-2296
leeannearl.org

ARL Publishes Report on Journals' Transition from Print to 
Electronic Formats

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) has published
"The 
E-only Tipping Point for Journals: What's Ahead in the 
Print-to-Electronic Transition Zone," by Richard K.
Johnson and 
Judy Luther. The report examines the issues associated with
the 
migration from dual-format publishing toward electronic-only

publication of journals.

Publishers and libraries today find themselves in an
extended 
transition zone between print-only and e-only journals. Both

parties are struggling with the demands of dual-format
publishing 
as well as the opportunity costs of keeping electronic
journals 
operating within the bounds of the print publishing process,

which are increasingly taxing the status quo for publishers,

libraries, authors, and readers. There are suggestions that
this 
transitional phase is especially challenging to small
publishers 
of high-quality titles and places them at a disadvantage in

relation to large, resource-rich publishers as they compete
for 
subscribers, authors, and readers. The question of when 
dual-format journals will complete the transition to 
single-format (electronic) publishing is taking on
increasing 
urgency.

The persistence of dual-format journals suggests that
substantial 
obstacles need to be surmounted if the transformation to
e-only 
publication is to be complete. This study seeks to create a

better understanding of the dynamics of the transition
process, 
both for librarians and for publishers. Neither publishers
nor 
librarians independently control the process and the need to

coordinate their activities greatly increases the complexity
of 
the transition.

The report provides a synthetic analysis of librarian and 
publisher perspectives on the current state of format
migration, 
considering the drivers toward electronic-only publishing
and 
barriers that are slowing change. The authors provide an 
assessment of likely change in the near term and recommend 
strategic areas of focus for further work to enable change.

The work is based in large part on interviews conducted
between 
June and August 2007 with two dozen academic librarians and

journal publishers. Publishers and librarians were consulted

equally in recognition that these changes pose significant
issues 
of coordination. Interviews were conducted with collection 
officers and others at ARL member libraries and publishing
staff 
of societies and university presses, publishing platform
hosts, 
and publishing production consultants.

By commissioning this work and disseminating its findings,
ARL 
seeks to better comprehend varying perspectives and to
enhance 
broader, deeper understanding of the challenges and
decisions 
faced by publishers and libraries as they navigate the
transition 
that is underway. The report is intended to be of value well

beyond the library community, serving publishers and others

active in leading these transitions.

The report is available for free download from the ARL Web
site at 
h
ttp://www.arl.org/bm~doc/Electronic_Transition.pdf

The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit 
organization of 123 research libraries in North America. Its

mission is to influence the changing environment of
scholarly 
communication and the public policies that affect research 
libraries and the diverse communities they serve. ARL
pursues 
this mission by advancing the goals of its member research 
libraries, providing leadership in public and information
policy 
to the scholarly and higher education communities, fostering
the 
exchange of ideas and expertise, and shaping a future
environment 
that leverages its interests with those of allied
organizations. 
ARL is located on the Web at http://www.arl.org/.

------
Karla Hahn, Director
Office of Scholarly Communications
Association of Research Libraries
email: karlaarl.org