When I wrote last week that the American Chemistry Society was taking most of its print journals into digital form to reduce costs, I couldn’t help wondering if the society would pass the savings on to university scientists and libraries. (I also used the phrase “digital-only,” which was wrong. There will still be print; more on that in a moment.)
It turns out they will, after a fashion. The society sent out an announcement today saying that if institutional libraries cancel their print subscriptions and move to Web-based editions by September 30, they will get a rebate — in a year. Specifically, they will get a coupon equal to 30 percent of their 2009 print purchase price, and they can apply that to their 2010 Web edition renewals. So the libraries get a break if they renew their subscriptions for next year.
But if they want to keep both digital and print subscriptions, libraries shouldn’t expect society help. In 2010 it will end a discount it had offered for dual subscriptions.
And for those who like the feel of the printed page, be prepared for shrinkage. The chemistry society will offer print in a condensed format. What used to be one regular page will now hold two pages printed at 70-percent size. Think of switching your computer printer from portrait mode to landscape mode and reducing the size, and you get the idea. The society has more information on this change here. —Josh Fischman
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