Elsevier – Science Direct update [January 2, 2020]

Dear Colleauges:

The following message went out to today SUNY Libraries from the SUNY Library Consortium Elsevier/Science Direct negotiating team.

Greetings and best wishes for the new year.  As you know, our license for ScienceDirect was scheduled to expire December 31, 2019. Since negotiations with Elsevier are ongoing, we have entered into a 3-month extension which should give time for our discussions to conclude. Any financial aspects of the extension will only be executed if we are unable to reach agreement with the company for a new license.

 Negotiations are ongoing with our next session with the company scheduled for next week. 

 SUNY has negotiated a special pricing agreement for SUNY campuses that are interested in utilizing the services of Reprints Desk, a company that offers article level access to full-text scientific literature.  This service will help provide alternative access to Science Direct articles, should the contract with Elsevier not be renewed.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Mark

 

Message on SUNY/Elsevier negotiations [Nov 20, 2019]

Dear Campus Community:

I am writing to offer a brief update of our negotiations with Elsevier.  As you may be aware, the SUNY Library Consortium (SLC) has been negotiating with Elsevier on behalf of SUNY institutions over its terms of renewal for ScienceDirect, a platform that provides access to thousands of journal articles and books, most of them published by Elsevier or one of its imprints.  The SUNY-wide subscription to ScienceDirect expires on December 31, 2019.  Despite the SLC’s diligent work over the past two+ years, negotiations are at an impasse.

Thus, I am also writing to assure you that should SUNY decide not to renew its ScienceDirect subscription, Sojourner Truth Library patrons will experience minimal disruption.  Students, faculty and staff will still be able to access core Elsevier backfile content directly.  Other content will be accessible through Interlibrary Loan – often with minimal delay.

As additional background, please be aware that SUNYwide access to ScienceDirect is very costly, reaching over $9 million last year ($45 million over the life of the contract).  This accounts for about 25% of SUNY’s overall journal expenditures.  SUNY currently pays more than twice as much per FTE for ScienceDirect than other major consortia. Moreover, a recent study by SUNY ESF librarians concluded that at their institution, one that specializes in the sciences, only about 2% of ScienceDirect titles are being accessed by student and faculty researchers.  This suggests that much of the content we are paying for is generally unused.  (See https://libguides.esf.edu/Elsevier)

Following months of activity and several negotiating sessions, Elsevier has not offered SUNY a fair and reasonable renewal price.

The SLC working group will be reaching out to Elsevier to conduct another round of negotiations before December 31, 2019.  SLC negotiators have received support from many SUNY campus administrations, and from the SUNY faculty, to decline renewal should Elsevier not lower their costs significantly.  At their October 10-12, 2019 Plenary, the SUNY University Faculty Senate adopted a resolution to decline a SUNYwide ScienceDirect renewal, and several campuses have affirmed that resolution.  The text of that resolution can be found at http://www.sunyufs.us/all-docs-183rd-system.html.

More information is forthcoming.  Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Mark

Good year for the Book Sale!

This year’s annual “Monster Book Sale” yielded over $2400.  A project of the Friends of the Sojourner Truth Library, with support from Library faculty and staff, the book sale each year supports the FOL’s mission to provide “an extra margin of excellence” for the SUNY New Paltz community.  Many thanks to the volunteers who made this possible.

STL and SUNY Launch New Library Services Platform

SUNY libraries migrated to a new platform over the summer of 2019.  The technology, known as Alma/Primo manages physical collections, electronic resources, and resource sharing (interlibrary loan). This new platform will allow SUNY libraries to better share resources and coordinate services, and will enable a more comprehensive catalog of the resources offered by SUNY New Paltz.

More information available on the Library website.

Check Out “The Teller”!

Where can you find your horoscope, learn how to make amazing vegetarian empanadas, read about how others have transcended body image with fashion, find out how to make herbal tinctures, and generally immerse yourself in the journalism, art, and creative writings of your New Paltz peers?

We recently added The Teller, a student-run lifestyle and literary magazine, to our print collection. It’s available for browsing and is located in the Current Periodicals area near the newspapers. It is also accessible online at http://thetellermag.wordpress.com.

Check It Out!(Cover image of The Teller)

Conversation One – TODAY(?) May 16, 2018

Another semester nearly gone.  Will there be a Conversation today?  Well I’ll be there!  If you’re around and interested, stop in.  And no matter how many people there are, something interesting’s bound to happen…

There will be intermittent Conversation opportunities during the summer.  If interested, get on the mailing list.

Thanks to everyone who made this another amazing semester!

Conversation One
4:30 pm, May 16, 2018
Sojourner Truth Library Conference Room (M39)

Open 24/7 During Finals Week

 Library, Main Floor Only, open 24 hours during finals week
The Student Association, the Library, and the administration are collaborating to conduct an experimental trial to extend the Library Main Floor open hours during finals weeks. The Main Floor of the Library will be open 24 hours on weekdays, beginning Sunday April 29th at noon and ending the morning of Thursday, May 17th.  The entire Library will close at 9pm as usual Friday and Saturday hours will be 10am – 9pm, also as usual. See the Library website for the most up-to-date hours information.
  
During the trial, A New Paltz ID card will be required to enter the building after midnight. Increased staffing and University Police Department awareness will help ensure everyone’s safety.  If staying late, please park in the Elting Gym Parking Lot to avoid being ticketed  Desk services will be limited to checking out reserve items only.
 
We need your help in keeping our beautiful building clean.  Remove your food and trash and straighten the spaces you’ve used before you leave.  Please help to maintain the building so that future generations of students can enjoy its welcoming and comfortable atmosphere.
 
We welcome your suggestions – comment cards will be available for patrons to give us feedback.