Dear Colleagues:

The combination of an average 7–9% cost increase in FY2024 to Library journal and database subscriptions, coupled with a requested 4% budget cut, make it necessary to re-evaluate our subscription purchases. The hope is that through the cancellation of lesser used titles, the library will be able to cover the inflationary cost of rising prices and meet the 4% budget reduction requirement.

The average subscription cost of a STEM journal for FY2023 is approximately $3,726. An example of the rising cost of STEM journals is the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). Based on past increases, this journal’s cost to LSL will increase to $29,978 in 2024, $31,476 in 2025, and $33,050 in 2026. This includes the costs of supporting the Baystate PURCH program and clinical access. A second example is Springer Nature Group, whose subscription rate increased 9% in the past year. While neither of these two important resources is being considered for cancellation, this information is representative of the increasing burden on the Library’s budget to maintain critical resources to support the clinical, educational, and research activities of the institution.

The Library will be maintaining a running list of resources that have been cancelled throughout FY24 along with options on how to obtain a needed article or an alternative database to search (https://libraryguides.umassmed.edu/cancellations2024). You may find that although a title is listed as cancelled there may still be access to older issues. In these instances the Library has made a one-time purchase to the archive but is no longer able to maintain the current subscription.

Lamar Soutter Library strives to meet the needs of the faculty, staff, and students of the UMass Chan Community. We remain committed to providing our users with quality health information to support your education, research, and patient care needs with access to excellent, curated, and well-balanced collections. Thank you for your understanding and support as we all work together to meet the financial requirements of the institution.

Please do not hesitate to contact the Library at Mary.Piorun@umassmed.edu with questions or concerns.