University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries Magazine | Page 4

Compelling, Inspiring, Engaging—Libraries Transforming

Ed Van Gemert and Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) enjoy a
good read.

“It is simply not true that
no one uses the library
or that it’s a warehouse
for old books. Not only are
the Libraries experiencing
off-the-chart usage, but
services are being
delivered at bargain
prices.”

4 | LIBRARIES Fall 2015

I too frequently hear comments like, “Nobody reads books anymore” or, “People
don’t use libraries anymore.”
I’m here to serve as a myth buster.
There is no doubt that libraries are in the midst of significant transformations.
Twenty-first century libraries adapt to societal values and practices that
reflect the changing patterns in how information resources are used and how
technology is applied.
In fact, the University of Wisconsin–Madison Libraries provide convenient
24/7 access to their resources, which are seeing an astounding level of usage. It
is simply not true that no one uses the library or that it’s a warehouse for old
books.
Not only are the Libraries experiencing off-the-chart usage—but services are
being delivered at bargain prices.
People of every generation are reading, and libraries are needed more than ever.
University research libraries are not without their challenges. We’ve known
for a long time that monopolistic, inflationary pricing on the part of commercial
publishers is unsustainable. Compared to the consumer price index, the average
cost of a chemistry journal in 2004 was $2,695. In 2014, that average cost was
$4,215—a 56.4% increase over that period of time. Science journals typically
increased 45% during that period. And science textbooks have typically increased
35–45%. University library budgets cannot keep pace with these increases and
the results have been massive journal cancellations and the unavailability of
scholarly content for students and faculty.
One strategy we use to reduce the impact of those unsustainable cost increases
is