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The Aggravation of Aggregation?

Explore the impact of e-journal access issues, power shifts, and fragmentation on libraries and stakeholders, with examples and lessons on managing content supply instability. Gain insights on aggregator struggles, publisher strategies, and how to navigate evolving market dynamics.

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The Aggravation of Aggregation?

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  1. The Aggravation of Aggregation? Jonathan Eaton London Business School UKSG Conference 2003

  2. Overview • Why e-journals access = “aggravation” ! • Power shifts in marketplace • Fragmentation in supply-chain • “DIY aggregation” for libraries • Pressures each stakeholder faces • Lessons to learn…

  3. Supply-chain problems - I • Aggregators losing / gaining content • “content exclusives” replace former equality of aggregation opportunity • Impact on content supply stability & service continuity • A marketplace defined by “churn” ? • access problems a common experience

  4. Supply-chain problems - II • publishers’ embargoes: current volume / issue availability • print subscriptions model for e-access • explicit & hidden costs increasing • degrees of separation affecting content access • aggregators • gateways • publishers’ own systems

  5. Examples • Publishers & aggregators • Harvard Business Review -> content exclusive with EBSCOhost in 2001 • Sage withdraws from aggregators July 2002 -> Sage FullText Collections (with CSA) • Publishers’ delivery systems • Recent problems with Kluwer Law Intl titles (loss of access / confusion over continued availability)

  6. Impact on Libraries • Forced into additional DIY aggregation • multiple access points & market players (aggregators, gateways, publishers) • Ongoing costs to secure / confirm rights • Need for resolving servers to maximise linking to “appropriate copy” via OpenURL (SFX etc)

  7. Aggregators • Losing key full-text titles from (unique) specialised subject databases • Threatening publishers’ current subscriptions revenues? • Compete for content -- marginalised for current volume / issue access? • Offer better article discovery options • Rich taxonomies aid retrieval

  8. Publishers • Favouring (print) subscription income over aggregator royalties • Creating own web delivery systems • Direct customer e-relationships • Ongoing cost implications • Creating “content silos” ? • Customer relations responsibilities

  9. Lessons from experience • Access rights inherently problematic • Who may access what & via which service? • Impact on service levels • Content terminations / access issues • Communications / information flow problems • Discontinuities between publishers / gateways / customers

  10. Conclusion • Increasing e-journals supply options mask persistent access problems • DIY aggregation for libraries raises costs • Complex interactions in marketplace • Better communications & access permissions records continuity needed

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