Memorial U cancelling 2,500 journal subscriptions

Memorial University in Newfoundland plans to cancel subscriptions to 2,500 academic journals in order to stay within its budget, according to a story posted by the CBC. Academic journals are the main resource for most faculty and student research. However, a weak Canadian dollar and rising subscription costs means the library can no longer afford to stay within its $5 million journal budget. 

The cancelled journals will no longer be available on the shelves or on the library's online database. Last week, the MUN library released a list of the journals it was cancelling, after soliciting feedback from faculty and students. Some 1,500 subscriptions would remain after the purge.

Head librarian Lorraine Busby said she doesn't want to cancel journal subscriptions, but MUN's libraries have few options. 

"We really don't want to be doing this," said Busby. "When there isn't the ability to add to your budget, tough choices have to be made."

While Busby said the library is trying to mainly discontinue journals that aren't heavily used, political science professor Scott Matthews said several of the journals on the list are hugely important to him and his colleagues.

"These aren't obscure journals, these are the Time Magazines and Maclean's of our fields," he said."So having no access or substandard access to these is devastating."

Related story:

• Academic publishers reap huge profits as libraries go broke (CBC)

Canada Periodical Fund and Canada Council funding held safe in federal budget

In what was otherwise a tough day for the Department of Canadian Heritage, as a result of the 2012 federal budget, the magazine sector came off alright. Magazines Canada has posted a bulletin to its members congratulating the department for successfully defending funding for the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) and the Canada Council.

Magazines Canada congratulates the Government of Canada for reaffirming its investment in the Canada Periodical Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts.

"We are pleased that Finance Minister Flaherty and Minister Moore have continued their commitment to the newly designed Canada Periodical Fund as an important driver of economic activity and the creation and circulation of Canadian content across multiple platforms," said Mark Jamison, CEO of Magazines Canada.

"Further, we congratulate the Government on its decision to sustain support for the Canada Council for the Arts—our most important agency of support and guidance to the broadest community of arts and cultural activity in Canada, including our arts and literary magazine creators."

Some $191.1 million is being cut in heritage programs over the next three years. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, which falls under the purview of heritage minister James Moore, will lose $115 million in funding over the next three years. The National Film Board will see its budget cut by $6.7 million over the same period while Telefilm Canada will lose $10.6-million The Canada Council for the Arts, the National Gallery of Canada and national museums will not see any budget reductions.