5 October 2020
The 2021 Serials Price Projection Report from EBSCO Information Services (EBSCO) is now available. The report projects that the overall effective publisher price increases for academic and academic medical libraries are expected to be (before any currency impact) in the range of two to three percent for individual titles and one to three percent for e-journal packages.
EBSCO releases the Serials Price Projections based on surveys of a wide range of publishers and reviews of historical serials pricing data to assist information professionals as they make budgeting decisions for the renewals season.
The Serials Price Projection Report looks at market dynamics highlighting many topics and trends that impact the scholarly information marketplace, including library budget challenges, e-journal packages, Open Access (OA), and the impact of pricing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year presents new budget challenges as librarians are now preparing for another wave of cuts prompted by the economic contraction tied to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Librarians are increasingly being forced to consider even more fundamental changes to their purchasing and operating strategies given accelerating funding pressures and are implementing a variety of tactics to bridge the declining budget. As e-journal packages continue to have the most significant impact on the disposition of libraries’ budgets, they are the natural target to downsize or cancel. Though the COVID-19 pandemic increased the need and desire for Open Research and Open Access, the economic fallout from the pandemic is making progress difficult and slow.
Although the serial price forecasts are based upon careful analysis, EBSCO recommends caution when using these projections, as they rely on historical trends and current estimates. EBSCO will update the projection information if economic conditions warrant it.