I need a handler that follows me everywhere with duct tape. The duct tape, of course, would be for my mouth.
Today, in a meeting, we were informed that one of our publishers (a university press no less!) is increasing their journal package 120% over last year’s cost. One Hundred and Twenty Percent. Are you kidding me? Our options are to pay the same amount but only have one concurrent user, which is completely unacceptable, or pay their outrageous cost increase. It was generally acknowledged that the publisher more than likely waited until our renewals were in and gave us a limited time to come back with an answer to force us to give in.
Now I am not naïve enough to believe that this does not happen often. I know that it does, but as I sat there I became incensed at the ridiculousness with which libraries are forced to deal with this kind of shit all the time. From publishers, from vendors. Over and over it is the same sad story and I am tired of having it sung to me.
I raised my hand to speak and the following words came out of my mouth in no certain order: ridiculous, dicking us around, hacks me off, and I then I said, “ …and if they think we are just going to continue to ben… I mean stand around and take this forever, they are wrong.†It is a good thing I did not finish my origianal thought.
Yes, Jane has a problem watching her mouth sometimes. This was one of those times. As a profession, we need to come up with some sort of something to deal with this because this is going to be an increasing problem. The price of journals has continued to rise and we have continued to do nothing and pay or cancel subscriptions.
I do not have a solution. I just know that I am angry at the rock and a hard place this puts us in years after year.
–Jane, grr arg
p.s. Hilariously, “dicking†is not in the Word spell check.
Updated to correct poor typing due to anger.Â