The Role of Consortia in Electronic Resources Subscriptions & LicensingPortland State University Library’s Perspective

Alliance ER Purchases• PSUL uses the Alliance

electronic resource purchasing program for a third of databases purchased

• PSUL has 3 journal package deals through the Alliance and 1 journal package outside the Alliance

• We are currently only using the Alliance demand-driven acquisition model

Alliance ER Costs• PSUL purchases 15% of

our core budget for databases & general resources via the Alliance

• PSUL purchases over 50% of our total cost of journal packages on Alliance deals

• PSUL saves over a million dollars on both databases & electronic journal access

Evaluation of Alliance Participation

• Complicates PSUL’s collection decision-making

• Pre-sets both purchasing dates & invoice dates

• Uptake on new resources moves slowly

Evaluation of Alliance Participation

• Provides PSUL the ability to leverage our budget to purchase more resources

• Provides PSUL with the ability to purchase in-demand resources

• Provides PSUL with the opportunity to test resources/services

In Conclusion• Participation in the Alliance

electronic resources purchasing program is advantageous

• Additional workflow steps and management are incorporated

• Collaboration is key for PSUL going forward