Ithaka Reports on How Long To Keep Print Journals

Even with best digital standards, someone should keep print copy for 20 years

Lynn Blumenstein -- Library Journal, 10/01/2009

• Call for more transparency of digital standards
• Larger-scale collaboration needed
• Print-advocates vs practitioner comments

As a variety of large-scale digitization projects have been underway for years, how do libraries, facing budget pressures and devoting valuable space to less-used print journals, determine when it is reasonable to let go of such holdings? Research undertaken by Ithaka will make it easier for academic libraries to make these choices.

"What to Withdraw: Print Collections Management in the Wake of Digitization," a report released September 29, analyzes which kinds of print journals "can be withdrawn responsibly" and how to make the most of their collective use.

When to save print
"Determining the value of retaining print after its digitization requires a system-wide analysis of the needs of all libraries and their users collectively, rather than focusing only on a region, a system, or a consortium," stated Roger Schonfeld, manager of research at Ithaka S+Rand co-author of the report.

The report proposes minimum time-period requirements for some system-wide access to print versions as well as the minimum number of print copies that are required depending on their condition. There is a need, for instance, for at least one print copy of "well-digitized digitally preserved text-only materials" to be available for at least 20 years.

That's the ideal scenario. The report recommends indefinite print retention of image-intensive materials or those materials in which the reliability of digital copies is suspect. As for materials that are not image-intensive and which are reliably preserved, but are not reliably digitized in the first place, the time horizon may be 100 years, or until re-digitization.

These recommendations come from a study commissioned by Ithaka S+R, the organization's strategy and research arm, and conducted by Candace Yano, a professor of industrial engineering and operations research and in the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley.

Better scans, collaboration needed
The report also warns that some print materials may not yet be ready for "broad withdrawal" because of poor digital conversion quality and recommends strategies to address this. Organizations responsible for digitization programs should offer more information on the quality of their digitization work.

According to Ross Housewright, analyst and co-author, "There is an opportunity before us to make a system-wide impact on print collection management, but in order to do so libraries and digitizers need to commit to collaboration at a level unseen today."

Print advocates vs, practitioners
Among those who commented about the report were print advocates. "One can conduct valuable cultural analysis by browsing through a set of volumes, looking at the chosen subjects, images, and advertising to develop a portrait of a culture in a certain place and time," wrote one poster.

"There's no substitute for seeing the object, its binding, the quality of the paper, and its other physical attributes while being able to see quickly whether it's what you want to pursue or not," another wrote. "De-accessioning will lead to shrinking libraries which in the end may become completely obsolete like phone booths."

A librarian responded, "Do you think that the digitized versions are just freely available or easily accessible? It's my full-time job to manage the electronic resources for a small academic library."

Other posters concentrated on more practical issues. "Having rows and rows of journals that are never touched is not a ticket to survival," wrote one. "It is not sustainable for libraries in the aggregate to continue to collect, catalog, house, and preserve so many multiple copies of these resources that are available online. 

"Indexes work better online," the poster continued. "The vast majority of users will use the online version. Our funds aren't infinite so we have to set realistic priorities."

Contact the author: Lynn.LJarticles@gmail.com

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