Trying to thrive: making do without making waves

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to consider how a stationary materials budget might be rearranged to permit the purchase of new electronic resources.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines the likely ways money can be saved or reallocated: canceling; negotiating better prices; substituting free resources; and finding money outside the annual institutional allotment.

Findings

It was surprising not to find in the current literature a tool for comparing journal aggregates and library databases with open source options, since there seem to be plenty of comparisons between commercial and open source software programs.

Originality/value

The paper offers suggestions as to how libraries can save or reallocate money.

Citation

Steele, K. (2008), "Trying to thrive: making do without making waves", The Bottom Line, Vol. 21 No. 1, pp. 17-19. https://doi.org/10.1108/08880450810875729