The Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries and Elsevier have signed a four-year contract
for ongoing access to the Elsevier Freedom Collection and additional journal content.
This agreement includes all the academic libraries in the consortium and provides
varying levels of access for different libraries based on their financial needs.
“This new contract provides several different access level choices for our member
research libraries," says Robert H. McDonald, Dean of University Libraries and Senior
Vice Provost for Online and Extended Education, University of Colorado Boulder. "I
am happy that our negotiating team was able to deliver something of value to all of
our individual campuses.”
Higher education budgets in Colorado and Wyoming are under continued downward pressure
and libraries were concerned with meeting the research needs of the faculty and students.
Some of the universities are also experiencing drops in enrollment, further exacerbating
their budgetary pressures.
This contract was unique for the consortium as libraries had different options to
meet their local requirements. This array of options within the contract allowed great
flexibility for libraries to select which worked best for their local interests and
budgets. APC (article processing charge) discounts were available in all of the package
options. Working with Elsevier, the Alliance was able to arrange options for members
to reduce cost and still preserve access to many of their most important journals,
while other options provided member the option to continue with full access to the
Freedom Collection. Members continuing with the Freedom Collection could also choose
to participate in a “read and publish” option under different commercial terms to
support open access publishing on their campus.
“We are excited to continue our long partnership with the Colorado Alliance of Research
Libraries, as we work together to empower both large and smaller library customers
in the consortium," says James Tonna, VP Research Sales, Americas at Elsevier. "Our
new collaboration for the 2024 agreement provides a range of options for members that
align with the goals and objectives of the Alliance libraries. This includes providing
access to ScienceDirect Journals and Books with flexible investment choices and providing
new avenues for open access publishing services.”
UW Libraries patrons are encouraged to use the Database A-Z and QuickSearch platform to search for journal availability. If journals or resources appear unavailable,
submit a request for materials via Interlibrary Loan the Suggest a Purchase form. For additional information or support, please contact Denis Shannon, Electronic Resources Librarian.
About the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries
The Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries represents 16 libraries in Colorado and Wyoming. The 15 academic libraries in this
contract serve over 180,000 students and thousands of faculty. The consortium was
established as a non-profit entity in 1981 and has had a group contract with Elsevier
since 2005. See more on the history of this contract negotiation.
About Elsevier
Elsevier is the world’s largest publisher of scholarly journals, with 70 offices in 24 countries.
It publishes or hosts 2,500 journals, including The Lancet and Cell Press, covering
topics in science, technology, engineering, health/medicine and other areas.
