A serials librarian presents the pros and cons of print and electronic versions of a University of Chicago Press journal to her department.

1. Comparing Print and Electronic
American Journal of Sociology
LIS 733 Serials Management
Kimberly A. Reed
February 15, 2010

2. Content
• Founded in 1895, the American Journal of
Sociology is one of the oldest scholarly
journals in Sociology in the United States. It is
a core publication for the science and
discipline of Sociology. All issues of AJS
include articles, an extensive book review
section, and occasionally current debate
sections between scholars.
• http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/loi/ajs/

3. Formal Content
• The formal electronic and print content of AJS
are identical accept for the advertising in the
print version. Block print ads for journals,
publishers and workshops are located in
separate pages at the back of the journal.

4. Browsing and “play”
• Browsing is different between the electronic and
print versions of the journal. This has a direct impact
on the user’s style of use or “play”.
• I look at the print cover for the articles and authors. I
can quickly browse the journal, select a title and
open the journal to get into the beginning or the
middle of it. I can thumb to the back to see the
references that the author cites.
• I may open two volumes and lay them side by side.

5. • Technically, you can do everything in the
electronic version that I have described in the
print.
• You cannot set two journals side by side, and you
can only work with one journal at a time.
Toggling between screens is distracting rather
than playful.
• The search engine in JSTOR will bring up an article
or book review indexed by author name or title,
but you need to know who or what subject you
are looking for to efficiently use an online index.
• Electronic indexes do not like people who tilt at
windmills.

6. Availability
• Available in print, in electronic format, in
microform, and electronically online through
several large commercial indexes, including
JSTOR, CSA with Proquest Full Text, EBSCO, H.W.
Wilson, and Wilson Omni file.
• JSTOR offers all issues of AJS from 1895-2004.
Other indexes offer archives of issues closer to
the present date: EBSCO Academic Abstracts Full
Text Ultra 3/1/90 to one year ago, H.W. Wilson
Omni File 1982-2007, Wilson SocSci Full Text
Journals 3/1/1997 to present.

7. JSTOR Prices for Arts & Sciences I
• Arts and Sciences I (bundle of 121 titles in 21
disciplines) tiers:
• Small colleges start at $3000 and range to
$20,000.
• Medium colleges the price is $4000 ranging to
$25,000.
• Large colleges and universities pay $6500 to
$35,000.
• Very large institutions are charged $8500 up to
$45,000.

8. JSTOR Price to ”for-profit”
Price to a “for profit” corporation or educational
institution is $9,000 per year in Year 1,
$11,000 in Year 2, $12,500 in Year 3, and
$12,500 for Years 4-6.
JSTOR is now adding an “Archive Capital Fee”, a
one-time fee of $5000 aimed at “ensuring the
long term preservation, upgrading and
enhancement of scholarly materials in the
JSTOR archive.”

9. AJS Subscription Prices Per Year
Unlimited Perpetual Access Plan
USERS: 1/ 2-999/1000-2999+
• $346./NA/NA Print Only Domestic US to Institutions
• $377.30/NA/NA Print Only Canada to Institutions
• $368./NA/NA Print Only Elsewhere to Institutions
• $397/450/532 Print and Electronic Combined
Domestic US
• $430.85/486.50/572.60 Print and Electronic Combined
to Canada
• $419/472/554 Print and Electronic Combined
Elsewhere

10. Serial Librarian’s Decision
• Relevant to the type of library and the audience
for the AJS.
• A large University or college research library
would be expected to have both print and online
or electronic access to a journal that is part of
Sociology’s core of knowledge. Such a library
would probably subscribe to JSTOR.
• A smaller college library or community college
library designed to serve a teaching faculty and
student body may find the space savings and
convenience of the electronic only AJS
appropriate for their audience.

11. Dependency? Is it safe?
• Increasing dependency on corporations and
commercial interests to support the construction
and maintenance of the virtual world; JSTOR
archive of AJS articles appears reliable over time.
• The AJS is a valuable “brand” in Sociology. This
brand is now bundled. Is it bundled safely against
the winds of change? Can you afford to drop a
bundle? Choice structure should remain open.
• Subscription fees for online indexes are high and
tied to bundles that we cannot break. Select?

12. Sources
ULRICHSWEB GLOBAL SERIALS DIRECTORY.
Accessed online through Dominican University
Crown Library Indexes on February 13, 2010 at
http://ulrichsweb.com.ezproxy.dom.edu/ulrichswe
b/Search/fullCitation.asp?tab=1&cxxhs=0450359
50986488&navPage=1&serial_uid=41703&issn=0
0029602&cxxhs=045035950986488.
University of Chicago Press, Customer Service
Representative, Telephone Inquiry to Confirm
Website Information, February 15, 2010.
Telephone (773) 753-3347