MIT leaders describe the experience of not renewing its largest journal contract as overwhelmingly positive. MIT has long tried to avoid vendor lock-in through big deal contracts and, in 2019, maintained individual title-by-title subscriptions to approximately 675 Elsevier titles. In 2020, they took the significant step of canceling the full Elsevier journals contract – all 675 titles – leaving users with immediate access to only pre-2020 backfile content. Since the cancellation, MIT Libraries estimates annual savings at more than 80% of its original spend. This move saves MIT approximately $2 million each year, and the Libraries provide alternative means of access that fulfills most article requests in minutes.
After laying the groundwork with faculty and university administrators, the transition has been relatively seamless with minimal push back from researchers. Most faculty have been supportive of the Libraries in taking a principled stand in line with MIT values and are finding alternative means of access to needed research without an Elsevier subscription. Four years out, the faculty who continue to be most challenged by lack of immediate access are in the life sciences.
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I’m sure all the MIT lecturers are making sure to only use opensource textbooks and totally not requiring students to purchase the professor’s own authored textbook, latest edition only, right? That would be in keeping with MIT’s principles, certainly.
I mean you say that, but I went to a similar school in the US and the professor had his own book. It was cheaper than the old textbook and to top it off he “warned us” not to go to a certain site and download the PDF version. Some professors care and it’s more about the administration than their own opinions.
I don’t know about only, but: https://ocw.mit.edu/