What's the Big Deal? Collection Evaluation at the National Level

摘要

This article discusses a project undertaken to assess the journals in a Big Deal package by applying a weighted value algorithm measuring quality, utility, and value of individual titles. Carried out by a national library consortium in Canada, the project confirmed the value of the Big Deal package while providing a quantitative approach for member libraries to assess their participation and to select key titles if participation becomes financially unsustainable. The article establishes the need to consider multiple proxies for journal value in collection evaluation and encourages collaborative evaluation approaches.