S&S Price Jumps

While Macmillan has of course dominated recent library digital content licensing conversations, other vendors have given us some reason for attention. Susan Caron, Director, Collections & Membership Services for Toronto Public Library, has been tracking Simon & Schuster pricing since the publisher switched form one to two year licensing. RF applauds the longer licensing period but wonders about some steep price increases that have come with it.

Ms. Caron has provide RF with a chart, current as of 11/11/19.

While a larger sample would be helpful and may be upcoming, this 32 title sample is informative. Doubling the license period would perhaps of course double the price, but S&S prices have gone up from 2.2 to 2.9 times the cost. A few Canadian prices (2) dropped slightly but 30 increased from 2.1 to a whopping 9.5 times.

Thanks for extending the license period, S&S, but the accompanying price jumps land you firmly in RF’s “not nice” category this holiday season. Library buyers, take note.