Background and Questions

In 2021 BC ELN partner libraries voted to sunset the Common Suite at the conclusion of a final three-year term (2021-2024). The Common Suite is a suite of databases (Academic Search and Business Source) subscribed to by all BC ELN partner libraries. The majority of partner libraries indicated that they see value in licensing both Academic Search and Business Source, so BC ELN is pursuing a new multi-year bundle when the Common Suite sunsets - called the Undergraduate Resource Bundle - for interested libraries.

Questions about the Common Suite

When will the Common Suite end?

The Common Suite is ending on May 31, 2024.

How will the end of the Common Suite affect my library?

BC ELN conducted a rigorous review of the impacts of the Common Suite’s end for member libraries including pricing for other EBSCO products. Those details and more can be found on the Common Suite Web (login required; for instructions, see How do I log into the Common Suite Web).

What is the difference between the Common Suite and the URB?

The Common Suite was negotiated with an "all-in" (i.e. all partner libraries participated) approach. With the Undergraduate Resource Bundle, partner libraries are not all required or expected to participate. Instead, after institutions have had time to review information and ask questions, BC ELN will survey partner libraries to find out which are interested in committing to the URB. This initial commitment will not be a financial commitment, but will enable the Office to negotiate from a position of "strength in numbers". Once pricing is confirmed, BC ELN will return to partner libraries for a formal commitment.

What will happen to the Wilson Indexes that were part of the Common Suite?

Access to the following Wilson Indexes with no platform fee will continue for all libraries beyond the expiry of the Common Suite, regardless of commitment to the URB:

• Humanities & Social Sciences Index Retrospective: 1907-1984
• Art Index Retrospective: 1929-1984
• Applied Science & Technology Index Retrospective: 1913-1983
• Short Story Index Retrospective: 1915-1983

Are LISTA and Regional Business News affected by the shift to the URB?

Per the BC ELN Library and Information Science agreement for LISTA Full Text and Library and Information Science Source, the basic (index only) LISTA is a freely available research database for libraries subscribing to any other EBSCO product. More info is available here: https://www.ebsco.com/products/research-databases/library-information-science-and-technology-abstracts. It is unrelated to the URB or the Common Suite, so regardless of those subscriptions, access should not be affected.
Regional Business News is a supplementary component of Business Source Complete. It is not provided through the Common Suite or URB subscriptions. Any partner libraries that subscribe to the URB or to Business Source Complete as a standalone product will retain access.

Questions about the Undergraduate Resource Bundle (URB)

What products are included in the Undergraduate Resource Bundle, and why?

EBSCO’s Academic Search and Business Source are included. Partner libraries made it clear that these foundational resources are essential to supporting students in their early years of post-secondary studies. BC ELN's goal in this instance is to meet undergraduate-level students' broad research needs with reputable academic databases.

Access to supplementary resources previously offered for free of charge as part of the Common Suite deal are also included in this subscription. These resources are: MAS Ultra: School Edition, Funk and Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, Military and Government Collection and Primary Search.

When is the deadline to commit to the URB?

BC ELN will ask for institutions interested in participating in the URB for their commitment by mid-2023. This is a full year in advance of the URB's actual start date (June 1, 2024) and allows institutions to plan their budgets accordingly.

Why is it necessary to indicate commitment to the new bundle?

Partner libraries committing to the new bundle in advance allows BC ELN to approach vendor negotiations with concrete numbers for participation, which in turn, helps leverage group subscription power and enables the consortium to obtain the best possible pricing.

Why is BC ELN seeking a multi-year bundle (as opposed to single-year licenses)?

BC ELN’s partner libraries committing to the URB for multiple years provides a guaranteed spend for the vendor and therefore an incentive to consider lower/discounted pricing for the consortium. Partner libraries that participate have the advantage of stable pricing and predictable inflationary increases for several years of budgetary planning.

Could alumni access be granted for the URB? 

Alumni Editions access for both Academic Search and Business Source has now been negotiated as an add-on, opt-in agreement for URB subscribers and opt-in ASC/BSC subscribers.

Are there any possible upgrades and extras offered along with the URB?

Additional upgrades will continue to be offered as separate opt-in licenses.

Questions about the Opt-in (Single Year) Offers

What if my institution doesn't want to participate in the Undergraduate Resource Bundle, but would like to subscribe to either Academic Search or Business Source?

BC ELN has negotiated pricing for institutions that want to opt-in to either Academic Search or Business Source (Complete).

Can we have opt-in pricing for Academic Search Premier?

BC ELN is currently discussing this option with the vendor.

Why aren't there “known” annual increases for opt-in pricing?

Opt-in offers for Business Source and Academic Search will follow the same process as regular annual opt-in renewals. For these renewals, annual inflationary increases are typically negotiated closer to the renewal date. Over the last three years EBSCO’s annual increase has been negotiated in partnership with other Western Consortia. This information is shared with licensing contacts.

In contrast, the URB annual increases are known because vendors are willing to negotiate annual increases for multiple years when institutions commit to multi-year agreements.

When is the deadline to commit to one of the opt-in offers?

The Academic Search or Business Source single-year licences will be treated like regular product renewals. Offers will be broadcast through ConsortiaManager before the Common Suite ends, likely in April 2024. EBSCO will hold our quoted pricing until then, and institutions will be able to make a decision at that time.

Will the opt-in Academic Search and Business Source licences continue to be offered and negotiated by BC ELN in future years?

Yes, the opt-in Academic Search and Business Source licenses will be offered alongside all other BC ELN opt-in licenses going forward.