Toward the Optimization of E-Journal Subscriptions: An Overview of Unsub and Implementation Support Initiatives

Abstract

Unsub, developed and provided by the U.S. nonprofit organization OpenAlex, is a tool that supports university libraries and other electronic journal-subscribing institutions in canceling Big Deals and switching to individual title-by-title contracts. In this paper, the “Serials Crisis” is discussed as the background of Unsub’s popularity, and the “Big Deal” contract format adopted by many libraries and library consortia to address this crisis is explained. Furthermore, Transformative Agreements are highlighted as a new contract model replacing Big Deals, with an analysis of their associated issues. The paper provides an overview of Unsub and points to consider during its use, and concludes by introducing the implementation support services provided by ScholAgora.