Q. Why does Harvard online access to the Journal of the History of Biology only start in 1997, while the Springer website offers online access to the entire the journal?
A. The truncated access is due to the licensing arrangement offered from Springer to Harvard. For Springer journals, our current license covers volume years from 1997 to the present. Back years (from 1996 to the inception of the journal) are only available by separate purchase, and Springer makes this purchase prohibitive. Springer offers these backfiles bundled in groups of journals categorized by broad subject area. Using this particular case as an example, the Journal of the History of Biology is bundled in the backfile package Biomedical and Life Sciences, which covers 117 titles for a one-time cost of $113,465.59. The libraries have limited funds for one-time purchases, and collecting preferences tend to run towards selective purchase, making Springer's model impractical. We have in the past purchased other Springer backfile collections, specifically the Medicine and Physics & Astronomy bundles, so you may in fact see other Springer journals with deeper backfile access.Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks!
kind regards,Kristin--
Kristin Stoklosa
E-Resources Manager
and
E-Resources Coordinator for the Sciences
Harvard College Library
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