KNOXVILLE – University of Tennessee administrators led an effort championed by campus librarians to bring the popular electronic research database Web of Science to all UT campuses, marking the first time a library resource contract has been purchased by the System for use statewide.
Web of Science is a Thomson Reuters product and provides users with quick and powerful access to citation databases with content covering more than 10,000 journals worldwide and conference proceedings. The wide array of materials includes coverage in the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities.
“I’m pleased that we have been able to collaborate with our campuses to fulfill a need they have for this valuable resource — one of the most important databases — that supports the mission of the institution, and in the process we’re cutting costs and making resources available to all students, faculty and staff,” said Dr. Bonnie Yegidis, vice president for academic affairs and student success.
“This is the only way that all campuses could have access given the budget constraints,” Yegidis added.
System funds slated for initiatives supporting education and research in high-need areas will be used to provide access to the database, at a cost of $188,000 annually. The new contract covers maintenance costs for UT Knoxville and UT Chattanooga, expands access at Chattanooga, and opens the database for the first time to UT Martin and the UT Health Science Center.
This arrangement saves money by combining multiple site access in a single contract rather than separate contracts for each site.
Previously, UT Knoxville had full access to Web of Science, and UT Chattanooga could view only a portion of the files. All campuses wanted access, but affordability was an issue, especially during the current tough economic times.
A task force co-led by Yegidis and University of Tennessee Knoxville Dean of Libraries Barbara Dewey identified Web of Science as the highest priority for faculty and students. Officials then negotiated a three-year contract with Thomson Reuters to expand access all across the UT System.
In three years, the contract will be renegotiated.