Project Muse

Image courtesy of Morguefile

When it comes to serials and their increasing cost,the librarian needs to be careful in choosing which services to subscribe. The librarian might be asked to recommend a particular journal service or publisher. If the librarian is not to be greeted by some nasty surprises down the road due to unfamiliarity with the database or publisher, he or she must know them inside and out. By an accumulation of knowledge of online resources,the librarian has the ability to connect users with information in a timely fashion. Databases seem to have a habit of always changing, and the librarian must always keep his or her knowledge current. Fortunately,through the database itself and the always helpful listserv,the librarian does not have to be too concerned about missing out on changes which might prevent users from accessing information.

In the book "Serials in Libraries: Issues and Practices" Steve Black proclaims,"For academics, publication of research in well-respected peer reviewed sources is the coin of the realm¹". Further on Black notes,"The record of publication required for attaining tenure and being promoted in rank is judged primarily on the number of articles published,the quality of the journals in which the articles were published, and how often others have cited those articles". I am interested in Classics. I emailed the professor who taught me ancient Greek and asked him;What are the three most prestigious Classics journals? His response was that for the United States the most eminent serial was The American Journal of Philology². So I decided to purchase a print issue and also view its online counterpart.

On the website of Project MUSE,which hosts the online version of the journal it is noted,"The complete content of each and every journal issue is online-including all charts,graphics and images...³". In the article "Menander's Theophoroumene between Greece and Rome" (S. Nervegna 2010⁴) there are numerous illustrations of classical art. I decided to purchase the same issue in print as being offered as a sample issue online to make an exact comparison. Both the print and online PDF file⁵ of the article have black and and white illustrations of art. However, if you decide to view the article in HTML⁶ instead of PDF you can click on a thumbnail of the image which leads you to a larger version which is in brilliant color!

In addition to radiant color illustrations, the online version presents a big advantage in the realm of searching for articles or authors. The website⁷ has an area where you can conduct an intricate search for information. Let us imagine you decide to research the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus. For the online version of The American Journal of Philology you can view just that publication for information. However we should remember that the online version of the journal only carries issues starting at 1996⁸. If your library also subscribes to JSTOR, the online interface gives you the option of setting your search to include JSTOR in the journals selected⁹.

As you explore the many articles and journals in MUSE you have the ability to save an article link in which you might be interested. You can then explore other areas of your subject and then go back to the links you have saved¹⁰. The interface also provides the researcher with the ultimate godsend in technology: the search trail! Perhaps the greatest frustration you can experience when doing research with multiple books or journals is finding an excellent tidbit of information,only to lose it and spend the next thirty minutes looking for it. With the search trail and the "Saved Results"¹¹ option, research is rendered much less tedious. With the online journal, soon research will not be confined to the library or even the laptop. "MUSE can be accessed on mobile devices with a web browser,such as the iPhone or iPad. We are currently in the process of developing a new interface for mobile devices that will improve a user's experience when searching and retrieving MUSE content on mobile devices".¹²

There is also a slight difference between the print and online version of The American Journal of Philology. There are no advertisements in the online version.¹³ Thankfully the advertisements are not interspersed throughout the publication but located near the end pages. In addition to not having advertising in the online version,the electronic edition also includes a popularity contest among authors who have been published. There is a list of the most "...full text views/downloads" of articles. The site also notes that a new list is produced each month based on this information.¹⁴

Concerning an embargo,it does not exist at Project MUSE. The paper and online version are not available at exactly the same time,but there is no formal embargo.¹⁵ Regarding price,with print the pricing is simple: for an individual you pay $50.00 for a year for four issues. For a student the bill is $45.00 per year. An institution pays $175.00 per year.¹⁶ With Project MUSE you do not have to get the American Journal of Philology in a bundle.¹⁷ There is a price list on their website which lists the institution price for a single subscription¹⁸(individuals cannot purchase the online version)¹⁹ for $175.00, and $70.00 if the institution decides to add a print subscription to the online version.²⁰ The website lists the many pricing options available from consortiums to special libraries.²¹ In an article about the Project MUSE price structure Schaffner et al proclaim,"The new model expands the number of pricing tiers from two to five,based on the Carnegie Classification. This criterion was chosen because it represents,in essence, the level of research activity at an institution and its relation to the institution's mission".²². The pricing is grouped by different collections:Premium, Standard, Basic Research, Basic College, Humanities and Social Sciences.²³

On the subject of access to The American Journal of Philology, if you have a subscription to the online version you have access to every current issue as well as back issues up to 1996.²⁴ For 1995 and earlier you have to use JSTOR.²⁵ Actually JSTOR has every issue of the journal from the very beginning. I emailed Johns Hopkins University Press about this. I was informed that they plan to eventually place all back issues online.²⁶ On the subject of back issues in print,that of course is a different element. According to the website, copies of print back issues for the current and previous two volumes can be obtained from the Johns Hopkins University Press.²⁷ Copies of print issues from volumes that are three or more years older can be obtained through Periodical Service Company (PSC).²⁸ I decided to check how you could obtain such issues. If you want the set from 1880 to 2008 the total is $6,950. When I tried to look further for individual back issues I was given notice to try again later.²⁸

As far as continuing access to the journal,"Subscribers 'own' MUSE content,even if they do not renew their subscription".³⁴ There is however a limitation to this. In the FAQs section of the website it is stated that,"Project MUSE articles may be included in course packs and in electronic reserve only through a link to the article. The articles themselves may not be placed on electronic reserve or used in course packs".³⁵ A link is not really ownership of a product. For preservation, that again is somewhat complex. Regarding this area it is noted that,"MUSE owns the MUSE-generated PDF articles and they may not be used in repositories. The author of an article included online in MUSE should consult his/her agreement with the journal publisher to determine whether the publisher allows a copy of the article to be included in a repository".³⁶

This is an odd situation. For we have seen that you can certainly purchase back issues of The American Journal of Philology.²⁸ Relating to the online files however, MUSE seems to be the holder of the keys. There might be a question about what MUSE is doing about preservation of their materials. The answer is that,"Project MUSE is committed to providing permanent maintenance and preservation of all digital files in the MUSE database. No journal content published online in MUSE will be removed or made inaccessible to current, paid subscribers".³⁸ Further on it is stated that if a publisher decides to quit Project MUSE they cannot take their content with them.³⁹

There is also the question of the possibility of the library being able to keep anything from an online subscription. The answer is yes. In the "...Institutional Subscriber Licensing Agreement" under "V. Archiving" it is stated, "Approximately 90 days after the expiration of an annual subscription term, Project MUSE® will provide the subscriber,upon request,an archival (non-searchable) file on DVD-ROM or other appropriate media as determined by Project MUSE® containing the contents of all issues published online during the 12-month subscription term".⁴⁰

Notice however the phrase relating to the medium of storage "...other appropriate media as determined by Project MUSE...". Recall the article ,"Assuring access:One Library's Journey from Print to Electronic Only Subscriptions" by Zambare,Casey,et al. When the publisher did provide the information to the library,it was on a medium that the library found burdensome to use.⁴¹ One would hope that MUSE would not do such a horrible thing. Perhaps the best way to avoid such a situation is to see if Project MUSE can abide by the policy that was noted in the above article which mentioned,"XII. Perpetual License: The means by which Licensee shall have access to such Licensed Materials shall be in a manner and form substantially equivalent to the means by which access is provided under this Agreement. "⁴². Amen.

Bibliography

1. Black,Steve. Serials in Libraries: Issues and Practices. Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2006.

2. Dobrov,Gregory W. email message to author, January 27,2011.

3. What is Project MUSE. Accessed Feb. 10,2011. http://muse.jhu.edu/about/muse/index.html.

4. Nevergana,Sebastiana. "Menander's Theophoroumene between Greece and Rome." American Journal of Philology 131 , No. 1 521 (Spring 2010) 23-68.

5. Nevergana,Sebastiana. "Menander's Theophoroumene between Greece and Rome." American Journal of Philology 131 , No. 1 521 (Spring 2010) 23-68. http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/american_journal/of/philology &&47;v131/131.1.nervegna.pdf.

6. Nevergana,Sebastiana. "Menander's Theophoroumene between Greece and Rome." American Journal of Philology 131 , No. 1 521 (Spring 2010) 23-68. http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/american_journal/of/philology &&47;v131/131.1.nervegna.html.

7. "Article Search" Project MUSE accessed Feb. 11,11,2011. http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/ajp/.

8. "American Journal of Philology" Project MUSE accessed Feb. 11,2011. http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/ajp/.

9. "Advanced Article Search" Project MUSE accessed Feb. 11,2011. http://muse.jhu.edu/search. (hereafter cited as Proj. MUSE).

10.-11. Proj. MUSE.

12. "Project MUSE:Frequently Asked Questions: accessed Feb. 10,2011. http://muse.jdu.edu/about/muse /faq.html.(hereafter cited as "Proj. MUSE: Frequently Asked Questions").

13. Proj. MUSE: Frequently Asked Questions.

14-18. Proj. MUSE.

19. What is Project MUSE. Accessed Feb. 10,2011, http://muse.jdu.edu/about/muse/index.html.

20-21. Project MUSE.

22. Shaffner,Melanie B., Judy Luther and October Ivins. "Project MUSE's New Pricing Model: A Case Study in Collaboration". Serials Review Vol. 31,Issue 3. (Sept. 2005):192-199. Accessed online Feb. 2,2011. (http://www.sciencedirect.comPDF).

23. ibid.

24. Proj. MUSE: Frequently Asked Questions.

25. "JSTOR: American Journal of Philology" JSTOR accessed Feb. 14,2011. http://www.jstor.org/action /showPublication?journalCode=amerjphil.

26. Young,Kathy. JHU/Journals Division, email message to author Feb. 11,2011.

27. Proj. MUSE.

28. "Periodical Service Company & Schmidt Periodicals GmbH". PSC Accessed Feb. 2,2011 http://www.press.jhu.edu/cgi/bin/order.cgi?oc_id=17. (hereafter cited as PSC)

29. PSC.

30. "Order form,American Journal of Philology:Johns Hopkins University Press" accessed Feb. 10,2011. https://www.press.jhu.edu/cgi-bin/order.cgi?oc_id_=17.

31-32. Proj. MUSE.

33 "Library Recommendation Form,American Journal of Philology:Johns Hopkins University Press" accessed Feb. 2,2011. http://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/lib_rec_forms/AJP_lib_rec.pdf.

34-36. Proj. MUSE.

37. PSC.

38-39. Proj. MUSE.

40. "Project MUSE Institutional Subscriber Licensing Agreement" accessed Feb. 2, 2011. http://muse.jhu.edu/about/subscriptions/license_review.html.

41. Zambare,Aparna and Anne Marie Casey et al. "Assuring Access:One Library's Journey from Print to Electronic Only Subscriptions". Serials Review Vol. 35,Number 2,2009. Accessed online Feb. 2, 2011. (http://www. sciencedirect.comPDF).

42. University of Maryland,University Libraries,Policy on Collecting Only Electronic Versions of Journals (http://www.lib.umd.edu/CLMD/e-verpol.html) Simon Fraser University Library. Criteria for Migration to Electronic Only Journals http://www.lib.sfu.ca/about/collections/duplicatecriteria.htm. Quoted in Zambare,Aparna and Anne Marie Casey et al. "Assuring Access:One Library's Journey from Print to Electronic Only Subscriptions". Serials Review Vol. 35,Number 2,2009. Accessed online Feb. 2, 2011. (http://www. sciencedirect.comPDF).