Our Experiences with ReadCube

Liza Weisbrod Auburn University 13 March 2017 ReadCube for Libraries

• An unmediated document delivery service

• Available for Publishing Group journals ONLY

• In return for low costs, there are some rights restrictions What is ReadCube?

• A Digital Science Company • “A technology company serving the needs of scientific research.”

• Citation manager

• Works with publishers to create ‘Enhanced PDFs’ • Pay per view service

• Available for Nature Publishing Group journals (~140)

• IP-based • On-campus, authentication, or through ReadCube for VPN (virtual private network) Libraries • Works through proxy server to identify articles available from another source (Academic Search Premier, for example) • Library does not pay for these articles Three Levels of Access

• $3.99 48-hour rental • Articles must be saved and read in the ReadCube web viewer. Available for 48 hours. No printing is allowed.

• $9.99 cloud access • Articles must be saved and read in the ReadCube web viewer. Saved indefinitely to the user’s ReadCube account. Printing is allowed.

• $25 unrestricted download • Articles are downloaded without digital rights restrictions and may be printed and saved outside of the web reader.

ReadCube Login

Provides access to the citation manager and the web viewer

Articles are saved to the citation manager/web viewer

Dashboard Purchases Auburn University Libraries’ Experience Statistics, Costs, Complaints • ReadCube user since 2014

• Auburn University subscribes to 24 NPG Auburn journals University • ReadCube access for all Nature journals that are Libraries not completely open access or to which we have a subscription • 93 journals as of March 1 85 ILL Requests (2013)

ILL Requests vs. ReadCube Usage 420 ReadCube 70 purchases (2014)

60

50

ReadCube 40 usage in 2014 compared to 30 ILL requests in 20

2013 10

0 March April May June July August Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 2013 ILL Requests 2014 ReadCube Uses ILL Copyright Costs compared to ReadCube Costs

ReadCube costs in 2014 were 10% March-December Total higher than ILL copyright fees for Nature journals in 2013 2013 ILL Copyright Costs $2,911.00 2014 ReadCube Costs $3,217.80 BUT…

ReadCube uses in 2014 were nearly five times the number of ILL requests in 2013 (420 vs. 85) Number of Articles Downloaded 10+ articles 8%

• Since 2014…

5-9 articles 13% • 620 users 48% of users downloaded • 2275 articles downloaded 1 article • 79% have purchased fewer than five articles 2-4 articles 31% Stats2016 Statistics2016 Top 15 journals used

Nature Protocols 100 Nature Reviews Microbiology 87 • 787 uses 81 49 • 290 users Nature Climate Change 45 Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 38 • 52 journals used 36 Nature Reviews Drug Discovery 35 • 93 journals available through American Journal of Gastroenterology 33 ReadCube 30 28 • $4,048.17 spent Nature Reviews Endocrinology 25 Nature Reviews Cardiology 25 • $6.94 average cost per article* Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and *rentals and cloud purchases Hepatology 21 17 Users say…

What is the biggest challenge to …additional comments about using Readcube? Readcube, AU libraries, or this study.

• “Access is LIMITED - can't always actually possess • If there is any possible way to simply make pdfs the item.” available without the time-wasting bother of readcube please pursue.

• "Figuring out which way to download, cloud or other options. Always want a pdf that I can print.“ • Readcube is fine. If it could be expanded to allow us to download articles that we know have to request by ILL that would be great. Overall, you • "it is truly useless and unnecessary interface to guys do a great job and I really appreciate it. otherwise easy to use pdf format of desired articles. Ridiculously bloated with undesired "features"." User Education

Cost of Nature journals vs. Cost of ReadCube

How to get a PDF! http://libguides.auburn.edu/readcube Only one choice Too many choices Fewer rights restrictions On balance…

• Advantages • Low cost • Immediate access • Unmediated access saves staff and user time

• Drawbacks • Confusing to some users • Digital rights restrictions • Customer service is not always helpful Questions?

Liza Weisbrod [email protected]

Paula del Campo ReadCube Director of Operations [email protected]