Irish Research eLibrary (IReL) funding significantly reduced

Flying Abruptly

News announced today that the IReL has had its funding significantly reduced meaning its had to cut its subscription to alot of journal papers, with further cuts on the way. Having just started a research PhD this is anything but good news, probably meaning that'll I'll now have to start budgeting to purchase copies of articles from my funding.

You will be aware that the current round of IReL funding came to an end in December 2009. The IUA Librarians' Group is engaged in positive discussions with the HEA and others to secure funding for IReL for 2010 onwards but it is likely that this will be at significantly reduced levels. Due to increasing publisher costs and other factors it is necessary for some IReL resources to be cancelled even if IReL funding were to be maintained at pre-2010 levels. Arising from this, and in the first of what will probably be a number of cancellation processes, the resources listed below will shortly become unavailable through IReL. To download the full list of journals and other resources, please click here.

The Consortium regrets the cancellation of any resource. The University Librarians are working with their colleagues, the HEA, university senior officers and others to maintain access to as many resources through IReL as possible. We will keep you updated as the situation evolves but in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact your library with any comments or queries.

Source: http://www.irelibrary.ie/news_detail.aspx?id=78

An impact survey conducted on the success of the IReL was done last year:

It has also become clear from the survey, that IReL has evolved into a tool without which it is impossible to conduct research effectively in Ireland. Invited to comment on how any discontinuation of IReL would affect their work, respondents expressed grave concern at such a possibility.

Source: http://www.irelibrary.ie/about.aspx

Grave concern indeed!

Master Bates

Thank fook none of the databases I use will be culled; I am 100% reliant on them!:pac:

blucey

Master Bates wrote: »

Thank fook none of the databases I use HAVE AS YET beEN culled; I am 100% reliant on them!:pac:

fixed that for ya....
This is the start. If you value research at all, can I suggest emailing your TDs and Senators and askign how exactly this assists in developing a knowledge economy?

lumpwood

This is awful....serious amount of mechanical engineering based journals getting the chop!

Flying Abruptly

lumpwood wrote: »

This is awful....serious amount of mechanical engineering based journals getting the chop!

Mechanical Engineer here too - I can believe they cut all the ASME ones! Thats about half of the ones I use, I'm just waiting for them to announce the same thing about the Elsevier journals! One of the research centres at UL has had a vast majority of the journals they use cut.
I did a bit of a lit. review at the end of last year so without that I would be completely screwed!

Master Bates

blucey wrote: »

fixed that for ya....
This is the start. If you value research at all, can I suggest emailing your TDs and Senators and askign how exactly this assists in developing a knowledge economy?

You actually believe that rubbish the politicans spew out?

wyrn

A serious amount of science/maths/engineering publications cut.
I am not at all happy.

I hope this isn't a sign of things to come. I hope there's no more cuts.