Along with the other libraries in the Dalhousie University Libraries system, the W.K. Kellogg Health Sciences Library will have a significant collections budget shortfall for 2016-17. Reducing book purchases and spending endowment funds will help reduce the shortfall, but additional cancellations will be required.
We are in the process of cancelling ClinicalKey as our first step toward balancing the 2016-17 budget.
ClinicalKey, an Elsevier product, has two main components: journals and ebooks. This subscription cost more than $100,000 CAD in 2015/16 and was the second most expensive item on our budget.
The majority of journals included in ClinicalKey are duplicates of titles the University Libraries already subscribe to in another Elsevier package.
The ebooks portion of ClinicalKey is required to support the Health professions and Medical curricula is well used, and provides unlimited access to students. To date, the vendor has not been able to provide a model that would allow us to subscribe to just the ebook portion.
In order to support the curricula, a portion of the funds saved by cancelling the ClinicalKey subscription will be repurposed to purchase ebooks. Replacement of the required ebooks will be phased in over two budget years.
Over the next six weeks liaison librarians will review titles identified as most relevant to the curricula in consultation with faculty. The Resources team will then purchase replacement ebooks and, in a few cases, print books.
Although ClinicalKey is a large, well-known education resource for Medicine and the Health Professions, we must be good stewards of the Dalhousie Collections funds while also meeting our user needs. Due to the increased annual renewal cost, the duplication of journal content, and the unfavorable currency exchange rate, we are making this difficult choice. The contingency plan outlined here will fill in the collection gaps left by the absence of this product.
Deadline for comments regarding this decision: 5 pm Friday, May 13, 2016. Please send your comments to: Patrick Ellis or Ann Barrett at Kellogg.Library@Dal.Ca
This is the first I’m seeing this page and I’m very upset that I cannot access ClinicalKey.
In lieu of access to Clinical Key, please provide immediate access to Campbell’s Operative Orthopedics, Tachdjian’s Pediatric Orthopedics, DeLee and Drez’s Orthopedic Sports Medicine. There are many other titles that I regularly accessed.
Thank you,
Good morning,
This is quite upsetting news. I am a general surgery resident and I use clinical key multiple times a week for many key text books including Sabistons, Cameron’s and Netter’s Surgery. I also access Surgical Clinics of North America quite often.
I understand that this is an expensive cost, but the online access to these textbooks and resources are invaluable in my continued learning, and I imagine a large portion of medical students and residents. Having online access to these resources allows me to access the content from the hospital, at home, the library, or anywhere with internet capabilities.
I hope you reconsider this decision.
It is my understanding that all medical students, medical residents and licensed practicing physicians are members of the CMA and as a result have free access to the Clinical Key resource. Access to Clinical Key can be obtained by logging into your CMA account at cma.ca and navigating to:
Clinical Resources > All resources > Clinical Key
I would encourage you, Stephanie Purcell, to access Clinical Key via your CMA account.
However, if you are not a member of the CMA, you can choose to become one. The membership fee is an annual amount of CAD$50. Membership application is available on the CMA website at cma.ca
It is correct that the CMA provides Clinical Key for Members – and if you are not a member, it is a $50.00 annual membership fee for Residents and $15.00 for Undergraduates. Here is the CMA information https://www.cma.ca/En/Pages/cma-fee-category-schedule.aspx
We understand your concerns. Be assured that over the next six weeks liaison librarians will be reviewing the key titles you mention and with the assistance of the Dalhousie Libraries Resources Team will purchase replacement ebooks and, in a few cases, print books for major resources.
In the interim, Clinical Key is still available through the Nova Scotia Health Authority Library Service http://www.cdha.nshealth.ca/health-sciences-library and also through the CMA for student members.
We will keep you informed as we make this transition and appreciate your input.