What you'll learn:
- The strategic value of perpetual access in supporting long-term research, institutional memory and collection stability
- How EBSCO enables perpetual access through one-time purchase models, DRM-free e-books and curated magazine archives
- How perpetual access supports sustainable collection development, budget predictability and the evolving needs of library users
Ensuring Continuity and Reliability in Library Collections
Perpetual access plays a critical role by providing reliable access to content that supports teaching, learning and institutional objectives. Whether ensuring continuity of assigned readings across an academic year or maintaining stable collections to meet accreditation standards, perpetual access offers the consistency that libraries require.
A key takeaway from the webinar was the fundamental importance of perpetual access within the library ecosystem. In contrast to subscription models that may be subject to budgetary fluctuations, perpetual access ensures that once content is acquired, it remains part of the institution’s collection. This stability is particularly important for faculty who rely on consistent resources for curriculum delivery, as well as for institutions that must demonstrate continuity and depth in their collections for accreditation and assessment purposes.
Perpetual access is really a collection strategy and not just a purchasing model. It protects your investment and eliminates the risk of losing critical titles when budgets tighten or subscriptions change.
Perpetual access is really a collection strategy and not just a purchasing model. It protects your investment and eliminates the risk of losing critical titles when budgets tighten or subscriptions change.
Moreover, perpetual access fosters trust within the academic community by assuring users that critical resources will remain accessible over time. In an environment characterized by shifting financial and strategic priorities, this model mitigates risk and safeguards the library’s investment.
The session also emphasized the primary benefits of perpetual access as a flexible and highly customizable acquisition model. Libraries can strategically develop collections that align with both disciplinary needs and fiscal constraints by selecting from a range of access options, including single-user, multi-user, unlimited user access, and demand-driven acquisition.
This approach enables institutions to support both broad curricular requirements and specialized research areas, including niche topics that necessitate long-term availability. Furthermore, perpetual access promotes consistency across academic terms and facilitates longitudinal research by ensuring that content remains accessible rather than subject to periodic removal or replacement.
Perpetual access is vital to a library, and EBSCO eBooks fall in line with that. Faculty, students, and patrons expect long-term and reliable access.
Perpetual access is vital to a library, and EBSCO eBooks fall in line with that. Faculty, students, and patrons expect long-term and reliable access.
Perpetual Access and EBSCO eBooks
Moriarty explained that with access to a catalog of more than 2.8 million e-books spanning publication dates from the 19th century to forthcoming releases from EBSCO, libraries are well-positioned to curate comprehensive and relevant collections. EBSCO supports a variety of access models, including DRM-free options for unlimited user access where available, and offers curated collections developed by professional librarians to streamline selection processes.
Accessibility considerations were also underscored, with features such as text-to-speech functionality, adjustable display settings, and transparent indicators of accessibility compliance, including adherence to WCAG 2.2 AA standards. These capabilities enable institutions to meet evolving regulatory requirements while ensuring equitable access for all users.
Perpetual Access and Magazine Archives
Peckham addressed the role of perpetual access in the context of magazine archives, positioning these resources as significant primary source collections.
Through a one-time purchase model supplemented by ongoing platform support, libraries can secure access to complete historical runs of publications, often spanning more than 150 years. These archives allow students and researchers to engage with content in its original context, analyzing not only textual narratives but also visual elements, advertising, and cultural framing. Such resources are invaluable for interdisciplinary scholarship, supporting areas such as media studies, sociology, environmental studies, and history.
A Strategic Approach
As the webinar concluded, the speakers reinforced the perspective that perpetual access is not merely an acquisition model, but a strategic approach to collection development, and one that preserves the scholarly record, supports sustained research, and ensures that libraries remain enduring stewards of knowledge.
