Recent political developments in the United States—including new tariffs and federal funding cuts to departments that support library initiatives—have raised questions about potential impacts on consortially-licensed electronic resources. While the situation continues to evolve, BC ELN is actively monitoring developments and taking steps to protect our partner libraries’ interests.
Although current U.S. tariffs do not currently apply to electronic library resources, many of BC ELN's licenses are paid in U.S. dollars. In response, BC ELN is implementing strategies to reduce exposure to currency fluctuations and inflation. These include working with our host site, Simon Fraser University, to pre-purchase U.S. dollars for multi-year agreements, negotiating low annual increases with vendors, and securing Canadian-dollar contracts when possible.
BC ELN remains in close communication with vendors to monitor any shifts in pricing or database content. Most vendors have not reported changes, and many—such as ProQuest and EBSCO—have reassured us that mitigation plans are in place should circumstances change.
We are aware of specific concerns regarding ERIC, which may see content changes due to cuts at the U.S. Department of Education. EBSCO has confirmed a mitigation plan is in development, with more information expected soon. Meanwhile, no changes are currently anticipated for PubMed/Medline.
BC ELN is encouraged by the proactive stance of vendors and remains focused on ensuring continued access and financial predictability for member libraries. We will continue to share updates as they become available.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.