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Journal Archiving Campaign Service (JACS)

JACS Refresher Webinar Recording – June 2024

In 2015, the University of California Libraries adopted a new, coordinated approach to consolidating and preserving print journal backfiles.

Under the Journal Archiving Campaign Service (JACS), UC Libraries deposit print journal backfiles in a coordinated fashion each year to the Regional Library Facilities. A defined title list is prepared and publicized each year, including titles from multiple shared print programs (e.g. JSTOR, IEEE, WEST) and title nominations from bibliographers. Campuses can contribute all holdings for the specified titles, without reviewing for existing RLF holdings. RLF staff receive holdings from multiple campuses, remove duplicates, accession a single complete copy for long term retention, and disclose UC’s retention commitment in union catalogs, including OCLC. For each title, a single shared print archive is disclosed and stored for long term retention and access.

In 2023, the Shared Print Strategy Team (SPST) undertook a major assessment of the JACS program, gathering input from campus representatives, reviewing RLF workflows and operations, and engaging in quantitative analyses of campus participation in JACS and what’s left to archive across the UC Libraries. A final report of findings and recommendations for action to enhance and extend the JACS program is available for review: Final Report – JACS Program Assessment 2023

Benefits

Campuses participate in the service voluntarily. Participation includes the following benefits to users and for library collection management:

  • Preservation. Long term preservation of the scholarly record in environmentally controlled conditions.
  • Effective discovery and equal access. Users benefit from more complete, clearly disclosed holdings that are held at one location (one RLF), improved systemwide discovery through union catalogs and equitable access from a central location (the RLFs).
  • Efficient, coordinated collection management. Offers a coordinated approach to participation in multiple shared print journal projects, through coordinated title lists. Provides an annual, coordinated approach to ensure the pace of archiving decisions for the UC Libraries’ shared collections. Saves substantial staff time at campuses by relieving staff of detailed holdings reviews and complex volume-level decisions about what to deposit and what to discard. Provides evidence of space reclamation progress across the UC system.
  • Informed selection. Provides systemwide collections analysis for unarchived journal backfiles and a holistic approach for bibliographers and collection managers to make collaborative, informed decisions about what to preserve.

How to participate

Campuses can participate by expressing interest to the UC Shared Print Manager and/or RLF Directors.

Campuses are expected to:

  • Identify a campus coordinator and share contact information with the SP Manager and RLF Directors
  • Review the annual title lists
  • Retrieve and ship all holdings the campus is willing to deposit
  • Coordinate shipments with the dedicated courier for JACs
  • Edit/delete local holdings records and remove campus symbol from OCLC

RLF staff take care of:

  • WEST and JACS calls for holdings once the title list is publicized
  • Receipts
  • Volume validation
  • Accession a single, consolidated backfile
  • Removing duplicates and disposal; duplicates are not returned to campuses
  • Disclosure in OCLC
  • Reports of volumes accessioned/volumes discarded per campus