‘With or without you’: subscription agents and the scholarly journal supply chain

Abstract

‘I can’t live with or without you’ says the lead singer in what is arguably one of the rock band U2’s most well-known songs. It might also sound familiar to subscription agents as they grapple with the demands from either side of the journal supply chain and the sometimes contradictory messages that come from their publisher and librarian colleagues. This article reflects on this potential ambivalence, why it exists and where it might lead.

Keywords

• subscription agent
• intermediaries
• journal supply chain
• Swets
• EBSCO