Pure read agreements (sometimes called legacy subscription deals) remain widespread, particularly with publishers that do not offer transformative arrangements, with smaller society publishers, or with publishers whose portfolios are predominantly closed-access. From a knowledge-equity perspective, pure read deals concentrate access among well-resourced institutions and exclude under-resourced ones; they also do not contribute to OA transition. They are increasingly seen as transitional themselves: many libraries treat pure read agreements as candidates for cancellation or renegotiation.
References
- ESAC glossary. SPARC contract-library resources.