ABSTRACT
The recent economic downturn appears to have created a “new norm.” Stagnant to decreasing budgets have created an environment in which librarians find themselves struggling to meet the needs of their institutions. The consolidation of publishers has placed control of more and more scholarly content in the hands of fewer and fewer players, which in turn presents challenges. Usage has emerged as one of the dominant metrics in determining what content to acquire and retain. This article will explore some of the strategies and tactics librarians, publishers, and vendors are using to cope with this new norm.