FY21 journal cancellations: Elsevier Freedom Collection cancellation

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Virginia’s Research Libraries (VRL) were moving toward a new contract with Elsevier beginning in 2022. Due to the pandemic’s negative effect on operating budgets, the group asked to renegotiate its last year of the current five-year contract. VRL appreciates Elsevier’s willingness to modify the agreement a year early in light of budget needs.

The new agreement frees the institutions from the “Big Deal” Freedom Collection, allowing for a collection that better suits users’ needs. For 2021 subscriptions, University Libraries selected titles based on download data, article citations by institutional authors, open access availability of articles, articles published by institutional authors, and library liaison input. We also analyzed the projected costs of interlibrary loan access to those titles.

We've provided a list with post-2020 coverage here (right click the link to open the list in a new tab). Please check our Journals Index for the most comprehensive and current data. Some Elsevier titles may be available from other sources or open access repositories, and the Journals Index will show all options. If you have trouble finding the article you need, use LibKey Nomad or Interlibrary Loan.

This is part of a longer-term effort to realign investments in favor of tools and resources that are more affordable, equitable, and sustainable. For more background on the big deals and the Elsevier Freedom Collection big deal, see

Open Access - Big Deal Information You Need To Know

Due to the Freedom Collection "big deal" license, access to pre-2021 content for cancelled journals will vary by title. Check our Journals Index for the most accurate listing of coverage by title. Interlibrary loan requests may be placed for post-2020 articles from cancelled journals.