As of January 1, 2026, the Library’s subscriptions to 2,168 journals published by Springer Nature will cease. This post contains key details about this change, including how to access articles from cancelled journals in the future.
Accessing articles from cancelled journals
It is important to note that only journal issues published after January 1, 2026, will be affected.
- Older issues remain accessible: Access will continue as normal for all older (pre-2026) issues of cancelled journals.
- Interlibrary Loan (ILL) for new issues: For paywalled (subscription-only) articles, access will be available via Interlibrary Loan (ILL). ILL is integrated into the new Library Search and any articles indexed without full-text access can be quickly requested through the ILL option.
- Open Access (OA) content: Many articles now being published in Springer journals are Open Access, so they are freely available to all, regardless of subscription status. Among the Springer journals most important to U of A researchers, the proportion of articles now being published Open Access ranges from 16% to 71%, with a median of 41% OA.
Access continues for many other Springer Nature publications
Numerous journals and other publications from Springer Nature are not being cancelled. Access to these is unaffected, including:
- Nature journals (e.g., Nature Energy, Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology).
- Palgrave Macmillan journals (e.g., Contemporary Political Theory).
- Springer ebooks.
- Other resources such as Springer Protocols and Springer Materials.
- Journals from Springer Nature’s BioMed Central (BMC) are also unaffected. BMC journals do not operate by subscription because they are fully Open Access.
Background on this change
The Library is cancelling the large package of subscriptions to these journals. These Springer Nature subscriptions cost over CAD $900,000 last year, making it one of the Library’s most expensive journal packages. Assessments over several years indicate that this package does not perform as well as comparators, in terms of the proportion of its journals that are valuable to U of A research, teaching, and learning.
Over the past few months, librarians worked to negotiate with Springer Nature for a smaller, selective package of subscriptions. Our goal was to ensure ongoing access to the most important journals, while addressing budget constraints and the need to achieve substantial value with our collections spending. Springer was not flexible in response to our proposals.
No change to article processing charges (APCs)
Springer Nature has never offered any APC-free or APC-discounted publishing as part of the Library’s subscription agreements (unlike other publishers). This means that there will be no change to researchers’ APC burden.
Context beyond the U of A
As subscription costs continue to rise, other Canadian research libraries are also cancelling journal “big deals”. Simon Fraser University and UBC are both ending agreements with large publishers this year. Brock University exited its Springer agreement in 2024, as did Queen’s University in 2018. There are also many international examples, which can be browsed with this tracker.
Questions?
- For help placing an Interlibrary Loan request: Ask Us
- For information about Library collections decisions: csu@ualberta.ca