Agreement between FinELib and ACS not renewed

10.1.2024

FinELib and American Chemical Society haven’t been able to reach an agreement in their negotiations. Access to ACS’s new journals has ended at the end of 2023.

FinELib and ACS have been negotiating for a new agreement throughout the autumn but haven’t been able to reach a mutual understanding. There are disagreements over agreement details that are significant for both users and consortium members. ACS has cut access to ACS journals, as the previous agreement between ACS and FinELib ended on December 31st, 2023.

FinELib is aiming to continue the negotiations with ACS.

How can I read ACS journals?

Access to journal articles published in 2023 and earlier will partially continue. The scope of access varies by subscriber, so check the situation with your own organisation’s library or information service. Many organisations still have access to articles published between 1996–2023. This is due to the post cancellation rights included in the FinELib agreements. Some organisations have also acquired permanent access to articles published before 1996.

If you need access to articles published in 2024, or other articles which your organization doesn’t have access to, please check out FinELib’s Alternative Access page. You can turn to  your own library or information service for help.

I will publish my article in an ACS journal – what to do?

Open publishing with FinELib agreements has ended on December 31st, 2023.

If your article was accepted for an ACS journal in 2023, and you meet the conditions for publishing, your article can be published open access for no additional fees under the old FinELib agreement.

If your article is accepted for an ACS journal in 2024, open publishing under FinELib agreement is not available. If you want to publish your article open access, you will need to have funding. You can also decide not to publish your article open access, in which case your article will be published behind a paywall. You can ask your own library, information service or research support services for advice in evaluating your publishing options.

Why has FinELib not renewed its agreement with ACS?

FinELib agreements ensure that the rights of users, authors and organisations are clearly defined and protected. FinELib agreements give readers as wide usage rights as possible, and also protect the rights granted by copyright law. Agreements also guarantee a certain level of protection for member organisations in possible dispute situations. FinELib and ACS haven’t reached an understanding on agreement terms, and as a result FinELib hasn’t been able to renew the agreement with ACS.

FinELib still aims to continue the negotiations with ACS, and to reach an agreement which would restore access to ACS journals and give researchers the possibility for publishing their articles open access in ACS journals for no additional fees.