Exact Editions: Literature Collection
 

CONTENT Exact Editions provides access to digital editions of print publications via searchable, mobile-ready platforms, including web- and app-based reading experiences. Subscriptions include access to the entire collection of a publication’s archive on the Exact Editions platform. Exact Editions for Institutions includes a variety of magazine and book collections available through an institutional subscription. This review focuses on the Literature Collection, though subjects range across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and more.

The Literature Collection features 33 magazines and journals, including wide-ranging titles such as Banipal: Magazine of Modern Arab Literature, Huizache: The Magazine of a New America, and Mekong Review, as well as long-established titles such as the Times Literary Supplement, PN Review, and Writing Magazine.

Subscription information for individual titles is available on the publication’s details page, which lists information on the publication’s history, current and past issues, and subscription features. A subscription to the Times Literary Supplement, for instance, offers 731 issues (to date) dating back to January 1, 2010. Users can also use this page to recommend a title for purchase.

USABILITY Exact Editions Institutional subscriptions provide access via unlimited IP-authenticated or remote access. Cross-platform access is available for web, iOS, and Android users, including the Exactly app for Apple and Android users. Users can log in to their institution’s account by selecting their institution via the login page. However, remote-access options are available to institutions via OpenAthens and Shibboleth, EZproxy, or a six-digit library code.

When users log in, they are presented with a virtual shelf of titles available through their subscription. They can switch between “My Titles,” “Collections,” or “All” to browse available titles by year and volume. Much like archival collections, the titles are presented in text-searchable PDF format. On the web, users can flip through pages or scroll through thumbnail views. They can also zoom in and out of a page to improve readability. App users have a similar viewing experience, though they do not have access to the thumbnail feature. Both tools offer quick access to a title’s table of contents, which links to pieces in the work. Search tools make it easy to search within collections and titles.

Additional tools available through the web version of Exact Editions include accessibility features, such as plain-text versions of the content and audio narration, as well as sharing, bookmarking, and printing options.

PRICING Exact Editions offers institutional subscriptions through a tiered pricing matrix. The scale for academic libraries is based on full-time equivalents (student and faculty). The scale for corporate libraries considers the number of employees, while the public library matrix considers population served. For details of pricing and more information, contact institutions@exacteditions.com.

VERDICT The Exact Editions Literature Collection offers user-friendly web and mobile access to a curated collection of popular literary journals and magazines relevant to the study of literature, poetry, and creative writing. The titles available may be of particular interest to institutions seeking to expand their online magazine collections and those supporting programs in literature, English, or creative writing. The ability to subscribe to individual publications rather than a package makes this an attractive option, as does the availability of perpetual access.