Database cancellation is one of the most difficult tasks performed by a librarian. This may seem counter-intuitive but, psychologically, it is certainly true. When a librarian or a team of librarians has invested a great deal of time doing research, talking to potential users, and conducting trials before deciding to subscribe to a database, they have a vested interest in seeing that database succeed, thereby validating their decision. Canceling a database is almost an admission of failure. The current climate of fiscal austerity has led institutions to look at database cancellation as one of the primary tools in reining in spending. In this article, the author discusses the "hows" and "whys" of database cancellation.