Here’s a funny but true
anecdote. We entered a new subscription to an online journal last year. The stated
pricing policy was based on FTE. Someone from the publishing company looked at
the university’s website and got the headcount and based our pricing on the
headcount. We could not convince them come heck or high water that headcount
and FTE are NOT THE SAME.
Ugh!
Sarah Tusa, Associate Professor
Coordinator of Collection Development & Acquisitions
Mary & John Gray Library, Lamar University
PO Box 10021
Beaumont, TX 77710-0021
Ph: 409/880-8125
Fax: 409/880-8225
From: SERIALST: Serials
in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Koveleskie,
Judith
Sent: Thursday, October 08, 2009 9:23 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Just a thought . . .
And another thought. . . .
Since much of the pricing is based on FTE, how do the companies know we are
telling the truth. I scrupulously contact the registrar and human
resources to come up with accurate figures for students and staff, but do the
publishers check on this? Are there people paying at a lower
tier that should be at a higher tier?
I think this is why hotels
started charged a flat rate for rooms, because someone could register as an
individual and then bring in others to spend the night.
Judith A. Koveleskie, MLIS, MA
Periodicals Librarian
Seton Hill University
Reeves Memorial Library
1 Seton Hill Drive
Greensburg, PA 15601-1548
724-838-7828
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From: SERIALST: Serials
in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Sarah
D. Tusa
Sent: Thursday, October 08, 2009 9:50 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Just a thought . . .
I don’t like hotel pricing
policies any more than I do electronic resources pricing, but it’s an
interesting comparison. With hotel rates, it is often the case these days
that the rate for the room is the same whether one person occupies it or
4. But the inequity comes in to play when one considers that a single
occupant is probably not going to use as many towels and linens as a group of 3
or 4. That’s why I have had to bite the bullet and get a roommate for the
NASIG Conferences. I can’t afford $169 or $159 a night by myself.
(I sure was happy to find a $89/night hotel the last time I had to attend a
meeting in Austin, and it was just as comfortable as the overpriced “resort”
hotels! There was no extra charge for high-speed Internet access in the
rooms, and there was a free afternoon drink and snack buffet and
a free breakfast!)
With electronic access, one
doesn’t have to spend money laundering the extra sheets and towels.
However, I do have to admit that I don’t know how much “wear and tear” servers
undergo. Our own servers probably undergo similar wear and tear,
though surely in different proportions, but we don’t charge our own
students according to the amount of wear and tear they place upon our
servers. Maybe we should. Engineering students would complain,
since they could very possibly end up paying the higher fee.
Sarah Tusa, Associate Professor
Coordinator of Collection Development & Acquisitions
Mary & John Gray Library, Lamar University
PO Box 10021
Beaumont, TX 77710-0021
Ph: 409/880-8125
Fax: 409/880-8225
From: SERIALST: Serials
in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Robert
Dowd
Sent: Thursday, October 08, 2009 6:46 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Just a thought . . .
How
about comparing to a hotel room? We each reserve a room with two double
beds, but I'm staying by myself and you are with your spouse and another
couple. Should you pay more? How many people benefit?
Bob
Dowd
Senior Librarian
Documents Section
New York State Library
Cultural Education Center
Empire State Plaza
Albany, NY 12230
518.474.8846
>>> "Skwor, Jeanette" <skworj@UWGB.EDU> 10/7/2009 4:41
PM >>>
And
are you going to record it? My goodness, you potentially are providing an
infinite number of people with (potential) viewership.
(Gasp!)
I
think my head hurts.
Jeanette L. Skwor
Cofrin Library, Serials Dept.
UW-Green Bay
2420 Nicolet Drive
Green Bay, WI 54311
From: SERIALST: Serials
in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Wilma
Dague
Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 2:59 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Just a thought . . .
I think a more appropriate analogy would be charging for every viewer
of a television program. So if we have five people in our family and you
have ten, should you pay more?
Best
regards,
Wilma
Weant Dague
Serials Coordinator
Benedictine College Library
St.
Benedict's Abbey Library
1020 North 2nd St.
Atchison, KS 66002
(913) 360-7610
wdague@benedictine.edu
From: SERIALST: Serials
in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Sarah
D. Tusa
Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2009 9:00 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [SERIALST] Just a thought . . .
This thought just occurred to me: It’s a good thing
that bread manufacturers don’t charge by the number of full-time-equivalent
members of a household, or by the number of “potential users.”
Sarah
Tusa, Associate Professor
Coordinator
of Collection Development & Acquisitions
Mary
& John Gray Library, Lamar University
PO
Box 10021
Beaumont,
TX 77710-0021
Ph:
409/880-8125
Fax: 409/880-8225