Hi Jeanette,

In an ideal world, all this would be spelled out in perfectly clear detail in the license agreement.  That said, we have had experience here with a large scholarly publisher providing access to the beginning of holdings, and more recently deciding to change that to access to 2000-, and offering the “archival” access for another annual charge.  I daresay, this is not a unique occurance.

 

A thinker-librarian at UW Madison (can’t remember her name) recently spoke about the need for more transparency from publishers. This is one area where that is necessary.  At the same time, even though we are not lawyers, we really have to negotiate for the best terms for our institutions, familiarize ourselves with the exact terms of the licences if we accept them as is, and see to it that we are holding publishers/intermediaries accountable, when there is a lapse.

 

Karen Bolton

Serials Librarian

bolton@msoe.edu

 

Milwaukee School of Engineering

Walter Schroeder Library

1025 N. Broadway

Milwaukee, WI

53202-3109

 

 

From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Skwor, Jeanette
Sent: Tuesday, November 02, 2010 9:57 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [SERIALST] Confirming E-access dates

 

We are discussing how best to determine exactly what period of access we are supposed to have for each of our electronic titles.  The thought has been put forth to contact the publisher - that publishers would have a set period for all of their titles and we could go by that information.

 

Skeptic that I am, I am a) not trusting publishers actually do have such a policy at the ready, and b) that they do not change it at will.  I am willing, and hoping, actually, to be wrong.

 

So - looking to the cumulated wisdom of Serialsters - any information, thoughts, experience you are willing to share.  If you have set about determining that sort of information, how have you done it, and how successful have you been?  Time involved?  Other thoughts?

 

Thanks,

Jeanette L. Skwor
Serials Dept., Cofrin Library
University of WI-Green Bay
2420 Nicolet Drive
Green Bay, WI  54311-7001

"Libraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries."
                              Anne Herbert, The Whole Earth Catalog