Hi All,

We’re considering the permanent purchase of a set of journal back issues from a professional society, in lieu of a recently increased subscription.

 

The publisher’s license includes this line about archiving “[publisher], in its discretion, will either continue online access to the same material on [publisher]’s server or provide an archival copy in the electronic medium selected by [publisher], at a reasonable cost-based fee.”

 

I recognize that other publishers will often have archival access at no additional cost through LOCKSS or Portico etc, and this appears to require an additional fee.

So far, this particular publisher seems likely to have a different view on what constitutes “reasonable” in this context than I do.

 

Has anyone had the experience of activating a clause like this? Have you seen what a “reasonable cost-based fee” amounts to?

(I’ve also never seen the phrase “cost-based fee” before, have I just missed it elsewhere or is this sort of silly at first blush? What else would a fee be based upon if not a cost? The tears of serials librarians?)

 

Do I have any room for negotiating the terms here? Could I just strike out the part about a fee when I sign and return it? (Assuming we can afford the one-time purchase in any case…)

 

Thanks,

Andrew

 

Andrew M. Kelly

Cataloging & E-Resources Librarian

Paul Smith’s College Library

 

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