-------- Original Message --------
Subject: loss of access to an IOP title
Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2003 16:45:57 -0500
From: "V. Rani Sinha" <sinhav@mail.lafayette.edu>

Dear colleagues,
I would appreciate your help in developing a management strategy to
cover a particular type of loss of holdings, i.e., loss of access to an
e-journal and its electronic backfile due to the publisher
"transferring" the title to another publisher who does not provide
access.  I have recently had my first brush with this type of
loss/theft, and while I am angry, I realize this will always be a
growing risk in the future.

Last fall, Lafayette College was informed that one title in a package of
IOP (Institute of Physics) journals would be transferred to Sage
Publications but not to worry.  Sage would provide access to the current
issues and a backfile dating from 1993.  By the way, both IOP and Sage
are headquartered in London.  The serials assistant tried mightily to
find out about access information from Sage, but no one replied to her
e-mails.

Last week, I was able to contact Sage in the U.S., and to my puzzlement,
I learned that Sage does not publish electronic journals.  Any
electronic access to Sage publications must come through a subscription
to Ingenta or ECO (Electronic Collections Online), two journal
aggregator services.

When I asked IOP in Philadelphia to explain this to me, I was told that
the most knowledgeable people were attending a very important conference
in Austin, TX.  I was assured that IOP would not knowingly have
transferred a journal to a publisher who could not provide comparable
access, but there, it was done.  As for the idea that our $13,000-plus
IOP invoice might be adjusted to reflect the loss of a title, well, I'd
have to wait for that entire delegation to return from Texas.

I have come to the conclusion that Lafayette's account with IOP has been
handled poorly.  We have lost access to a journal and its backfile, and
unlike the usual investigation of a case involving theft or destruction
of library property, we cannot have the satisfaction of seeking any
justice, because this event was legally sanctioned by the user agreement
willingly signed by me.

Can anyone help me see beyond the veil of egg covering my face?  Thanks
very much.
Sincerely,
Rani

Vaswati R. Sinha (Ms.)
Serials & Acquisitions Librarian
Skillman Library
Lafayette College
710 Sullivan Road
Easton, PA  18042-1797
ph : (610) 330-5636
e-mail : sinhav@lafayette.edu