Diane, you have hit one of my "hot" buttons!

I have been extremely unhappy with the language publishers/providers are
using such as you describe in your message.

Our library has had several instances where we DID have a subscription and
had properly registered for online access; there was simply a problem at
the publisher's end coordinating the access. Some of our faculty become
quite incensed when they receive a message that the "subscription
expired."  The assumption is always that we cancelled the subscription and
the library is to blame.  Or is that what publishers want our patrons to
believe?

At least one time the message appeared after a trial was over--we NEVER
had a subscription that could expire.  Yet again, the library was being
challenged to renew.  And I had to spend several hours researching the
whole situation to discover that there was never a subscription in the
first place.

I really wish that publishers would find some more library-friendly
language for these messages.  There are enough instances when the problem
is at the publisher's end that the declarative "your subscription has
expired" is simply incorrect.

How about:

"You are currently not entitled to access this material. There are
several reasons why this may be so.  Please contact your library/site
administrator for futher assistance."

Or maybe others on this list have better suggestions?

Susan

############################################################################
Susan Davis
Head, Periodicals
Acquisitions Dept.
University at Buffalo (SUNY)
134 Lockwood Library
Buffalo, NY  14260-2210
(716) 645-2784
(716) 645-5955 fax
unlsdb@buffalo.edu

On Thu, 17 Apr 2003, Stephen Clark wrote:

> Subject:  Misleading statements on e-journal sites
> From:  Diane Paldan <ad1985@wayne.edu>
> Date:  Thu, 17 Apr 2003 13:06:40 -0400
>
>
> Has anyone experienced the frustration of patrons going to a journal
> website and getting the message.
>
> "Institution subscription expired in Jan. 2003"  --- when your
> institution NEVER had a print subscription or online access to the journal.
>
> Some patrons think we just forgot to pay a bill.  Have there been any
> attempts to get publishers to use language that is less misleading --
> more uniform.   It is a PR issue -- but it can be a significant one.
>
>
>
> Diane Paldan
> Serials Librarian
> Serials/Preservation Team
> Resource Services
>
> 159 Science and Engineering Library
> Wayne State University
> Detroit, MI  48202
>
> (313) 577-0222
>
>