***Ian quoted me and said:
---------------------
" In this scenario, why not contact the organization/pub, explain the
situation, and ask them?"

You have to make an actuarial calculation that 1.) it might not be in
their material interest to be straight with you and 2.) that their
material interest might trump their sense of fair play.  It has been
known to happen.
---------------------

***Of course.  In this case, I figure it is them or me.  I can be honest
& aboveboard with them and hope for the same in return.  Whether they
are or are not isn't a burden upon my conscience.

***It would, however, solve my dilemna of "should I or shouldn't I?"  If
I were ready to do what I thought expedient - or honest, or ethical, for
that matter, I'd not be wondering & therefore would not inquire, but
would go ahead and act upon that readiness.

Jeanette L. Skwor
Cofrin Library
University of WI-Green Bay
(920) 465-2670

-----Original Message-----
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum
[mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Ian Woodward
Sent: Thursday, June 01, 2006 3:05 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] PlainZix RE: [SERIALST] Institutional versus
personal subscriptio ns

" In this scenario, why not contact the organization/pub, explain the
situation, and ask them?"

You have to make an actuarial calculation that 1.) it might not be in
their material interest to be straight with you and 2.) that their
material interest might trump their sense of fair play.  It has been
known to happen.

Taking the donation might be an ethical violation if one in purchasing
the individual subscription understood himself to be agreeing to a
particular set of terms as a condition of the purchase and the
publisher's terms do not violate public policy.  The terms would have to
be obtrusively stated to bind the subscriber morally (though perhaps not
legally) as such terms would be against the grain of common sense
understandings people have about their freedom to dispose of their
property.

One minor point:
   The higher prices are not derived from the difference in the trade
elasticity of demand for the product, but by the fact that libraries and
individuals have systemically different utility functions.  The utility
function also influences the value of the trade elasticity.  The trade
elasticity refers to the consumers' sensitivity to price changes, not
the price the consumer is willing to pay for a given quantity.

Whenever you are negotiating over a purchase price, an effort at price
discrimination is taking place.  IW

I.  Woodward
Serials Office
Colgate University Libraries
201L McGregory Hall
13 Oak Drive
Hamilton, N.Y. 13346
Ph.:   315-228-7306
Fax:   315-228-7029

(previous emails snipped for bandwidth)