Do publishers supply subscription agents with their online gracing periods?
If agents could collect and redistribute this information along side the
titles the library subscribes to, it might help focus the "checking."
There is no point in trying to verify access in February if the publisher
graces through the end of February.

In an ideal world such checking would not be needed.  I keep hoping that
one of the ONIX for Serials messages  (perhaps the SPS--Serials Products
and Subscriptions) will be able to achieve Patty's first point--automated
confirmation of renewal and access.

Susan

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

--On Tuesday, February 20, 2007 4:52 PM -0500 Andrea Serra
<anserra@VASSAR.EDU> wrote:

> Patty,
>
> I would be interested to hear how others are handling this problem. I
> tend to check access as the confirmations come in as well as checking the
> "worst offenders" at this time of the year but would love to hear if
> someone's discovered a more efficient way. Of course, our reference
> librarians and patrons will tell us if something is not working but it
> would be nice to have a jump on it.
>
> Andrea
> Library Assistant, Electronic Serials
> Vassar College Libraries
> anserra@vassar.edu
>
> At 04:16 PM 2/20/2007, you wrote:
>> Hello Colleagues,
>>
>> Every beginning of the year (about January-March) our library loses
>> access to several online journals of which we actively subscribe.  We
>> work through a serials vendor, and they contact the publisher whenever
>> we lose access.  The reason for lost access may be a  payment
>> discrepancy, license signing need, IP address question or some kind of
>> incorrect information in the publisher's record for our subscription.
>>
>> I know this problem of early-year lost access occurs with many
>> libraries. I would like to hear your ideas or best practices on how to
>> avoid losing online access.
>>
>> Some ideas that I have considered:
>> --Requesting a letter from each publisher in December verifying that we
>> have paid for the subscription and that we will have access (we would
>> have our agent do this, but it is still time-consuming)
>> --Requesting a refund for each day that we do not have access
>>
>> Please share your ideas.  I will summarize for the list.
>>
>> Patty Wood
>> Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
>
>