----- Original message ----------------------------------------
  From: "James, Richard" <RJames@WCUPA.EDU>
  To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
  Received: 5/29/2007 6:41:53 PM
  Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Dealing with password authenticated online content

  >Granted that IP identification is better than password authentification, but- is there
  >any pressing need to be concerned with keeping the passwords confidential? The
  >provider is the loser, in so far as there is a loser in this scenario. What is the
  >downside to a library of having the password for some part of its resources being
  >widely available? It seems less like a problem and more like mission fulfillment.

I'm not the one who gets to, or has to, sign contracts, thank goodness.  I'm just a techie librarian.  However, my understanding from colleagues who see contracts is that in some cases you're contractually obligated to limit access to the login info to those from your institution, etc.  Whether a publisher would know of your violation, or care enough to raise a fuss, is another question. But publicly posting that information would seem to be a pretty blatant request to get hassled by the publisher.

Over the last half dozen years publishers have generally become more willing to provide (and understand the necessity) for IP authentication.  We can only hope that the rest will learn.....but until then we almost never go with anything that requires login and pw for the public.

dan

Show Up, Suit Up, Shut Up, and Follow Directions
dan@riverofdata.com
Dan Lester, Boise, Idaho, USA