>Date: Fri, 15 Aug 2008 10:59:56 -0700 >To: Bill, Mitch Turitz <turitz@sfsu.edu> >From: Mitch Turitz <turitz@sfsu.edu> >Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Alumni access question > >Bill, > > Thank you for the e-mail. Since I do not do the negotiating with >vendors for our contracts, I do not know if any vendors offer a >discount rate for alumni. They may exist, but I have not dealt with >any. Remember, the vendors are out to make money on this, and as it >is they do not have to worry about storing X number of copies in >warehouses or shipping, binding costs, etc. Since the vendors >usually charge by "what the market will bear" the cost of your >subscription will not only vary from vendor to vendor, but even from >library to library for access to the same titles. > > My feeling is that the typical patron from the surrounding areas >can either come into the library to use the facilities, or go to the >public library to use their database access. The main purpose of a >university is to teach, not to provide online access to everyone in >the world. The public doesn't seem to realize that access to these >databases cost us a lot of money (we spend over a million $ just for >the electronic databases/journals each year. Once the student has >graduated, he/she should not need access to the 200 databases we >have online, just a few which are probably available through the >library. I did hear of a case, over 10 years ago I think, where a >lawyer hired a student to do his legal research for him on >Lexis/Nexis. The lawyer should have been supplied access either >through his employer, or if working for himself buy access directly >through L/N himself and deduct it as an office expense. I think we >and/or the vendors have in our standard agreement with the students >words to the effect, saying they cannot use our databases for >business or reselling or even sharing of the information on the >databases. I think most of the vendors have these on the "click >through" web pages that make you swear you will do everything they >want in order to obtain access to the databases. If you don't agree >with the "click through" agreement, then you are denied access. > > So my feeling is that people who want access to databases for >their job, should pay for it, one way or another. If they want it >for their personal use, the patrons should have sufficient access >through public libraries or be able to purchase personal accounts >directly from the vendor(s). > > Sorry for the long message. This is something our library has >discussed over a number of years now, as well as meetings in ALA on >the same topic. > > We have approximately 20-30,000 students & teachers here >(headcount) who all have access to our databases. We have over >100,000 alumni. To make free access to all our alumni, we would >have to spend significantly more on our databases. This year, >considering the budget crisis in California, we will be lucky to >receive the same amount of money for our collections as we did last >year, not counting for inflation. > > Although that MAY be a marketing tool for the alumni association, >for $1,000 per year, you would get an e-mail account and access to >our wonderful databases. Of course at least half of that money would >have to go to the library for the cost of additional users. Just an >idea you could suggest to your alumni association the next time they >ask you for money. > >-- Mitch > > >At 12:45 PM -0400 8/15/08, Bill wrote: >>Mitch: >> >>Your point below about alumni access is well stated. >> >>Do any or many vendors offer a discount rate for alumni, >>to reach a fair balance between financial realities and >>mandates for enhancing user services >> >>I attempted to use my own university library at Columbia >>as an alumnus, and was not happy to be "locked out" >>of the e-serials collection. >> >> Bill >> >>Bill >> >> >> >>Mitch Turitz wrote: >> >>>Connie, >>> >>> We (San Francisco State University) do not offer online access >>>to alumni from off-campus. Anyone is free to come into our >>>library and use the databases inside the library. That was already >>>taken into account when we planned for the online access in our >>>library. Our licenses are based on the number of users we have, >>>and if we opened the access to alumni, you can be sure the vendors >>>would want more $ for increasing our potential user base. And we >>>are not even talking about the restrictions of some vendors as to >>>how far away a user can be from the campus to access the database. >>>That is not a limitation of hardware or software but of some >>>vendors' imagination. >>> >>> My recommendation would be to direct the alumni to a public >>>library to give him/her access to their databases. >>> >>>---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>>Date: Tue, 12 Aug 2008 13:39:02 -0500 >>>From: Connie Foster <mailto:connie.foster@WKU.EDU><connie.foster@WKU.EDU> >>>Subject: Alumni access question >>> >>>Do any of you license databases to include alumni, particularly >>>internationally based alums? >>>connie foster >>> -- _^_ _^_ (___)-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ( ___ ) | | | | | | Mitch Turitz, Serials Librarian | | | | San Francisco State University Library | | | | voice: (415) 338-7883 | | | | CFA: (415) 338-6232 | | | | FAX: (415) 405-0394 | | | | | | (___)-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-==- ( ___ ) V V "The most important resource in any library goes home at night." -Tom Galante, at the "Transforming Your Staff" session during ALA annual, June 2007, Washington, D.C.
