Re: Library consortia and e-resource vendors/publishers

[Wayne Smith <wsmith@greenwood.com>]

I certainly welcome Bernie Sloan's recent email concerning library
consortia and e-resource vendors.  I hope it gives rise to an informative
discussion.

I've polled some of my staff and have identified a couple of questions,
reflecting the publisher perspective. First question simply has to do with
whether and to what extent there is a preferred approach publishers should
adopt when it comes to contacting consortia in connection with licensing
electronic resources.  I suspect this goes to the heart of Bernie's
comment that "consortia can be difficult to understand if you have no
direct experience..."  With new e-resource vendors emerging on a regular
basis, the potential for confusion is present.  By the same token, it
would seem that all parties would have a vested interest in assuring that
the information flow regarding products, prices, licensing terms and other
issues of interest to consortia is delivered in a manner that is useful
and timely.  Thus, from the e-resource vendor/publisher point of view, I
would think that any "do's and don'ts" in this regard would be useful to
hear.

Also of interest, would be any comments relating to libraries that have
overlapping memberships in multiple consortia - and thus variable sales
terms.  Finally, how do consortia deal with member libraries who may have
bought a particular product, prior to negotiating terms or perhaps more
favorable terms for a particular product at the consortia level?

						Wayne Smith
						Greenwood Publishing Group

On Fri, 14 Jan 2000, Sloan, Bernie wrote:

> Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2000 15:38:38 EST
> From: "Sloan, Bernie" <bernies@uillinois.edu>
> Reply-To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
> To: "'liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu'" <liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu>
> Subject: Library consortia and e-resource vendors/publishers
> 
> 
> I've been involved with library consortia for about 25 years. For the past
> 10 years I've been involved with selecting and purchasing electronic
> resources for library consortia.
> 
> >From my experience, e-resource vendors and publishers understand consortia
> better than they did ten years ago. But I have the impression that there is
> still a fair amount that vendors and publishers don't understand about
> consortia. I don't necessarily mean that as a negative comment about
> vendors/publishers. Consortia can be difficult to understand if you have no
> direct experience in that area.
> 
> I'm doing some research into the relationships between consortia and
> vendors/publishers, and I'd like to get some input from practitioners:
> 
> 1. If you're affiliated with an e-resource vendor or publisher, are there
> things you'd like to understand better about consortia?
> 
> 2. If you're affiliated with a library consortium, are there things that you
> wish publishers/vendors understood better about consortia?
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Bernie Sloan
> Senior Library Information Systems Consultant
> University of Illinois Office for Planning and Budgeting
> 338 Henry Administration Building
> 506 S. Wright Street
> Urbana, IL  61801
> Phone:  (217) 333-4895
> Fax:      (217) 333-6355
> E-mail:  bernies@uillinois.edu
> 
>