Re: Elsevier Web Editions license

[Ken Slagle <keslagle@lib.NMSU.Edu>]

It is not that publishers do not appreciate how electronic information is
used. They simply do not want to interrupt the flow of money from the
library's pocket to their's. As long as we try to find logic in the
behavior of businessmen and attempt to be 'nice' about this, they will
always attempt to take advantage of us. It is genetic.


Kennith Slagle
Head of Collection Services
University Library
New Mexico State University
Box 30006/Dept. 3475
Las Cruces, NM  88003-8006
Phone: 505-646-4228
FAX:   505-646-7477
Email: keslagle@lib.NMSU.edu

_____

At 03:04 AM 1/28/00 EST, you wrote:
>I don't entirely understand why publishers have such restrictive practices.
>
>I work at a multi-site university ( every campus offers different 
>courses) and experience similar difficulties with regard to access for all 
>our sites.  As well as the legalities, doesn't this also have technical 
>implications?  We operate a single network for all our campuses regardless 
>of location and currently cannot readily differentiate between which IP 
>addresses are being used by what site. Our Computing Services tell me that 
>eventually that they could set up this kind of identification but it isn't 
>a priority at the moment.
>
>And what about distance learners and others who want remote access?
>Universities these days have registered students world wide - to restrict 
>electronic journals to use in particular locations just as if they were 
>print is complete nonsense. The whole point of the web is that is 
>accessible to all from anywhere and universities are making use of this to 
>provide courses but often it seems resource support is being severely 
>limited.
>
>Students and staff can only be in one place at once whether that be in the 
>library, laboratory, at home etc . It doesn't make sense to them that they 
>may have to travel to another location to access something electronically 
>when they have the technology on the desk they happen to be using at the 
>time.
>
>Some publishers don't seem to know or appreciate how their electronic 
>publications are being used.
>It's all very frustrating.
>
>Ros Doig
>Serials and Interlending Librarian
>University of Derby
>Kedleston Rd
>Derby DE22 1GB
>UK