Re: Control of concurrent users

[Don Wassink <lbdonw@ust.hk>]

I would not interpret 'all resonable endeavours' to include having the
library control the number of concurrent users.  That is unreasonable, and
we've never met a vendor with such a requirement.  If your vendor truly
requires that, then I would start looking for an acceptable alternative.

We routinely and automatically keep statistics on the 'hits' on our
web-server, including individual pages, and how many times the script is
used to access any particular database.  (I guess there are various
software programs that will do this.)  This is useful from a collection
development point-of-view, but it can also be useful for negotiating a
concurrent user license with a vendor.  If, for example, you can show that
a database is accessed on average only 60 times per month, then you can
easily argue for a single user license.  Any reputable vendor should
recognize the merit of such an argument, or again, time to look somewhere
else.

Don Wassink
Associate University Librarian
Hong Kong University of Science & Technology

_____

On Thu, 23 Mar 2000 22:47:15 EST M.R.Doig@derby.ac.uk (M Ros Doig) wrote:

>Dear All
>
>With reference to my query of a few weeks ago, there is a clause in the
>license in question which states 'subscriber shall use all reasonable
>endeavours to restrict and control all use of the data bases.'
>
>Unfortunately it seems that the supplier of the database cannot themselves
>control the number of users! We here cannot control numbers of concurrent
>users on web-based databases etc. We have several hundred PCs on 5 sites!!
>I feel the onus is on suppliers to restrict use, not ourselves. It would
>also seem to make a mockery of their clause which allows them to audit
>use. If they can't control the users , audit would be difficult especially
>at a distance.
>
>Since we only really want one user but the minimum is three , we find the
>supplier's solution to charge us double for unlimited access totally
>unacceptable.
>
>Has anyone else come across this kind of thing and how did you deal with
>it? I certainly can't sign the licence if control is our responsibility.
>Thanks in advance for any advice.
>
>Ros Doig
>Serials and Interlending Librarian
>University of Derby
>Kedleston Rd
>Derby DE22 1GB
>
>Tel.    01332 622222 Ext.1204
>Fax.    01332 622767
>Email.  M.R.Doig@Derby.ac.uk