CNSLP issues call to vendor community

[Deb deBruijn <debruijn@uottawa.ca>]

[Posted to multiple lists; apologies for duplication.]

Canadian National Site Licensing Project issues call to vendor community
for electronic journals and research databases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(OTTAWA) Friday, May 12, 2000 The Canadian National Site Licensing Project
(CNSLP) is pleased to issue its first call to the publishing and database
vendor community to participate in this innovative project.  The project
is seeking responses, through a Pre-Qualifying Bid process, from vendors
of electronic journals and/or research databases that support scholarly
research in the areas of science, health, engineering and the environment.

The goal of the CNSLP is dramatically to increase the quantity, breadth
and depth of research literature available to Canadian academic
researchers, and to maximize the use and utility of that content through
networked means.  The project is a collaboration of 64 Canadian
universities, and will result in pan-Canadian licenses for electronic
journals and research databases for the country'ss academic research
community.

"The CNSLP is one way in which universities will help design better ways
for scientific information to irrigate their research communities," noted
Jean-Claude Guedon, distinguished scholar and a member of the project's
Advisory Board and Steering Committee. "In the short term, the project
will achieve results that benefit scientists and the university community.  
In the longer term, the CNSLP will also set the stage for collaboration
among researchers, administrators, libraries, publishers and granting
agencies on critical changes to the scholarly publishing process."

Details on the CNSLP and mandatory information for vendors interested in
submitting a pre-qualifying bid are available on the CNSLP web site:
<www.uottawa.ca/library/cnslp/>

Vendor responses submitted through the Pre-Qualifying Bid will be reviewed
by the project's Negotiations Resource Team.  Vendors who have passed the
pre-qualification process may be asked to submit a further proposal
through a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) process.

"The CNSLP is committed to an aggressive schedule of working with vendors
to conclude agreements for the 2000/2001 academic year," said Deb
deBruijn, the project's Executive Director.  "We intend to secure a broad
and diverse portfolio of content from multiple vendors, so that there is a
rich and supportive milieu for researchers throughout Canada to push the
boundaries of their work."

The CNSLP is funded through an award from the Canada Foundation for
Innovation <www.innovation.ca> and contributions from participating
universities and other revenue partners. The University of Ottawa,
Canada's largest bilingual university, acts as project administrator. The
value of the project is Cdn$50 million over three years.

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For more information:

Deb deBruijn
Executive Director
Canadian National Site Licensing Project
Tel: (604) 291-5773 or (613) 562-5883
Fax: (604) 291-3023 or (613) 562-5195
Email: debruijn@uottawa.ca
Deb deBruijn
Executive Director/Directrice g=E9n=E9rale
Canadian National Site Licensing Project
Projet canadien de licences de site nationales
Tel: (604) 291-5773 or/ou (613) 562-5883 (messages)
Fax: (604) 291-3023 or/ou (613) 562-5195
Email: debruijn@uottawa.ca