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Dutch/German library joint licencing principles and guidelines 

This may be of interest to many on liblicense-l, particularly our
European readers.

__________________________

Forwarded message:
Date:         Mon, 3 Nov 1997 14:12:00 -0500
Subject:      Dutch/German library joint licencing principles and guidelines
              for negotiations with publishers
To: IFLA-L@INFOSERV.NLC-BNC.CA

The Dutch scientific libraries together with a large number of German
university libraries have decided to take a joint stand in the
negotiations with publishers.

The libraries have determined premises for entering into electronic
licencing agreements and they will be forming consortia to that end.
Against the monopolization of the publishing world, which has recently
reached a new high with the merger of Reed Elsevier and Wolters Kluwer,
the libraries are setting a far-reaching, supranational form of
cooperation.

The UKB Consortium of the Dutch university libraries, the library of the
Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences and the Royal Library, and university
libraries in a large number of German Federal States aim to advance
access to electronic information. This can have a stimulating effect on
international communication between scientists and students. The
libraries are convinced that electronic access to scientific journals may
also lead to cost-effectiveness for the publishers.

The libraries have developed "Licencing Principles" (see
cwis.kub.nl/~dbi/cwis/licprinc.htm) that will be used from now on as
guidelines in their negotiations with publishers.

Some elements of these guidelines are:

 - the possibility to provide access to electronic information to students
and scientists independent of their whereabouts;
 - libraries will make fair use of electronic information and do not wish,
along with copyright holders, that this information should seep away
through the Internet. To unauthorized persons access will be denied;
 - stipulations by publishers, preventing libraries from cancelling
subscriptions in order to be able to obtain electronic journals on fair
conditions, are rejected;
 - a subscription to the printed journal should also lead, after a short
transition period, to free access to the electronic version beside;
 - an electronic journal should be made available much cheaper than the
printed journal, if a library  wants to subscribe exclusively to the
electronic version.

The Dutch libraries invite libraries in other countries, in particular in
Germany and the United Kingdom, to follow this initiative as the issues
have an international character and the publishers also are operating on
an international level.

October, 28th, 1997

Note for the press:

More information can be given by:

J.D. Gilbert MA bibliothecaris Universiteit van Maastricht;
tel.: 043 - 388 3404
Mr J.P.J. Geleijnse bibliothecaris KU Brabant;
tel.: 013 - 466 2121
Dr A.C. Klugkist bibliothecaris RU Groningen;
tel.: 050 - 3635005


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