RE: American Society for Microbiology

[callahap@stjohns.edu (Callahan Patrick)]

I have encountered a few other similar licenses that are seemingly
designed to replicate the multiple print subscriptions for branch
libraries.  We have not subscribed to any titles under these terms for the
same reasons you ennumerate, cost and a network with dynamic IP addresses.  
It also strikes me as an inappropriate model -- the idea that users must
come to the library to use an e-title seems to eliminate the major
advantage of the format.  Perhaps if enough libraries refuse to subscribe
on these terms there will be sufficient pressure to have the license
modified -- no doubt at a higher subscription cost.

Patrick Callahan
Assistant Dean for Collections and Technical Services
St. John's University
Jamaica, NY 11439
(718) 990-6723

-----Original Message-----
From:	David S. Crawford [SMTP:crawford@LIB1.Lan.McGill.CA]
Sent:	Monday, November 23, 1998 6:01 PM
To:	liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
Subject:	American Society for Microbiology


Do other libraries find the proposed American Society for Microbiology
licence rather strange?

The ASM restricts the licence to a BUILDING, charging extra fees for extra
buildings.  At McGill we have a general policy of offering all
library-purchased e-titles to all users and the costs of covering all our
buildings would be far too high.  McGill's IP addresses are not strictly
linked to a building, so even if we wanted to do this we would find it
difficult.

Due to the ASM rules McGill will not be subscribing to their, very useful,
e-journals and Faculty members here who are ASM members are lobbying their
Executive.

Any comments or other ideas?

David S. Crawford
Health Sciences Librarian
McGill University
Montreal,  CANADA