Re: Some background information on agreement UKB & Elsevier Science

[David Goodman <dgoodman@Princeton.EDU>]

I can understand how in the Netherlands Elsevier is seen as an institution
deserving continuing national support. I am not sure that other countries
could think it justifiable to commit themselves on a national basis to
guaranteeing the existence of any particular commercial publisher.  This
does not mean that I think it necessarily irrational for an individual
institution to subscribe to Elsevier titles, some of which are excellent.

David Goodman
Biology Librarian, and
Co-Chair, Electronic Journals Task Force
Princeton University Library
dgoodman@princeton.edu         http://www.princeton.edu/~biolib/
phone: 609-258-3235            fax: 609-258-2627

_________________


Azim Koning (UBA) wrote:

> Amsterdam, 27 June 2000
> 
> BACKGROUND INFORMATION
> 
> Agreement between academic libraries in the Netherlands and Elsevier
> Science
> 
> Last year, the academic libraries in the Netherlands, associated in UKB
> (all University Libraries, the Royal Library, and the library of the Royal
> Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) took up a position in the debate
> on developments referring scientific information. One of its important
> elements focused on the price increases of scientific journals, another
> element on the gradual though rapid transition into digital information.
> 
> Since August 1999, UKB has arranged a series of consultations with some
> large publishers on the subjects mentioned above. Meanwhile, UKB came to
> an agreement with the world's largest publisher of scientific information
> - Elsevier Science - on all items discussed. The agreement will last for
> five years (2000 - 2004). Arrangements have been made on the price
> development for the forthcoming years, on the availability of the digital
> versions of journals published by Elsevier Science. 
...