DLF Model License Announced -- Of Possible Interest

[Ann Okerson <aokerson@pantheon.yale.edu>]

NEWS RELEASE
April 24, 2001
For Immediate Release					
Contact:    Daniel Greenstein
202-939-4762

DLF Endorses Model License for Electronic Access

Washington, D.C.-The 26 research library members of the Digital Library
Federation (DLF) have endorsed a model agreement for licensing electronic
resources developed by the LIBLICENSE Project at Yale University. DLF's
review and endorsement of the agreement was undertaken as part of its
ongoing effort to identify best practices for digital resources.

The project has also created LIBLICENSE software that university
librarians, academic publishers, and others may download for free and use
to create and customize their own electronic resources licenses.  The
model license, the software, and much helpful information about
contracting for digital resources may be found on the LIBLICENSE Web site:
<http://www.library.yale.edu/~llicense/index.shtml>. The model license, in
particular, is available at:
<http://www.library.yale.edu/~llicense/modlic.shtml>

The LIBLICENSE Project arose out of recognition that new business
arrangements were needed if libraries were to obtain the right to provide
scholars, teachers, students, and other patrons with access to rapidly
growing numbers of electronic publications and other digital information
resources not in the public domain.  For print materials, libraries simply
purchase copies of books and journals, which they circulate freely to
their patrons. For electronic information under copyright, however,
librarians increasingly find themselves having to negotiate licenses with
publishers for access rights.

To help librarians, vendors, publishers, and others understand electronic
licensing and negotiate effective agreements, Ann Okerson, associate
university librarian, along with a team of Yale staff, launched the
project's Web site in 1996 with a grant from CLIR, and they subsequently
developed the model agreement and customizing software with financial
support from the DLF, which operates under CLIR's organizational umbrella.
The model license was developed through extensive consultation with
librarians, publishers, lawyers, and university licensing officials. The
project also includes an e-mail discussion list, liblicense-l, with about
2,500 subscribers internationally.

The intent has been to produce guidance that is fair to all parties.  If
warranted by experience, the license will be revised; comments may be sent
by e-mail to Ann.Okerson@yale.edu.

The Digital Library Federation is a consortium of libraries and related
agencies that are pioneering in the use of electronic-information
technologies to extend their collections and services. Through its
members, the DLF provides leadership to libraries broadly by� 

� identifying standards and "best practices" for digital collections and
  network access 
� coordinating leading-edge research and development 
� helping start projects and services that libraries need but cannot
  develop individually.

The Council on Library and Information Resources is a private, nonprofit
organization that works in partnership with the nation's libraries,
archives, and universities to develop and encourage collaborative
strategies for preserving and providing access to the accumulated human
record, and to help them adapt to changes produced by digital information.

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