RE: National Online: Nature and Others... (like SCIENCE)

["David L. Osterbur" <dosterbur@mcb.harvard.edu>]

You are basing that calculation on the assumption that all of those users
represented by the library will actually use the resource.  I believe that
that is very unlikely to happen.  Nature requires that we include all of
the Physical Sciences FTE's in our calculations for such journals as
Nature Cell Biology.  What is the chance that all Physicists will look at
Nature Cell Biology?

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
[mailto:owner-liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu]On Behalf Of Rick Anderson
Sent: Thursday, May 17, 2001 7:19 PM
To: liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu
Subject: RE: National Online: Nature and Others... (like SCIENCE)


> Rick, you have it backwards. The library, who pays the most (on the order
> of several thousand dollars, gets the version without the in-press
> articles. The individual subscriber, who pays much less, gets the version
> with the in-press articles.

No.  The library pays a larger invoice than an individual does, but the
library is not an individual subscriber -- at UNR, it represents about
13,000 users, none of whom has paid anything approaching the cost of an
individual subscription.  In the case of Science: if a student at UNR opts
to spend $77 and subscribe on her own, she gets her own weekly print copy
and online access to pre-publication content (she pays more, and she gets
more).  If she opts to spend nothing, and settle for access through the
library, she has to share a print copy with her compadres and settle for
less-current online access (she pays less, and she gets less).  There is
nothing scandalous about this; in fact, I think I'll go out on a limb and
say that the library and its community get a pretty good deal here --
given that each community member's access costs us about 27 cents.  The
fact that an individual can opt to pay a premium and get a premium service
doesn't make our deal any less acceptable.

-------------
Rick Anderson
Electronic Resources/Serials Coordinator
The University Libraries
University of Nevada, Reno
1664 No. Virginia St.
Reno, NV  89557
PH  (775) 784-6500 x273
FX  (775) 784-1328
rickand@unr.edu