Re: NEJM - change in online access

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

Message from David Goodman at Princeton University:

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2001 14:00:37 -0400
From: David Goodman <dgoodman@Princeton.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list <arl-ejournal@arl.org>
Subject: Re: NEJM - change in online access

If there is truly no site licenses, I would deal with the problem as with
Nature: refuse to enable this inadequate online access, post an
explanation, and instruct the users how to complain to both the publisher
and the editor.

As with Nature, this typically happens with the highest quality titles,
which are so confident of their status that they think that libraries will
accept whatever absurdity they propose. Our experience showed that this
was not the case with Nature, and the publisher eventually understood. The
same happened two years ago with the American Society for Microbiology,
when they proposed institutional licenses linked to specific buildings.
Very few libraries subscribed, very many users complained, the editors
were outraged at the loss of access to their journals, and the society
eventually changed its policy.  The continuing high status of a journal
such as NEJM requires both high editorial standards and wide distribution.

(It surprises me that such a reputable organization like Highwire Press
should cooperate in a scheme such as this.)

Dr. David Goodman
Biology Librarian 
and Digital Resources Researcher
Princeton University Library
Princeton, NJ 08544-0001
phone: 609-258-3235
fax: 609-258-2627
e-mail: dgoodman@princeton.edu

(note: anyone who wishes to transmit my suggestion further has my
permission and encouragement to do so--DG)