Re: Serials Payments Dates

["Anthony Watkinson" <anthony.watkinson@btopenworld.com>]

There is a difference of view among publishers about turning off access to
e-sources at the start of a new year. In the print environment some
publishers have always allowed grace copies i.e. they send out the first
issue even if the subscription has not been entered for the year in
question. Others do not - they argue that if they have not received the
money they do not supply. The difference in approach is carried in to the
digital environment.

There is a battle between agents and publishers being carried on here. It
is in the interest of the agents to pay the publishers as late in the year
as possible for the subscriptions coming in to play in the year following.
Many publishers are unwilling to recognise a subscription until they have
the money in their hands. 

Anthony Watkinson 
14, Park Street, 
Bladon
Woodstock 
Oxfordshire England OX20 1RW 
phone +44 1993 811561 and 
fax +44 1993 810067

----- Original Message -----
From: "Frederick Friend" <ucylfjf@ucl.ac.uk>
To: "liblicense-l" <liblicense-l@lists.yale.edu>
Sent: Saturday, November 09, 2002 1:49 AM
Subject: Serials Payments Dates

> The problem is not turning off access. Publishers are generally very
> helpful about that. The problem is that many libraries fix their budgets
> around September and need to know what their commitments will be. The
> delay in notifying us of firm prices is an old problem. Ann Okerson will
> remember the "Firm Prices" initiative ARL and SCONUL organised around ten
> years ago, which was successful in getting early notification of prices
> for a while but the good practice seems to have lapsed.
>
> Fred Friend