[Eril-l] Off-campus access to licensed databases

[Jamane Yeager]

I'm late reading this, but I can tell you as the electronic access librarian, my duty is to make sure that members of my academic community, students, faculty and staff have access to the licensed databases that they pay for. I have to read each one of our licenses to see if they allow community users to access our databases inside the library.  Of course there are a few that don't, so we have to restrict these databases to just our members, no community members allowed. If that being said, community members outside the library have not paid for the use of the academic library databases and I'm really sorry that they can' use them offsite. But I don't think any or many academic institutions can afford to get access for all the community, for us that would be cost prohibitive. Our state has a large population of electronic resources that all members of the state are able to access, but becoming a member of the public library. Their license(s) are different from ours and support a different clientele. I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think this is a violation of the American with Disabilities Act. If he/she is a student, faculty or staff member then I could understand. But if not a member of your institution, I could see them talking to their public library.
JYeager

From: Eril-l [mailto:eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org] On Behalf Of Colson, Jeannie
Sent: Monday, May 04, 2015 4:43 PM
To: Franco, Adrienne; Sara Brownmiller; eril-l at lists.eril-l.org
Subject: Re: [Eril-l] Off-campus access to licensed databases

Walk-in access is required for all of our licenses. That's still different from online access. I refer patrons to the public library's electronic resources. But, I'm not an attorney, don't play one on TV, and am not giving advice, just a couple of pennies.

~Jeannie Colson
281-425-6497
jcolson at lee.edu<mailto:jcolson at lee.edu>

From: Eril-l [mailto:eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org] On Behalf Of Franco, Adrienne
Sent: Friday, May 01, 2015 4:49 PM
To: Sara Brownmiller; eril-l at lists.eril-l.org<mailto:eril-l at lists.eril-l.org>
Subject: Re: [Eril-l] Off-campus access to licensed databases

Apologies for my hasty initial response below.  I had somehow skipped over your first sentence indicating that you do allow community patrons to use your licensed resources when they are in the library.
I see this makes the issue more complex.
One option is to speak with your college lawyer.

Adrienne

From: Franco, Adrienne
Sent: Friday, May 01, 2015 5:21 PM
To: 'Sara Brownmiller'; eril-l at lists.eril-l.org<mailto:eril-l at lists.eril-l.org>
Subject: RE: Off-campus access to licensed databases

My cautious reply, since I have no legal expertise, is that this person's argument would have merit only if non-disabled individuals who are NOT affiliated with your institution had access to your databases.
I don't see any discrimination because the access restrictions apply to all nonmembers of your institution regardless of whether or not they are disabled.  So it's not unequal or unfair to inform him of access restrictions.

Adrienne Franco
Senior Reference and Instructional Services Librarian
Iona College
New Rochelle, NY 10801


From: Eril-l [mailto:eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org] On Behalf Of Sara Brownmiller
Sent: Friday, May 01, 2015 5:10 PM
To: eril-l at lists.eril-l.org<mailto:eril-l at lists.eril-l.org>
Subject: [Eril-l] Off-campus access to licensed databases

The UO Libraries allows community patrons to use our licensed resources when they are in the library.

We've had a request from a community patron for off-campus access to our databases because he is disabled and it is difficult for him to get to the library.  He does not have a current or active affiliation with the UO.   When we explained the restrictions on off-campus access to licensed resources, he is making the argument that this may be a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act because this results in unequal/unfair treatment for people who are physically disabled.

Has this question ever come up in your library?   How did you respond?

Thanks, Sara

--------------------------------------------
Sara Brownmiller
Director, Library Systems
University of Oregon Libraries
Eugene, OR 97403-1299
541-346-2368
snb at uoregon.edu<mailto:snb at uoregon.edu>

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