[Eril-l] Publisher complaint -- how would you respond?

Thu Jul 28 11:38:53 PDT 2016

I am especially horrified at this statement “I'm not sure whether or not staff has even been consulted on this matter (my suspicion is that it was not). We have asked them to provide us with some reasons why they have made this decision and will inform you when they get back to us”

This publisher/rep needs to understand the library resources cancellation process and must be reminded about the cancellation or termination process clauses or hardship clauses in the license agreement. You can also provide some reasonable explanation to the publisher and request him/her/them to refrain from directly contacting the faculty. Another option for you could be to provide usage data and check for different access options.  We have been successful in moving our products from IP range based access to a single user based access during the budget reduction and save money and continue to offer access.

As far as your faculty member is concerned, you can perhaps provide usage statistics data (if you tie that to the budget reductions and cancellations) reduced funding figures and information about your cancellation process.  You can also assure them that a careful review of the products was made before making cancellation decisions.  I have always found it helpful to do an overlap analysis before cancelling any products.  This way, if need be, you can always assure them about alternate coverage.

We have a vendor who regularly offers BI sessions for one professor.  In spite of our requests that BI sessions are coordinated at the library and vendor should not provide BI sessions,  this practice has continued because the professor likes the vendor to come and talk to her class.

Sometimes, it is hard to not to get upset but if you work with the understanding that everyone wants to protect their interest and mostly works in good faith, it will be easy for you to be polite and state the facts clearly so there is no further confusion and ill will.

Also, it would be great to come together and develop some kind of standard statement to be used in the license agreement or for communication with the publishers.
My two cents.
Anjana

Thanks & Regards.
Anjana.

Anjana  H. Bhatt
University Librarian (Electronic Resources)
Florida Gulf Coast University Library<http://library.fgcu.edu/>
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6501
Office Location: Library West 236
Phone: 239-590-7634<tel:239-590-7634>, Fax: 239-590-7609<tel:239-590-7609>, E-mail: abhatt at fgcu.edu<mailto:abhatt at fgcu.edu>
http://library.fgcu.edu/FAC/abhatt/bhatt.htm
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From: Eril-l [mailto:eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org] On Behalf Of Karen Jensen
Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2016 2:12 PM
Cc: eril-l at lists.eril-l.org
Subject: Re: [Eril-l] Publisher complaint -- how would you respond?

That email is appalling! Vendors/publishers should not be involved in our decision-making other than to provide requested use data, or make a better offer. For them to also imply that the library isn't working with its patrons, planting the seed that the library is not to be trusted, is even worse, with potential long-term implications. I'd love to know who this vendor is and the profession really needs to make a statement in response. Their actions are dirty pool.

Karen Jensen
Collection Development Officer
Rasmuson Library
University of Alaska Fairbanks
907-474-6695
kljensen at alaska.edu<mailto:kljensen at alaska.edu>

On Thu, Jul 28, 2016 at 10:01 AM, Sathi, Katherine <ksathi at wustl.edu<mailto:ksathi at wustl.edu>> wrote:
Hello my fellow beleaguered eresource librarians –

Like many libraries, we are cancelling some subscriptions beginning in 2017, for budgetary reasons.  After consulting with faculty in their respective areas, subject librarians identified titles to cancel to meet their individual budget targets.  I sent the compiled list of cancellations to all subject librarians at the end of May, and my staff begin notifying the vendors and publishers of our cancellation decisions this week.

Today a faculty member forwarded the following email  from a publisher:

“Dear colleagues -- I regret to inform you that your library has taken the decision to stop the subscription to [database name] of Washington University at St Louis, despite steady usage by students during the academic months of the year. I'm not sure whether or not staff has even been consulted on this matter (my suspicion is that it was not). We have asked them to provide us with some reasons why they have made this decision and will inform you when they get back to us.  We would be grateful if you could take this issue up with your library representative, if you wish your students to benefit from continued access to the LE. Let me know if I can provide you with further details.  Thank you for your attention and support, as ever, xxx”

The faculty member asked us, “Can you please let us know when and how this decision to cancel was made and whether faculty were involved?”  (The database was paid for from one subject area, the faculty members contacted by the publisher are in a different department).

I’m curious to know, how would you respond to the faculty member?  What would you say to the publisher, if anything?

Thanks,
Kate
Kate Sathi
Databases/Serials Librarian
Washington University in St. Louis
ksathi at wustl.edu<mailto:ksathi at wustl.edu>
314.935.3363<tel:314.935.3363>

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