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

[Boone, Susan]

If it were me, I'd respond to the faculty member once you identify whatever seems appropriate in this circumstance to rebuild trust that the Library is in fact working with faculty and the curriculum in mind. (If at all possible, maybe consider soliciting feedback from other members of that department or identifying alternative resources.)

As for the publisher rep, I find this not simply arrogant but unprofessional:
I'm not sure whether or not staff has even been consulted on this matter (my suspicion is that it was not)

It makes me think that any amount of time and effort responding to the rep would be a complete and total waste of time, as temped as I might be. Reps routinely contact faculty. To have a rep actively trashing your working relationships is unacceptable. That's worthy of a response to the most appropriate person at the publisher.

Please let us know how it plays out.

Best of luck!
Susan
________________________________________
Susan Boone
Collection Management
UCSF Library
tel: 415/476.8410
mailto:susan.boone at ucsf.edu
PPlease kindly consider the environment before printing this email

From: Eril-l [mailto:eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org] On Behalf Of Sathi, Katherine
Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2016 11:01 AM
To: eril-l at lists.eril-l.org
Subject: [Eril-l] Publisher complaint -- how would you respond?

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



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