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

[Sally Krash]

I had this happen once in my previous library. An OA publisher/platform
provider actually put up a notice on their website (limited to our IP range)
that stated that the XX Library did not support their platform. How
unprofessional! A professor sent us the information, and mind you, he was
not asking us to provide support, he just was asking us what was going on.
The provider had never even reached out to the library to ask us to provide
support. Our response? A decision was made to pay the fee for membership
support of the platform. I could not believe it. That will only encourage
this kind of activity, but the decision was made above my level.

 

Sally

 

From: Eril-l [mailto:eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org] On Behalf Of Boone,
Susan
Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2016 5:01 PM
To: Sathi, Katherine; eril-l at lists.eril-l.org
Subject: Re: [Eril-l] Publisher complaint -- how would you respond?

 

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> 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

314.935.3363

 

 

 

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