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

[Harker, Karen]

I agree that this step is unethical.  I would first send this up the publisher's chain of command - was this from a single rep, or from the CEO?  If this was the action of a jilted service rep, but not approved by their admin, then report it, as well as your displeasure with this approach.  However, if this action was supported by or directly from those in the upper echelons of the company, then, please, share this publisher's info with the rest of the community.

Also, you will need to respond to the faculty who received this email.  Unfortunately, you will have to do some damage control.  However, if you were diligent in your methods, you have nothing to hide or worry about.  You should be able to produce the documentation that supports your decisions, and the faculty will understand.

Karen R. Harker, MLS, MPH
Collection Assessment Librarian
University of North Texas Libraries
1155 Union Circle, #305190
Denton, Texas 76203-5017
940-565-2688
http://librariesareforuse.wordpress.com

From: Eril-l [mailto:eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org] On Behalf Of Sathi, Katherine
Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2016 1:01 PM
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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