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

[Peri, Nina M.]

I agree completely with Theresa - this is a disturbing turn of events.   We had a similar situation with a new vendor reaching out to faculty for new subscriptions and once I explained why it was inappropriate they were very apologetic and began working with the library instead.  They really had no understanding that the purchases/subscriptions came from library funds.

As others have mentioned, I hope the original poster will share the eventual outcome.

Best regards,
Nina

Nina Peri, MSLS
Collection Development Librarian for Licensed Resources
Project Coordinator, DigitalCommons at Fairfield
Fairfield University, DiMenna-Nyselius Library
1073 North Benson Road
Fairfield, Connecticut 06824
nperi at fairfield.edu<mailto:nperi at fairfield.edu>
203-254-4000 ext. 2039
To learn more about DigitalCommons at Fairfield click here<http://librarybestbets.fairfield.edu/digitalcommons>






From: Eril-l [mailto:eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org] On Behalf Of Arndt,Theresa
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2016 10:43 AM
To: eril-l at lists.eril-l.org
Subject: Re: [Eril-l] Publisher complaint -- how would you respond?

The examples being shared are disturbing, however I just want to mention that sometimes it is just cluelessness on the part of individual reps.  I think it is always worth attempting to explain why the behavior is inappropriate.  We recently had a vendor directly contacting our faculty, and when I explained why that was inappropriate since the library was paying for the subscription they changed their policy.   It was a relatively new company run by enthusiastic people who have never actually worked in a library.  We basically had to educate them about how libraries work!

That said, this does seem like a particularly egregious situation, and I do hope the original poster will let us all know the outcome.

Happy Friday everyone!  - Theresa

Theresa Arndt, MLS
Associate Director for Library Resources and Administration
Library and Information Services
Dickinson College
P.O. Box 1773
Carlisle, PA 17013
voice:  717-245-1750
fax:  717-245-1439
arndtt at dickinson.edu<mailto:arndtt at dickinson.edu>

From: Eril-l [mailto:eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org] On Behalf Of Sally Krash
Sent: Friday, July 29, 2016 8:55 AM
To: eril-l at lists.eril-l.org<mailto:eril-l at lists.eril-l.org>
Subject: Re: [Eril-l] Publisher complaint -- how would you respond?

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<mailto: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
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<mailto: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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