[Eril-l] alternative to WestLaw or Lexis?

Fri Dec 7 08:04:27 PST 2018

Hi all,

We picked up HeinOnline in spring 2017 in the hopes of canceling Nexis Uni, which we had been unhappy with for quite some time. However, a faculty member in Gov/Law asked us to keep Nexis, stating that it’s still the industry standard for those going into law-related fields.

Then this spring, with the implementation of the GDPR, LN sent us a notice of a change in terms that in essence required us to be responsible for patron data privacy (as opposed to most of our other vendors, who sent us notices of changes to how they would handle data privacy). We couldn’t agree to those terms, and LN refused to negotiate, so we canceled.

To compensate for some faculty research needs, we picked up a few extra Hein components to cover early case law and historical state statutes. As an aside, we had been using Nexis for current int’l news coverage, so we also subscribed to ProQuest’s Global NewsStream. Even with these additions, we’re still paying less than what we were paying for Nexis Uni.

One important note about FastCase, mentioned previously, is that for state court decisions, they cover 1950-present for most states, with a few exceptions (some earlier, some later): https://www.fastcase.com/coverage/ <https://www.fastcase.com/coverage/> . We’ve been told by Hein reps that FastCase is working actively with state bar associations to expand coverage on this front.

We’ve been very happy relying on Hein so far. It’s cheaper than LN, much more user-friendly, and I’ll echo Iris’s note about their customer service — from sales rep to tech support, they’ve all been easy to work with. Happy to talk in more detail off-list if you’d like.

Be well,
Ben
----
Ben Jahre
Head of Electronic Resources
124 Skillman Library
Lafayette College
610-330-5631

> On Dec 6, 2018, at 11:18 AM, Bobbi-Jean Ludwig <ludwigbj at unk.edu> wrote:
> 
> Hi,
>  
> I definitely have to second, or third HeinOnline.  At my previous university, we cancelled LexisNexis when it was switching to NexisUNI and replaced it with HeinOnline.  At my current place, we’ve added it, but are probably not yet at the point where can cancel NexisUNI, even though I would love to!
>  
> HeinOnline is definitely more user-friendly than NexisUNI, and they are great to work with!
>  
> -Bobbi
> Bobbi-Jean Ludwig, MLIS
> Coordinator for Library Technology Services & E-Resources Librarian
> Calvin T. Ryan Library - University of Nebraska – Kearney
> 2508 11th Avenue
> Kearney, NE  68849-2240
> email:  ludwigbj at unk.edu <mailto:ludwigbj at unk.edu>  phone: 308-865-8585
>  
>  
>  
> From: Eril-l <eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org> On Behalf Of van Sickle, Jennifer
> Sent: Wednesday, December 5, 2018 11:04 AM
> To: eril-l at lists.eril-l.org
> Subject: [Eril-l] FW: alternative to WestLaw or Lexis?
>  
> We are very happy with  HeinOnline.  They’re an excellent value for the content we get, and it’s definitely student-friendly.  We also have Lexis-Nexis/Nexis UNI, which is very heavily used. 
>  
>  
> Jennifer L. van Sickle M.L.S.
> Science and Electronic Resources Librarian
> Trinity College Library
> 300 Summit St.
> Hartford, CT USA 06106
>  
> 860-297-2250
>  
> Jennifer.vansickle at trincoll.edu <mailto:Jennifer.vansickle at trincoll.edu>
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
>  
> From: Eril-l <eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org <mailto:eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org>> On Behalf Of Wardzala, Susan
> Sent: Wednesday, December 5, 2018 11:21 AM
> To: Beth M. Johns <bmjohns at SVSU.edu <mailto:bmjohns at SVSU.edu>>; ERIL-L <eril-l at lists.eril-l.org <mailto:eril-l at lists.eril-l.org>>
> Subject: Re: [Eril-l] alternative to WestLaw or Lexis?
>  
> Hi Beth,
>  
> I am not sure if this is geared enough to undergrads, but I really like HeinOnline for legal/government sources.
>  
> Susan
>  
>  
>  
> Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
>  
>  
> -------- Original message --------
> From: "Beth M. Johns" <bmjohns at SVSU.edu <mailto:bmjohns at SVSU.edu>>
> Date: 12/5/18 8:10 AM (GMT-06:00) 
> To: ERIL-L <eril-l at lists.eril-l.org <mailto:eril-l at lists.eril-l.org>>
> Subject: [Eril-l] alternative to WestLaw or Lexis? 
>  
> Hi -- this is a long shot since legal materials tend to be rather unique, but I thought I'd try. 
>  
> Is there an alternative to WestLaw or Lexis that really focuses on undergraduates who are probably not going to law school for the most part?
>  
> The reason I ask is that I am really tired of dealing with arrogance at WestLaw. We briefly had access to Lexis a few years ago and encountered the same arrogance. They are really very focused on law schools and law firms and not particularly interested in undergraduate education. That's my feeling anyway. 
>  
> I'm just trying to see what is out there -- with maybe somewhat comparable content. 
>  
> Thanks!
>  
> Beth M. Johns, MLIS
> E-Resources Librarian
> Saginaw Valley State University
> Melvin J. Zahnow Library
> _______________________________________________
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