 |
 |
Hi, We have had our online only subscriptions extended through the March 2003 issues for ASM journals, as our subscriptions to ASM journals for 2003 were "renewed" through Divine. It does seem rather strange that the ASM can't have a gracing period to deal with normal problems caused during the renewal process, when it has recognised the problems faced by Divine customers this subscription year. On a positive note, at least ASM does send out an email to libraries to tell them that their subscription has expired, although by that time the subscription has already been cut off, causing frustration for our users, and extra work for all parties involved. If everyone who has subscriptions to ASM journals and supports a gracing period could email [log in to unmask] or go to the following web page http://www.asm.org/interact.htm where you can pose questions for ASM, maybe we could get ASM to change their minds. Cheers Lesley ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lesley Crawshaw, Faculty Information Consultant, Learning and Information Services, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, AL10 9AB UK ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ e-mail: [log in to unmask] phone: 01707 284662 fax: 01707 284666 web: http://www.herts.ac.uk/lis/subjects/natsci/ejournal/ list owner: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -----Original Message----- From: An informal open list set up by the UK Serials Group [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Frank Norman Sent: 13 February 2003 15:02 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Amer Soc Microbiol - no grace I've been encouraged over the last year or so to see that publishers are becoming more gracious when it comes to e-journal subscription problems, and allowing electronic access to continue for a period of time to allow problems to be resolved. The American Society for Microbiology does not seem to have caught up with this industry trend. They have a hard cut-off policy: no money, no access. Our 2003 renewal got messed up when the invoice went astray with the result that our agents did not paid for our ASM subscriptions. OK, so mistakes happen. Soon after this in mid-January online access was switched off. The agents have since been battling with ASM to get the invoice and begging them to restore online access. I also emailed ASM pointing out that we were customers of long-standing and asking for electronic gracing. Replies to emails were not forthcoming. I have just spoken to ASM subscriptions on the phone and was told that this is a firm policy of the publisher and there was no point in my complaining because it would not change. Have other subscribers experienced similar problems with ASM? Can we convince them that they are doing themselves no favours by this policy? Frank Norman, Librarian. National Institute for Medical Research The Ridgeway, Mill Hill, London NW7 1AA, UK tel 020 8816 2227 fax 020 8816 2230 email [log in to unmask]