Dear All

 

 

Thank you for raising this and the suggestion that we work collectively with archive platforms and publishers to achieve greater transparency – including more publicly available information on the costs, functionality and service levels each platform provides so that institutions can benchmark. As Paola mentioned this is an issue we are looking at and was raised by the Digital Archival Collections advisory group, and by the 12 HEIs in the Jisc’s Digital Archival Collections data pilot last year. The interviews confirmed that platform fees remain of major concern for libraries and fees often fail to take into account an institution’s overall spend and holdings with that provider, the copyright status of the underlying material, do not provide the institution with an archival copy or the means to undertake text and datamining. We know first-hand that hosting and development of archival platforms incur costs but providers should be transparent about what development is taking place and to moderate any increases so that libraries can plan accordingly. Although some requirements for Special Collections and Archive resources are specified in our Collection Management and Development Policy we would like to work with the community to develop a series of principles for the licensing of archive and backfile collections which might form the basis of discussions with providers.

 

It would be helpful if colleagues could respond off list to indicate whether establishing a set of principles along these lines would be useful and to send through any agreements of concern so we can prioritise our discussions.

 

Best wishes

 

 

Anna

 

Anna Vernon Jisc Collections Services Manager

T 020 3006 6005 M 07702332744 Skype [log in to unmask] Twitter @Anna_Vernon Brettenham House (South Entrance), 5 Lancaster Place, London, WC2E 7EN

 

 

 

 

 

Dear All

 

I think the issue here is really about transparency – or lack of it.  We often do not know what the fees will be, other than in the year after we purchase the ‘perpetual’ licence.  Uncertainty is so difficult to deal with when our budgets are under increasing pressure. 

 

So, what can we do about it, collectively and collaboratively?  Personally I think Jisc Collections has a lot of experience in this as part of their negotiation for this type of content so I would like to talk to them about how they approach this on our behalf.  I’m interested to see the outcomes of the current Digital Archival Collections group-purchasing scheme in terms of how publishers engage with it and how they choose to deal with hosting fees for content outside of that scheme.  I definitely think we can benefit from Jisc Collections’ knowledge in this area.

 

I also suspect that we are all talking about the same group of publishers and aggregators.  Maybe we should surface that list and take a joined up approach to talking to them, with the aim of encouraging them to plan ahead, engage in more dialogue and consultation with customers etc etc?  I’m pretty sure that we are of one voice – so let’s work out how to use it constructively.

 

Best wishes

 

Claire Grace | Head of Content & Licensing

Library Services, Learning and Teaching Innovation

The Open University, Level 1, Betty Boothroyd Library, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA
Tel: +44 (0) 1908 653291

 

 

 

 

I agree that paying a ‘Hosting Fee’ is practically the same as a subscription, especially with the cost of some of the hosting fees. 

 

The difficulty that I have with it is in the amount of money that has been spent on the resource.  Where you have paid into the 5 figures for a ‘one off purchase’ it would be difficult to justify cancelling the ‘Hosting Fee’ until the hosting fee passes a tipping point for the institution e.g. (amount paid by institution as a ‘one off fee’ divided by usage) divided by hosting fee – or some such algorithm.  Sandy’s point about adding to the holdings in the future is well made, and I do in in some instances.  However, it still means you are committed to purchasing from the supplier on some level.  As a result it seems the original resource is never really purchased outright.

 

Kind regards

Elizabeth

 

 

Elizabeth McHugh - Electronic Resources Manager

 

University of the Highlands and Islands, Executive Office, Ness Walk, Inverness IV3 5SQ

 

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I’ve found that with some publishers the fee is waived as long as you have a current subscription. In some cases it’s almost worth subscribing to a cheap journal to get the platform fee waived!

 

 

 

I’m happy to see that I’m not the only person who thinks these fees are subscriptions in disguise!  I’ve been trying to convince various providers of electronic resources to waive these fees for our “one-time, perpetual access” purchases, for at least the last 8 years (since I’ve been in collection development).  I’ve been able to convince several of our major providers to waive these fees, either as part of the purchase or as part of an agreement to continue to add to our holdings in the future.  We haven’t refused to pay, but I make a point of cornering the highest-up person at the booth at the ALA conferences and telling them what I think of their ridiculous fees.

 

Sandy

 

Sandy Barstow

Head of Collection Development

University of Wyoming Libraries

Dept. 3334, 1000 E. University Avenue

Laramie, WY 82071

(307) 766-5621

[log in to unmask]

 

 

 

 

Hi All,

 

Sorry for cross posting - which, in this context, means posting while I’m cross…

 

We’ve had a few instances lately where annual fees for accessing resources that we have “bought” have been ratcheted up in a way that makes journal inflation look reasonable. Back in 2014, with a small amount of money left at the end of the year, we bought an online archive, with the understanding that there would be an annual access fee of £50. For the next two years that was the case, but last year, with no warning, we were sent an invoice for £150. When I queried this I was told that they’d moved to a new platform, lots of new functionality, etc. etc. We paid it, because we didn’t really have any choice, but I made my feelings about the unannounced 200% increase very clear. Last night I received the invoice for this year’s access fee: it has now doubled, to £300.

 

I appreciate that everything involves a cost, and I’m not against the principle of paying an annual fee to access something that we “own” – but I really don’t like this situation of fees shooting up every year and there’s nothing we can do about it. It’s becoming a subscription in all but name, and that’s not what we wanted – or have the budget for.

 

I’m of a mind to just cancel it. And to never to buy anything from this supplier ever again. I’m wondering:

 

·         Is this something that bothers you?

·         Does anyone have a strategy for dealing with this?

·         Has anyone ever refused to pay, and lost access to content?

·         Has JISC published some sort of guideline to publishers about this?

 

Thanks all,

 

Tom

 

 

Tom Francis

 

Arweinydd Tîm Caffael Adnoddau Llyfrgell Hugh Owen Prifysgol Aberystwyth Aberystwyth Ceredigion SY23 3DZ

Resources Acquisition Team Leader Hugh Owen Library Aberystwyth University Aberystwyth Ceredigion SY23 3DZ

 

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