Hi all,

This is at a slight tangent but may be of interest... I went to an
Eduserv Athens seminar yesterday for Data Service Providers, i.e. the
people who provide the content to our users. (We at the RCS have two
hats, as we use Athens to access resources but also to protect some of
our own content.)

The area of 'non-affiliated access' to resources for individuals was
something that Eduserv have identified as an issue - they carried out a
survey of users via MyAthens recently, and one of the questions asked
was whether 'you would like continued access to resources when your
organisational affiliation has ended' (or something along those lines).
The feedback was very much in favour, as you'd probably expect. They
admitted that they didn't collect demographic information to further
analyse the details of this demand, and (perhaps crucially...!) didn't
include any mention of this possibly (OK, almost definitely...)
involving subscription payments. It is, though, something that they seem
to see as having potential, and that may allow them to expand further
outside the 'captive' HE/FE/NHS communities.

Clearly, this is something that the content providers would need to buy
into as an idea - there'd be all the usual aspects of subscription level
setting, licence terms etc. to work through. There did seem to be some
interest from them (I say "them" - I don't think I'm one!), though, and
it was the subject of an afternoon workshop (that I didn't attend -
sorry!). My immediate thoughts were whether this would provide any value
beyond a straight personal subscription other than the convenience of
acessing resources within a single Athens account (e.g. some sort of
discount?) - can't really comment at the moment. 

I think it's a case of 'watch this space' - but it's not totally out of
the question as a development, albeit probably as a 'user-pays' concept
rather than one in which a body purchases content and makes it available
to independent individuals.

Tom.

Tom Bishop
Information Services Manager
The Royal College of Surgeons of England Library
35-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields
London WC2A 3PE
 
020 7869 6530 
[log in to unmask]


-----Original Message-----
From: A general Library and Information Science list for news and
discussion. [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Alan Pritchard
Sent: 02 October 2007 19:22
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Athens accounts for independent researchers?

Hi Annika,

Interested to see your post. I thought that I was the only one who had
this problem. As a bibliographer (and ex-librarian) with no affiliation
to an academic institution (although I have worked in one in the past),
I find the move to electronic journals and abstracting & indexing
services very difficult. I have been banging on about this 'academic
exclusion' for a while now. It seems to fly in the face of librarians'
traditional freedom of access and also the way in which work patterns
are moving.

If you look at the T&Cs of most libraries for external users, they
specifically exclude online services from the material that a visitor
may use, citing the terms imposed by the providers of such services. I
had some discussions with vendors at an Online exhibition a few years
ago and several of them denied that they imposed any such conditions.
Unfortunately I have not had time to investigate this any further.

I think also that the problem with Athens accounts may be that the
institution must subscribe to the journal in question (not sure about
this), so it would not be much use going to my local university and
expecting to be able to look at a journal such as Isis.

We need not just a SOA (although I am fascinated to see such a group
exists), but a ROA (Researchers Outside Academia) with access to an
'Open University' that could subscribe to a lot of material and which
could make it available (via subscription) to us Independents.

My own area of study is exceptionally difficult since it spans so many
academic disciplines.

Best wishes
Alan Pritchard MPhil FCLIP MBCS

ALCHEMY: a bibliography of English-language writings 2nd (Internet)
edition at http://www.alchemy-bibliography.co.uk
On 10/2/07, annika coughlin <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> I was wondering if it is possible for freelance researchers to be able

> to have an Athens account at their nearest university library?
>
> As librarians would you allow someone to open an Athens account who 
> isn't a student but who has verification from a current member of 
> staff? (a letter and/or signature?)
>
> Would you allow an independent researcher who is an Alumnus to have an

> Athens account?
>
> Or is Athens purely for current staff and students?
>
> I represent Sociologists Outside Academia for the British Sociological

> Association. It is a huge problem for freelancers to be able to write 
> research proposals etc as they are at a disadvantage when it comes to 
> accessing journals. The BSA has made progress by working with SAGE to 
> allow all members access to their complete collection. This is great 
> news for independent workers. But researchers need more then the works

> published by SAGE.
>
> thanks
>
> Annika
>
> http://www.britsoc.co.uk/specialisms/soa
>



--
Best wishes
Alan Pritchard MPhil FCLIP MBCS
Tel: +44 (0)1202 417477
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. This message contains confidential information and is intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail.