Re: Consumer Reports online? -- Mary Beth Burgoyne Stephen Clark 03 Dec 2001 13:17 UTC
-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Re: Consumer Reports online? -- 2 messages Date: Fri, 30 Nov 2001 16:05:37 -0700 From: Mary Beth Burgoyne <Mary_Beth_Burgoyne@CI.MESA.AZ.US> Below is a response I wrote explaining to frontline staff why Mesa (AZ) Public Library was not able to take advantage of "free access" to current subscribers of products such as Consumer Reports, Value Line, Investor's Business Daily, etc. It was frustrating for staff to deal with patrons who insisted that "free access" was available because the magazine said so right on the cover and why couldn't we let the patron use it. "Indeed, MPL is a subscriber and should therefore offer it to valid library card holders. Unfortunately, that's not how the print periodical producers see it, whether it be a magazine, newspaper or reference item. 1. Vendors issue "free access" with our paid print subscription. In reality, that access is for a single user and is given via user ID and password. 2. None of e-magazine, newspaper/journal vendors at this time are able to deal with IP recognition access 3. Vendor mindset for technology lags behind their current business practices for print subscriptions. Even though print subscribers, Investor's Business Daily, will sell to libraries their print edition, knowing a multitude of readers will be using one subscription, they are not willing nor have the resources to offer access in a method that reasonably can be used in a public library setting. 4. We cannot publicize or publish the User IDs or Passwords. When a high profile title offers e-access or when a selector has requested add'l information, I've called to ask if we could add the user ID and password info to the DYNIX record or on our Web site, they are horrified at the question. With the info. available in these two avenues, staff and patrons could help themselves to the e-version via the Web, the same way they help themselves to the print edition found on your display shelves or in Periodicals. The vendors' do not want anyone beyond the single named subscriber accessing their mag. online. In that case, the named subscriber is "Acquisition Services- MPL." (which of course is ridiculous because there is no one by the name of Acquisition Services.) 5. If we violate their e-journal access intent, we are liable for use infringement. Periodical publishers are VERY protective of whom has access to their electronic data. When we subscribe to a print magazine/journal/newspaper, our subscription price is inflated to include Copyright Compliance Fees and Multiple Readership Use Fees. E-journals are too new to vendors to have those logistical issues worked out. 6. Aggregate services such as Ebsco Online is beginning to deal with the above mentioned issues although this would be an additional subscription with Ebsco, as we already do with regular print magazines and Ebsco MasterFile. E-journals online is in essence another periodical collection requiring selection, deselection, DYNIX records etc. 7. EXCEPT for some key business things, such as Value Line, MorningStar , Investor's Business Daily and a handful of popular adult and JUV titles, the majority of e-journals are academic in nature and since we are deselecting those anyway in print, it doesn't make sense at this time expand to a service such as Ebsco Online. I don't see us really getting into true e-journals access until the vendors reconcile their needs with current distribution technology and more popular interest/general reading periodicals provide IP recognition access. 8. Often, when e-access is offered as part of the paid print subscription, it is for "enhanced" services offered by the publisher. In the case of business publications, this is the ability to create, maintain and store personal portfolios, investment strategy reports, etc. pieces of information unique to Patron A. If someone other than Patron A signs in using the password and user ID, Patron A's personal information now can be read by Patron B, Patron C, modified, etc. This is THE reason we haven't migrated to the web version of COIN or a host of other college/career and investment web-based subscription tools. They truly are set up to be used in a closed environment wherein personal information such as SS#, name, address, household income, company stock holdings, parent's names, academic history is stored on the vendor's secured/unsecured server and retrieved only by THE person with the unique ID and password. The Library cannot assume liability for the secured/unsecured nature of a non-City of Mesa server." Mary Beth Burgoyne Resource Development Coordinator, Reference, Serials and Electronic Resources Mesa Public Library 64 E. 1st Street Mesa AZ 85201 480-644-3891