Re: Looking for other libraries that have eliminated check-in Chisman, Janet 17 Jan 2006 19:33 UTC
With some licenses you are paying for perpetual access so the material really is yours. -----Original Message----- From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Hijleh, Renee Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2006 11:10 AM To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Looking for other libraries that have eliminated check-in Electronic checkin is different from print checkin because with electronics, you really are only paying for access. You don't really have a claim on the issues. The issues aren't yours to keep, they are only there for the allotted time that you have a valid subscription and for as long as the publisher or database wants to archive them. So the only thing that you need to ensure for checkin is that your access is working according to the terms of the signed license agreement. Should you ensure that your access is working according to terms? Of course! Electronic checkin has been an up and coming issue at all the professional conferences that I have attended last year. As everyone is well aware, the costs for electronic subscriptions (whether single subs, or as part of a database) are skyrocketing, and thus there is justifiable concern that you are getting the access that you pay for. This is especially heightened for libraries that assume that all their electronic subs are fine, and then they are horrified to accidentally find out that their $5,000 sub. or that $20,000 database has not been accessible for weeks, or even months, depending on the problem: license not filled out correctly; IP address not entered correctly; password not valid anymore & needs to be changed on an annual basis; publisher changed from multiple user to single user, or to onsite user only; etc. Or perhaps you assumed that the online sub that you renewed was still full-text, and its actually now only available as full-text for select articles, with the rest being abstract only. Or perhaps you paid for the package that offered unlimited archival access, and they are only providing the current year. These are all problems that we have encountered, and I'm sure that others could name more. Access to electronic subs does need to be checked for all of these reasons. The real question is, how do you make it manageable? Do you only check the databases that your institution directly pays for, and ignore ones that are part of consortial arrangements? Do you check only the individual electronic subs that you pay for, or only the ones that are supposed to come with your print sub? Where do you draw the line? I don't know. How often should you do it, annually? monthly? I don't know. These are all issues that we are just starting to discuss. But I do know that just because the issue is new, and seems a bit overwhelming, it doesn't mean that it shouldn't be done. If your public catalog states that you have the electronic access to a title, and you are paying for it, then by rights, the access to it should checked an ensured that its working as paid for so that it's there when your patrons need it. more two cents...... Renee Hijleh Periodicals Department William D. McIntyre Library PO Box 5010 University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI 54702-5010 715-836-3306 fax: 715-836-2949 -----Original Message----- From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Chisman, Janet Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2006 11:12 AM To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Looking for other libraries that have eliminated check-in So what are people doing about checkin for electronic resources? We don't check those in.