Re: Institutional versus personal subscriptio ns Skwor, Jeanette 01 Jun 2006 20:33 UTC
***Ian quoted me and said: --------------------- " In this scenario, why not contact the organization/pub, explain the situation, and ask them?" You have to make an actuarial calculation that 1.) it might not be in their material interest to be straight with you and 2.) that their material interest might trump their sense of fair play. It has been known to happen. --------------------- ***Of course. In this case, I figure it is them or me. I can be honest & aboveboard with them and hope for the same in return. Whether they are or are not isn't a burden upon my conscience. ***It would, however, solve my dilemna of "should I or shouldn't I?" If I were ready to do what I thought expedient - or honest, or ethical, for that matter, I'd not be wondering & therefore would not inquire, but would go ahead and act upon that readiness. Jeanette L. Skwor Cofrin Library University of WI-Green Bay (920) 465-2670 -----Original Message----- From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Ian Woodward Sent: Thursday, June 01, 2006 3:05 PM To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU Subject: Re: [SERIALST] PlainZix RE: [SERIALST] Institutional versus personal subscriptio ns " In this scenario, why not contact the organization/pub, explain the situation, and ask them?" You have to make an actuarial calculation that 1.) it might not be in their material interest to be straight with you and 2.) that their material interest might trump their sense of fair play. It has been known to happen. Taking the donation might be an ethical violation if one in purchasing the individual subscription understood himself to be agreeing to a particular set of terms as a condition of the purchase and the publisher's terms do not violate public policy. The terms would have to be obtrusively stated to bind the subscriber morally (though perhaps not legally) as such terms would be against the grain of common sense understandings people have about their freedom to dispose of their property. One minor point: The higher prices are not derived from the difference in the trade elasticity of demand for the product, but by the fact that libraries and individuals have systemically different utility functions. The utility function also influences the value of the trade elasticity. The trade elasticity refers to the consumers' sensitivity to price changes, not the price the consumer is willing to pay for a given quantity. Whenever you are negotiating over a purchase price, an effort at price discrimination is taking place. IW I. Woodward Serials Office Colgate University Libraries 201L McGregory Hall 13 Oak Drive Hamilton, N.Y. 13346 Ph.: 315-228-7306 Fax: 315-228-7029 (previous emails snipped for bandwidth)