ERC ST 051221

Electronic Resources Steering Committee

December 21, 2005

Teleconference

 

Attending by phone: Tim Jewell, UW, Chair; Greg Doyle, Orbis Cascade staff; Joanna Haney, L&C College; Diane Carroll, OHSU; Susan Hinken, UP

 

Absent: Carrie Fry, SPU; Heather Whipple, Reed; Emily Miller-Francisco, SOU

 

Non-member participation in the buying group: Greg gave some background on the buy-in program. He does not actively recruit or advertise the program and he does not think it will grow. Approximately 15 libraries participate. Some vendors do not extend the same pricing break to libraries that join a purchase to those originally in the buying group. This can have a negative impact on the price all libraries in the group pay, depending upon how these price differentials are divided. Some member libraries have objected to this negative impact.

Issues and questions included:

• Affiliates do not pay the true price of supporting the electronic resources program through dues and staff participation in committees but their participation can have a negative impact on member libraries that do. This is different than a member library coming into a purchase and changing costs.
• Has a geographic region been defined for the affiliate program? No but it is regional.
• Having a pricing differential for members and affiliates can complicate billing.

Decision: Steering committee members indicated that they felt that Orbis Cascade should not subsidize affiliate libraries and that differential pricing in these cases was okay. Greg will talk with John Helmer.

 

Negative impact on price when a member joins an already established purchase:  How should Orbis Cascade handle these same pricing differentials when it involves members? We have the example of Literature Resource Center, where Gale came back with a higher price to add new members than existing purchasers are paying:

Issues and questions included:

• Do we have separate tiers? Should they be merged into one pricing structure over the course of a couple of years?
• Should we have charter status for long-time participants in individual purchases?
• What’s our responsibility to long-time purchasers when sizable price increases might force them from the purchase?
• This is different than the affiliate program. All Orbis Cascade members help pay for the true cost of running the electronic resources program.
• How do we balance equity and the desire to buffer dramatic cost increases?

Decision: The Steering Group is interested in finding that delicate balance between equity and buffering cost increases by equalizing costs over a couple of years. Greg will take the example of LCR and work up a presentation for the Steering Group and then the Committee aimed at finding that balance.

 

Elsevier and Springer: Greg said that Elsevier will bill each library and they do need a signed license agreement from each participant. OHSU has access, it’s unknown if others do. Springer is behind but has assured Greg that participants will have access.

 

Joint ER and CD meeting: Lynn Chmelir, chair of the Collection Development and Management Committee likes the idea of a joint meeting but a number of issues need to be addressed. They include:

• Topics: E-journal packages, LOCKSS; E-Archiving; print archive
• Who will organize? May is fast approaching and Steering Team members have other commitments that prevent us from giving our full attention to planning such a meeting.
• The ER committee need to examine on its own a number of issues including e-journal packages.
• Can technology, such as web seminar, help us?

Decision: Greg will talk with John about the possibility of web seminars. ERST will plan on a May meeting for our committee and propose a September or October meeting for the combined membership of the two committees.

 

Orbis Cascade Executive Committee meeting: The Executive Committee is meeting on March 8 (a change form its original date of March 9—this is good because Tim had a conflict with March 9) and would like the ERST to attend a portion of this meeting. Tim will give a brief report on our committee work. ERST members will also have a chance to talk with the Executive Committee and have a Steering Team meeting. The meeting will be in the Portland Vancouver area but the location is unknown.

 

Annual report: Greg will check to see when the ER report is due.

 

Next meeting: Joanna will call for agenda items via email. It is scheduled for January 18.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

Susan Hinken