From: Ann Okerson <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wed, Nov 30, 2011 at 3:20 PM
Of possible interest to readers of liblicense-l. Ann Okerson
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: ARL Communications <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 12:02 PM
Subject: [ARL-ANNOUNCE] ARL and LYRASIS Sign Agreement for Licensing
Initiative
ARL and LYRASIS Sign Agreement for Licensing Initiative
November 29, 2011
For more information, contact:
Julia C. Blixrud
Association of Research Libraries
202-296-2296
[log in to unmask]
Celeste Feather
LYRASIS
800-999-8558
[log in to unmask]
ARL and LYRASIS Sign Agreement for Licensing Initiative
Washington, DC—On November 18, 2011, the Association of Research
Libraries (ARL) and LYRASIS signed an agreement designating LYRASIS as
an agent to negotiate licenses for online content on behalf of
interested ARL member libraries. This is the culmination of an effort
that began in 2010 to identify a strategy for ARL to influence the
marketplace regarding licensing rights, technical specifications, and
business terms to meet the needs of research libraries.
This activity has involved task forces, the Reshaping Scholarly
Communication Steering Committee, and the ARL Board. The initial task
force drafted a white paper outlining the potential areas of action
that ARL could take and content that could be considered, and a second
task force developed an RFP that went to prospective agents. The Board
approved the recommendations, RFP, and agent decision. The license
offerings identified for this initiative will not be exclusive to ARL
members, but may include libraries with which they have established
licensing relationships.
Commenting on this initiative, ARL Executive Director Charles Lowry
said, “We are pleased to be working with LYRASIS to strengthen the
hand of research libraries in negotiating content licenses that
address issues of importance to our communities. While price is
important, it is equally desirable that agreements not place limits
around electronic information that inhibit the legal rights of
libraries to use the materials appropriately as they would print
materials to support scholarship and learning.” Noted Kate Nevins,
LYRASIS Executive Director, “LYRASIS welcomes the opportunity to work
with ARL and publishers to effect needed strategic changes in content
licenses. We also are committed, as required by the ARL effort, to
extending the benefits of this important initiative beyond the ARL
community to other libraries and consortia.”
An ARL Licensing Working Group will serve in an advisory capacity to
ARL and LYRASIS in the execution of this agreement. A special email
list open to designated representatives from all ARL members is also
being created to communicate information as the initiative moves
forward.
________________________________
The Association of Research Libraries (ARL) is a nonprofit
organization of 126 research libraries in the US and Canada. Its
mission is to influence the changing environment of scholarly
communication and the public policies that affect research libraries
and the diverse communities they serve. ARL pursues this mission by
advancing the goals of its member research libraries, providing
leadership in public and information policy to the scholarly and
higher education communities, fostering the exchange of ideas and
expertise, facilitating the emergence of new roles for research
libraries, and shaping a future environment that leverages its
interests with those of allied organizations. ARL is on the web at
http://www.arl.org/.
Created in April 2009 by the merger of PALINET and SOLINET and joined
shortly thereafter by NELINET, LYRASIS is the nation’s largest
regional membership organization serving libraries and information
professionals — providing opportunities for networking and
collaboration, offering innovative solutions, and significant cost
savings through group purchasing for products and services. For more
information, please visit http://www.lyrasis.org.
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