From: Julie Blake <[log in to unmask]> Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:36:04 +0000 One of our members gave me this info the other day: --- "Julie, We have a local subscription to the World Bank eLibrary and I also received a message from World Bank yesterday saying that that subscription would not be affected by this announcement. So we're going to take a look to see how the subscription compares to what we can get free. From their FAQ, they wrote the following. 11. Will the World Bank eLibrary remain a subscription product? Yes. The World Bank eLibrary remains a subscription-based product that adds value through its enhanced functionality. The World Bank eLibrary offers a variety of conveniences for librarians, researchers and heavy users of Bank research outputs and knowledge products. These tools include MARC records, the ability to personalize content alerts and bookmarking content, and a powerful search engine. It also has current articles published in the World Bank Research Observer and World Bank Economic Review. A new and enhanced version of eLibrary will be launched later this year that will offer mobile access, allowing even more flexibility for sharing, using, and re-using the Bank's knowledge. The new eLibrary will be XML base and will allow users to access books and reports at a more granular level - such as by chapter, table, or figure. Among other features, users will be able to build custom ebooks from eLibrary content that can be used as course packs for classroom use, create alerts, bookmark content, and much more." --- So, I guess it means libraries can decide if they want to pay for the functionality, since the content itself shouldn't have a charge. But will the cost then decrease? Julie Julie C. Blake Assistant Director for Electronic Licensing, OhioLINK [log in to unmask] -----Original Message----- From: Ann Okerson <[log in to unmask]> Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:20:07 -0400 Re. the World Bank's announcement - that its research outputs and knowledge products are being made freely accessible on the Internet - mean that libraries will no longer need to pay subscription fees to the World Bank? Or if the subscription fees continue, presumably they will be for functionality/services, and not content? In that case, will prices be reduced, or? Thanks for clarifying this. Ann Okerson