From: Bruce Heterick <[log in to unmask]> Date: Sat, 24 Nov 2012 18:44:22 -0500 First, Happy Thanksgiving to our friends in the U.S., and apologies to everyone on the list for the long-ish posting on the weekend. However, I felt that Peter Hirtle’s posting about Books at JSTOR on Wednesday afternoon required a fairly immediate response. As we launch Books at JSTOR, I think it is important to reiterate a few of the guiding principles that we were encouraged by publishers and libraries to pursue as we build the program: 1. allow the participating publishers to control their content and pricing; JSTOR should focus on the platform; 2. provide a tiered pricing framework that allows smaller institutions a more affordable way to purchase ebooks from these important publishers; 3. provide volume-level discounts to institutions (both individual and consortia) based on their level of participation in Books at JSTOR 4. offer options to libraries that would allow them to purchase books in a variety of combinations including individual pick-and-mix, a choice of single-user or unlimited access, and a demand-drive (patron-drive) acquisition program; 5. present model(s) which would encourage publishers to include content – particularly supplementary course-adoption titles – that are not typically available in *any* other aggregations, as well as encourage publishers to move a higher percentage of their titles into a DRM-free environment. Not everyone may agree with these principles, but they did emerge out of extensive consultation with both the library community and the publishing community. Many of you participated in forums we held – prior to making the decision to move forward with Books at JSTOR – where dozens of librarians and university press staff sat together to discuss many of the issues that were deemed important in delivering books in digital form to institutions. Finding the balance of those needs – often referred to as “the uncomfortable middle” – is naturally going to create some dissatisfaction, and I believe Peter has expressed some of that in his latest post. Books at JSTOR is offering books for purchase in one of two models: (1) multi-user, and (2) single user. All of the books in the program are available in the single user model. This model was designed to encourage publishers to make more of their ebooks available for use, including the titles designated as course-adoption titles, which have historically not been included in ebook aggregations. In most instances, publishers have tied their single-user price to the print price. JSTOR then tiers that price down, based on the institution’s JSTOR classification. In the single-user model, the user can: * discover ebooks on the JSTOR platform, which is one of the most heavily used platforms in academia; * read the entire contents of the book online; and ·* download chapters with no expiration. The single-user model does require DRM that currently restricts the printing and copying of chapters. This print and copy restriction is a technical limitation for us at the moment (rather than a policy limitation) and we are working to provide more flexibility in a future release. The single-user model also limits the number of chapter downloads for a book to 30 per year. Additional chapters can be purchased in a year, and up to 2 additional copies of the title can be purchased in a single-user model each providing an additional 30 chapter downloads and another simultaneous user. This model provides a lower cost option for libraries that can be scaled to user demand. Usage reports are provided for libraries to determine the usage of titles in the single user model and the ability to purchase as many chapters as needed per title to meet the demand of the end user. The library also has the option of migrating from the single-user model to the multi-user model, if the publisher has made that title available in the multi-user model. So long as it serves everyone’s best interests, the multi-user model is the model that we aspire to for all the titles in the program. This model is most similar to the experience that users have with journals on the JSTOR platform. At launch, about 58% of the titles available in the single-user model have been made available in the multi-user model. Our goal is to provide our participating publishers with purchasing data and usage data that will encourage an ever larger percentage of content moving into the multi-user model as each year passes. As I outlined earlier, the publisher sets the prices for the books in the Books at JSTOR program, and in the case of the multi-user model, the current average price appears to be in line with the prices these publishers have set with other aggregators. In the multi-user model, the user can: * access purchased ebooks online without limitation; * download chapters in PDFs that have no expiration and no DRM; * save and share downloaded chapters with other authenticated users; and * print and copy without limitation. With regard to Peter’s comments about providing discounts for purchases when a print copy of the book had been purchased previously, we must note that this is not typically offered by the publishers participating in Books at JSTOR in other aggregations. The Books at JSTOR model does, however, provide for deeper discounts for backlist titles. We regard this as a beginning, not an end. Ebooks are still in their infancy and there is a lot to do – with libraries and presses working together – to make that “uncomfortable middle” a little more comfortable for everyone, particularly the faculty, students and researchers that use ebooks. We’re excited to get started! Bruce Heterick Vice President JSTOR | Portico [log in to unmask] 212-358-6416