From: "Hamaker, Charles" <[log in to unmask]> Date: Mon, 16 Sep 2013 00:50:07 +0000 Steve Thanks for your comments. The position I've describing isn't going to be dealing with journals, but could well have responsibilities for lots of databases that have continuing fees, even though the content is not serial in any traditional definitions. Many of the skills identified in the NASIG Competencies document seem to me to fit either type of position. I just know from my experience of negotiating contracting and pricing and following up with the bibliographic records and supporting actual use of the material for non serials that the decision points seem to me to different, and the issues (simultaneous user limitations, for instance, permanence another, compatability another, "check outs" of ematerial, what in the world does that mean?) are different than what you see with serials. I think I'm dealing with a different set of expectations all along the line. Recommendations, funding sources, timeliness (everybody wants I agree, everything immediately) subject specializations and soon to be massive duplications as university presses are being told to put their content in "all of the above" providers. Use patterns too are distinct for the different kinds of resources from what little experience I have. How do you do CPU on EEBO? It make no sense, so the issue becomes one of marketing? What marketing did we ever have to do with serials?? And how or when do we know if the purchase is a successful one. I know the "continuing resources" hat was intended to cover a host of resources. I guess I'm still stuck in seeing the decision making, funding and evaluation and license issues for streaming video for example as distinct from serial resources even if its an annual payment, We have very little experience with sustainable ebook purchasing, and horror stories coming out show that aggregators and middle -vendors aren't necessarily forth coming about whatever contacts they have with publishers. At least they are beginning to admit that if the publisher says pull that book, they will, even if we thought we had a "purchased" title. Last year when I interviewed several ebook providers they said, why no, a publisher can't withdraw a title. Well, tain't so and now they are telling us a bit more of the truth recently when a title became a "textbook" adoption. Opps sorry, didn't meant to sell you that poof it's gone. We haven't worked through the most basic consensus issues yet for non serials and I believe we need some really focused librarians working on what I consider to be new issues. I do agree ARL's licensing efforts were exceptional . It was great. I am extremely grateful, but even there some issues, like permitting the license to control use in perpetuity, so the ebook NEVER enters the public domain, got through with at least one provider. I take this to mean we have a new creature in our midst and I'm hoping librarians focusing on these newer content types will help us figure out best practices. Losing content because a publisher might have lost textbook sales, or agreeing to have ebooks that never enter the public domain, seem to me to be big issues to be understood and handled in the best interests of libraries. I don't expect contract negotiators to automatically know everything a given library needs. but I do expect increased focus on these newer formats and type, will benefit the profession and the libraries we work for. Sorry about rambling so long again. Chuck ________________________________________ From: Steve Oberg <[log in to unmask]> Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2013 19:59:12 +0000 The NASIG website just went through a redesign thus the new URL for the core competencies doc. Chuck, I have to openly admit to scratching my head over the job title of "Non-Serial Electronic Resources Librarian." Please accept my apology for any offense! I sure don't have a better job title to suggest off the top of my head. You make very good points about the growing, evolving range of tasks and responsibilities that aren't strictly serial in nature. Personally I like using the word "continuing resources" vs. "finite resources" when trying to make distinctions in discussions with my local colleagues, because I think that is clearer. However, in my experience, many of the "non-serial" or "finite" e-resources, including many that you mention, have more similarities to serials than to traditional monographs. One example I can think of is annual hosting fees for one-time backfile purchases or e-books, which we are seeing more of locally. Another example that I can readily think of is how the nature of the workflow for keeping "non-serial" or "finite" e-resources updated in terms of cataloging is so similar in many ways to serials. These things are, as Crystal Graham famously called them so long ago, bibliographic hermaphrodites. I'm not suggesting there is only one right way here, just reacting to and musing on this complicated issue from your response. Jeannie, thanks for the further context for your initial question. I can well understand 'the dance" you are going through! I am glad you raised this whole question and hope you glean enough information to bolster your case. Steve Steve Oberg Assistant Professor Electronic Resources and Serials Buswell Memorial Library Wheaton College Wheaton, IL 60187 On Sep 11, 2013, at 6:57 PM, LIBLICENSE <[log in to unmask]> wrote: From: <[log in to unmask]> Date: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 11:56:47 -0400 Thanks for the recommendation Chuck. I wasn't able to get the link to work, but here's another access point. http://www.nasig.org/site_page.cfm?pk_association_webpage_menu=310&pk_association_webpage=1225 Tracy L. Thompson, Executive Director New England Law Library Consortium (NELLCO) Albany Law School Schaffer Law Library Albany, NY 12208 www.nellco.org [log in to unmask] At 09:24 PM 9/10/2013, you wrote: From: "Hamaker, Charles" <[log in to unmask]> Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2013 03:33:18 +0000 PS. for the best description I know of for an electronic resources librarian, see the new NASIG publication: “Core Competencies of Electronic Resources Librarians” which is available on the NASIG website, http://www.nasig.org/committee-core-competencies-task-force.cfm Chuck Hamaker