Working with an agent – the RCM Library’s e-journal pilot

Catherine EbenezerInformation Systems Manager,

RCMCHILL E-journals Seminar 10/11/06

The beginning

• Conversation with Swets marketing manager December 2004

• Swets negotiating team could undertake negotiations with publishers on our behalf – for a fee

• Swets recommended pilot with titles from Blackwell Publishing

Issues

• Access for whom? 37,000 RCM members – or for library members only? (750 library members – now 900+)

• Licence from publisher required• Management interface?

SwetsWise TitleBankwww.swetswise.com

Outline strategy document

Goals• Secure licences initially for five key titles• Ensure value for money• Maximise value from existing holdings• Introduce technology which aids and

supports the RCM in maximising access to electronic resources

• Manage the speed of implementation in line with technology capabilities

Outline strategy document

Key stages• Planning and prioritising• Brokering/financial/

administration– Initial quotations and proposals– Reaching an agreed e-deal– Licence agreement

Reaching an agreed e-deal

If initial offer unacceptable:• Re-establishing and amending RCM’s

requirements• Querying / seeking clarification• Helping publisher adjust offer • Explaining publisher’s offer to the RCM• Requesting further quotations on a different

licence model• Proposing ways forward for both parties• Keeping channels of communication open

Financial and administration

• Ordering the agreed e-deals• Ensuring e-access arrangements• Ensuring licences are signed and

returned to publisher• Making single payment to publisher on

behalf of RCM• Invoicing RCM – alerting to renewals• Single point of contact and

communication channel / alerting service

Authentication and access

• Referrer URL from members’ area of RCM web site insufficiently restrictive

• Explored possibility of using RCM membership number to log in to SwetsWise TitleBank

• Not possible - eventually had to register members individually– a major chore

What we got

• In addition to current print subs• 2006 content only

– Birth £362.70– BJOG £365.80– Journal of Nursing Management £468.10– Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology

£674.25– TOTAL £1870.85

SwetsWise

SwetsWise

SwetsWise

Jan

Mar

May

Jly

Sep

Birth

PPEpi0

5

10

15

Full-text access

Birth

BJOG

J Nurs Mgt

PPEpi

Usage: full-text access

Usage: logins

Logins

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jly Aug Sep Oct Nov

ID/pwd login

IP login

Usage: searches

Searches

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jly Aug Sep Oct Nov

Usage: searches

Problems

• Confusion between pilot titles and free-with-print (same administrator account)

• Tedious and time-consuming to administer

• Difficulties with user access: 15/73– Firewall issues– Unsupported browsers (e.g. AOL)– SwetsWise interface

Lessons learned

• A “critical mass” of e-content is needed to attract users – ours wasn’t sufficient

• Lack of user awareness an ongoing problem

• Avoid arrangements that involve registering users individually, issuing passwords etc.

• Ensure you know exactly what you are getting!

• Midwives don’t like e-journals – prefer print – some journals not published electronically

Lessons learned

• Take-up insufficient to indicate viability of/demand for a full-scale service

• Using an agent a good option for a small library lacking resources to conduct its own negotiations with publishers