Licensing and Managing Electronic Resources

Libraries are licensing information resources in greater numbers then ever before. In order to negotiate and manage the ever-increasing resulting number of licenses resulting from this trend, libraries are either establishing Electronic Resource (ER) Librarian positions, or have been assigning these responsibilities to current staff. In either case, few resources are available to acclimate new ER librarians to the diverse responsibilities associated with their position. Helping fill this gap, this book offers an introduction and practical guide to the standard responsibilities ER librarians address daily. These include: knowing the rights libraries have as consumers of information under United States copyright law, understanding licensing terms and conditions, negotiating licenses to support the specific needs of the subscribing institution, and managing these resources once subscribed. Although every college and university is different, this book provides a framework within which the new ER librarian can learn the basics behind negotiating and managing their information resources effectively. Key Features: Offers practical advice for the new electronic resources librarian. Easy for the lay-person to understand Useful as a reference to specific terms, concepts, and issues related to electronic resource licensing. Readership: The audience for this book includes: newly appointed electronic resource librarians, librarians assigned the responsibilities associated with licensing and managing electronic resources, and library and information science students interested in learning the responsibilities related to an electronic resource librarian's position. Contents: Know your copyrights - brief history of copyright law; Title 17; copyright versus contract law Who are you? Identifying your institution and its needs - institutional characteristics; user populations; library uses; network and security infrastructure; conclusion.