c/o Katina Strauch 209 Richardson Avenue MSC 98, The Citadel Charleston, SC 29409 ALA MIDWINTER issue TM
volume 27, number 6 DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016
ISSN: 1043-2094 “Linking Publishers, Vendors and Librarians” Speak Up! Communication between Academic Librarians and Scholarly Content Providers by Erin Gallagher (Electronic Resources & Serials Librarian, Rollins College, Winter Park, FL)
ne of my favorite TV sitcoms is Experts from both the publishing and li- and content providers; but as someone who Frasier, starring Kelsey Grammer brary worlds generously authored the articles has been on both sides, I know it doesn’t have Oas the pretentious but loveable radio on this special issue’s theme, sharing their to be this way. psychiatrist who addresses each caller with good, bad, and not-so-lovely experiences. As In my current position at Rollins College, “I’m listening.” These two words send a short I became more familiar with these articles, I I communicate with content providers on a but powerful signal: let it all out, because he’s saw many of the same frustrations and hopes daily basis. When working with Coutts, I ready to help. When given the opportunity expressed among both librarians and content communicated with librarians on a daily basis. to guest edit a special issue of ATG, I could providers. Why does communication seem to Is/was some of this communication of the think of no other topic nearer or dearer to my be an afterthought when embarking on a new negative/frustrating/bang-my-head-against- heart than communication between librarians partnership (or fostering an existing one)? my-desk variety? Sure. But a lot of it led to and content providers. My first professional How can we simply communicate better? mutual respect, improved user experiences, position as a freshly-minted MLIS graduate What does that look like? How does it con- innovative product development, and lasting was a Collections Consultant for Coutts In- tribute to our ongoing success? friendships. It may seem like librarians and formation Services (formerly with Ingram, I don’t know about you, but these are not content providers are constantly working at now with ProQuest). After four educational questions that were answered when I went odds with each other, but this is only true if we years with Coutts, I hung up my vendor coat to library school. We learn to communicate make it true. In reality, we share common goals and joined Rollins College’s Olin Library as on the fly, and unfortunately, much of our and objectives. We share similar values and in their E-Resources and Serials Librarian. communication takes place when crises arise some cases, institutional missions. Libraries I’ve been on both sides of the fence when or when we have to work through frustrating continued on page 8 it comes to library/content provider communi- negotiations or technological challenges. Even cation, so I jumped at the chance to edit a spe- when both parties have the best intentions, cial issue of ATG on this timely and timeless when librarian/content provider relationships What To Look For In This Issue: theme. I was delighted to discover that I’m are based on putting out fires, we don’t build not the only one with an interest in exploring a foundation for successful partnerships. It’s Overcoming Inertia in Green Open ways to make the library/content provider re- easy to see why the “us vs. them” mentality Access Adoption...... 46 lationship a more fruitful and satisfactory one. perpetuates in conversations among librarians Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Realities of Flat Discounts...... 48 Necessary Balancing Acts...... 53 If Rumors Were Horses Piloting a DDA Program for Specific Subjects...... 57 irst up!!! Well, I DID Negotiation Skills 101: Where Is That NOT send you that weird Course Given?...... 76 email with glasses. I don’t F Interviews think you need new glasses. It was SPAM and I apologize! Facebook and I have never been Franny Lee and Kurt Sanford...... 26 friends the way so many of you are. Sorry sorry sorry for the Don Beagle...... 30 Spam. I think it is fixed. ; ( Profiles Encouraged Did you fill out an evaluation form for the2015 Charleston Conference? We are happy to report that Nina Peri filled out a Meredith M. Babb...... 16 form and was the winner of the drawing for a free registration Stacey Marien...... 22 for the 2016 Charleston Conference! Congrats to Nina! Stacy V. Sieck...... 24 Speaking of the 2015 Conference, we want to know your Congratulations to Anthony reaction to the Conference in the Gaillard Center. The Watkinson on the birth of Performance Hall was an incredible venue and large which his fourth grandchild, Lucy we needed, no question. We know there were some acous- Knight. She is adorable. continued on page 6 1043-2094(201512/201601)27:6;1-O 11115Ambassador2015Library_8.5x11_wBleed.indd 1 4/10/15 1:50 PM
Against The Grain Against the Grain (USPS 012-618) (ISSN 1043-2094) is TABLE OF CONTENTS published six times a year in February, April, June, Sep- tember, November, and December/January by Against the v.27 #6 December 2015 - January 2016 © Katina Strauch Grain, LLC, 209 Richardson Ave., MSC 98, The Citadel, Charleston, SC 29409. Subscription price per year is $50 ISSUES, NEWS, & GOINGS ON U.S. ($60 Canada, $85 foreign, payable in U.S. dollars). Periodicals postage paid at Charleston, SC. Postmaster: Rumors...... 1 Letters to the Editor...... 6 Send change of address to Against the Grain, LLC, 209 Rich- ardson Ave., MSC 98, The Citadel, Charleston, SC 29409. From Your Editor...... 6 Deadlines...... 6 Editor: Katina Strauch (College of Charleston) FEATURES Associate Editors: Speak Up! Communication between Academic Librarians and Scholarly Rosann Bazirjian (UNC-Greensboro) Cris Ferguson (Murray State) Content Providers — Guest Editor, Erin Gallagher Tom Gilson (College of Charleston) Speak Up! Communication between Cooperation is Key: How Publishers John Riley (Consultant) Academic Librarians and Scholarly and Libraries are Working Together Research Editors: Judy Luther (Informed Strategies) Content Providers...... 1 to Achieve Common Goals...... 23 Assistants to the Editor: by Erin Gallagher — In the spirit of cordial by Michael A. Arthur and Stacy Sieck — Ileana Strauch communication, these articles bring together the Read how working together toward a common Toni Nix (Just Right Group, LLC) expertise of librarians, publishers, and vendors. goal leads to more communication and proac- Editor At Large: tive involvement for both parties. Dennis Brunning (Arizona State University) Why Libraries and University Presses Contributing Editors: Should Support One Another...... 12 Stemming the Tide: The Role of Rick Anderson (University of Utah) Subscription Agents and Consortia in Sever Bordeianu (U. of New Mexico) by Meredith Babb and Judith Russell — Todd Carpenter (NISO) Meredith and Judy have found many more Library Communications...... 24 Bryan Carson (Western Kentucky University) shared values and interactions than confronta- by Lindsey Reno — Making more robust use Eleanor Cook (East Carolina University) tional turf wars. So here in a nutshell is what of subscription agents and consortia would Anne Doherty (Choice) they have learned – so far. Anthony Ferguson be more beneficial for all concerned, but Ruth Fischer (SCS / OCLC) Vendor Relations Strategies for some things need to change before this can Michelle Flinchbaugh (U. of MD Baltimore County) be a reality. Joyce Dixon-Fyle (DePauw University) Libraries...... 14 Laura Gasaway (UNC, Chapel Hill) by Kirsten Ostergaard and Doralyn Rossmann Op Ed — Opinions and Editorials Regina Gong (Lansing Community College) — Check out their Vendor Relations Guidelines. Overcoming Inertia in Green Open Chuck Hamaker (UNC, Charlotte) William M. Hannay (Schiff, Hardin & Waite) Do’s and Don’ts of Hosting Content and Access Adoption...... 46 Mark Herring (Winthrop University) Service Providers at Your Library: A by John G. Dove — How can the vast majority Donna Jacobs (MUSC) Few Tips for Your Next Meeting...... 18 of scholarly articles make their way into an Lindsay Johnston (IGI Global) accessible place so that the mission of Open Myer Kutz (Myer Kutz Associates, Inc.) by Sarah Forzetting — Sarah has been on Tom Leonhardt Access can be accomplished? Rick Lugg (SCS / OCLC) both sides of the library meeting table and Jack Montgomery (Western Kentucky University) she shares some of her do’s and don’ts with us. Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Bob Nardini (Coutts Information Services) Pushing the Vendor to Improve The Realities of Flat Discounts...... 48 Ann Okerson (Center for Research Libraries) by Howard N. Lesser — Is it standard prac- Rita Ricketts (Blackwell’s) Customer Service...... 20 tice for library consortiums and many libraries Peter Shepherd (Project COUNTER) by Stacey Marien and Bob Nardini — This Greg Tananbaum (Consultant) to ask for simple flat discounts? Jared Seay (College of Charleston) article talks about the bumpy ride American University Library had in switching over to Back Talk...... 78 Graphics: Bowles & Carver, Old English Cuts & Illustrations. Coutts and the partnership that was forged Following Ulysses on (the) Amazon by Jim Grafton, More Silhouettes. Ehmcke, Graphic Trade between the AU staff and Coutts customer O’Donnell — What book(s) did you take to Symbols By German Designers. Grafton, Ready-to-Use service department. College? Can you find them now? Old-Fashioned Illustrations. The Chap Book Style. Production & Ad Sales: ATG INTERVIEWS Toni Nix, Just Right Group, LLC., P.O. Box 412, Cottageville, SC 29435, phone: 843-835-8604 Franny Lee and Kurt Sanford...... 26 Don Beagle...... 30 fax: 843-835-5892
by Leah Hinds — Greg Gersch created works Name ______Address ______City State Zip ______Company Phone ______Email ______of art from information presented at sessions. Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
here is so much to celebrate these days! zetting (do’s and don’ts tips), Stacey Marien key book reviewing tool comes through with The Charleston Conference is over for and Bob Nardini (customer service), Michael the books that we all should be sure and collect Tanother year and seems to have gone Arthur and Stacy Sieck (cooperation), and in Collecting to the Core. fairly well in the new venue! Whew! Lindsay Reno (subscription agents and Our Legal Issues section includes a Legal Grandson George just had his very consortia). Speaking article by Bill Hannay, the singing first birthday! He is walking all around This issue has two op eds, one lawyer, a Cases of Note by Bruce Strauch, and even trying to say a word or two. by John Dove (open access) and and Lolly’s questions and answers. He only has one complete tooth but one from Howard Lesser (flat Myer Kutz lets us inside publishing with he loves to try to eat with it. Whew! discounts). Our Back Talk by Jim his wonderfully astute recollections. Antho- This issue is finished. It was hard O’Donnell talks about Ulysses and ny Watkinson tells us about the Frankfurt to get it done on time with ALA being Amazon. We have interviews with Book Fair while Ramune and her team of so early in January! Whew! Franny Lee and Kurt Sanford as reporters wrap up their coverage from the 2014 This issue is guest edited by the well as an equally intriguing one with Charleston Conference. And it’s definitely Poll-a-Palooza dynamo Erin Galla- Don Beagle, the Director of Belmont hard to keep up with Don Hawkins and all gher. Erin has called on colleagues to Abbey College Library. Book Reviews his travels so be sure to read his report on the Speak Up! Talk about Communication by Regina Gong are must reads and Tom NISO Forum as well. between Academic Librarians and Scholarly Gilson is no slouch himself with reference Bob Holley talks about public library book Content Providers. This issue has articles book reviews. We have a Booklover by the buying, Scott Smith talks about business by Meredith Babb and Judith Russell (turf learned Donna Jacobs about The Flight of the realities, and Denise Garogalo looks into her wars), Kristen Ostergaard and Doralyn Zany and another one by Michael Zeoli about crystal ball. Allison and Alayne invite Sally Rossmann (vendor guidelines), Sarah For- Academic E-Books. As always, Choice the Krash and Eric Wedig to tell us about the Tulane pilot DDA program. There is a ton more! Keep reading! Letters to the Editor Meanwhile, there is a lot more celebrating going on! The Library is having a big party Send letters to
Letter to Leah Hinds — Thank you for the award for free attendance at the 2016 Charleston Conference! This is much appreciated. I love the Charleston Conference but can’t always Rumors find the funds to come every year. from page 1 Kind regards, Nina Peri, MSLS (Collection Development Librarian for Licensed Resources, Project Coordinator, tics problems depending on where you were DigitalCommons@Fairfield, Fairfield University, DiMenna-Nyselius Library, CT 06824; sitting. I heard a sabbatical presentation last Phone: 203-254-4000 x.2039)
6 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
and make optimal use of time and resources spent with library/vendor interactions.” Continuing with the theme of perspectives from librarians, Sarah Forzetting, Head of the Ordering and Payments in the Acquisitions Department at Stanford University Libraries ke a closer look at.... (and my former colleague during my Coutts Ta days) presents the “Do’s and Don’ts of Hosting Content and Service Providers at your Library: A Few Tips for your Next Meeting.” Sarah has also been on “both sides of the library meeting table” and shares her wealth of knowledge on The CHARLESTON REPORT how best to maximize the short windows of in-person time librarians and content providers Business Insights into the Library Market manage to squeeze in to their packed schedules. We can all benefit fromSarah’s practical tips for You Need The Charleston Report... do’s and don’ts before, during, and after meetings. We’ve heard from librarians and we’ve if you are a publisher, vendor, product developer, merchandiser, heard from publishers; now it’s time to hear consultant or wholesaler who is interested in improving from both. In “Pushing the Vendor to Improve Customer Service,” Stacey Marien, Acquisi- and/or expanding your position in the U.S. library market. tions Librarian at American University, and Bob Nardini, Vice President of Library Ser- Subscribe today at our discounted rate of only $75.00 vices at ProQuest (formerly of Coutts and also Charleston Conference celebrity) provide a spirited “point counterpoint” take on librarian/ vendor communication. Stacey introduces The Charleston Company the challenges they (the “customer”) faced 6180 East Warren Avenue, Denver, CO 80222 in switching primary vendors and of commu- Phone: 303-282-9706 • Fax: 303-282-9743 nicating with a new troop of representatives. Bob counters with the challenges inherent in developing positive relationships with multiple librarians from a vendor’s perspective (punc- tuated with Tolstoy references). Does it pay in times of crisis or when we need quick fixes; to be a “pushy” customer? Can librarians and Speak Up! Communication ... we must commit to shifting the narrative to one vendors get along after a tumultuous start? from page 1 of long-term sustainability and mutual respect. Read on to find out. Perhaps we all have something to learn from Michael Arthur, Head of Resource Ac- don’t succeed if content providers don’t Dr. Frasier Crane about being willing and ready quisition and Discovery at the University of succeed, and vice versa. And much like the to listen to each other. Alabama, and Stacy Sieck, Library Commu- realization that comes after a heated political I’m proud to present the following stellar nications Manager with Taylor & Francis discussion around my family’s Thanksgiving articles on this special issue’s theme. Group, keep the collaborative momentum go- dinner table, we can all learn from each other. To set the collaborative tone, Meredith ing with “Cooperation is Key: How Publishers With this in mind, it was vital that I ap- Babb, Director of the University Press of and Libraries are Working Together to Achieve proach this special issue of ATG from a posi- Florida and Judith Russell, Dean of Univer- Common Goals.” Not only did Michael and tive perspective, focusing not on the narrative sity Libraries at the University of Florida, Stacy turn a once-strained relationship into one that places librarians and vendors in opposite start us off with “Why Libraries and Univer- that is positive and fruitful, they also took their corners, but on what we’re already doing to sity Presses should Support One Another.” In collaboration a step further by co-hosting a build and cultivate harmonious collabora- their piece, they pull back the curtain on the two-day library-centric workshop and publish- tions. If you’ve ever attended the Charleston relationship that develops between a library ing event. Read how working together toward Conference, you’ve seen this spirit of mutual and a university press when the press is hosted a common goal (organizing an event) led to respect in action. More content providers are by the university the library serves. Thanks to more effective communication and proactive hiring librarians with MLS degrees and more this fortunate shared environment, Meredith involvement for both parties. libraries are hiring former vendors and pub- and Judith reveal their collaborative efforts, Not all librarian/content provider communi- lishers. Organizations like NISO are bringing shared values, and the ways their similarities cation happens at the individual level. Lindsey together voices from all corners of the library and differences have led them to realize they Reno, Acquisitions Librarian and Subject and information world to develop standards are “…two sides of the same coin that are es- Specialist at the University of New Orleans, that impact our success in providing services sential parts of a vibrant university ecosystem.” shares a unique viewpoint in “Stemming the to users. Librarians and content providers are In “Vendor Strategies for Libraries,” we Tide: The Role of Subscription Agents and working together to host mini-conferences and hear from Doralyn Rossmann, Head of Col- Consortia in Library Communications.” Draw- advisory meetings with a clear, shared purpose. lection Development, and Kirsten Ostergaard, ing on her experience with the LOUIS Library As you will read in the articles that reflect Electronic Resources and Discovery Services Consortium in Louisiana, Lindsey presents a this special issue’s theme, suspicions and Librarian, both from Montana State Universi- compelling argument for how and why com- misconceptions threaten to divide us, but we ty Library. Through their combined 25 years munication from a consortia or a subscription are already engaged in ways to combat this of library experience, they’ve gained valuable agent benefits both the libraries receiving the negative narrative. In the spirit of cordial insight on managing vendor expectations and information and the content providers offering communication, these articles bring together fostering advantageous relationships. Read on it. According to Lindsey, the future of con- the expertise of librarians, publishers, and ven- to learn about how they leveraged challenges sortia library communication could lead to “… dors. Perspectives and individual experiences in vendor communication into a set of Vendor more time building libraries, resources, and vary, but each new voice fortifies a common Relations Guidelines with the intent to “…pro- infrastructure that will serve the needs of the theme: it’s not enough to communicate only mote transparency, encourage understanding, future.” Who doesn’t want that?
8 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
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WHO DOESN’T LOVE A DOG BOOK? SPORTS BEAT AT THE OLD NY SUN by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) (1) Andrew O’Hagan, The Life and Opinions of Maf the Dog, The Library of America is marking the centenary of famed sports- and of His Friend Marilyn Monroe (2010) (Dog given to Marilyn by writer Bill Heinz’ birth by publishing The Top of His Game: The Best Frank Sinatra. Observes last two years of her life. Yes, it’s fiction.); Sportswriting of W.C. Heinz. His “Death of a Racehorse” has been (2) Virginia Woolf, Flush: A Biography (1933) (Elizabeth Barrett called one of the greatest sports columns ever published. Browning’s cocker spaniel. Canine stream of consciousness.); (3) His boxing novel The Professional was published in 1956. Hem- Gay and Laney Salisbury, The Cruelest Miles (2003) (674 dogsled ingway called it “the only good novel about a fighter I’ve ever read and run in 1925 bringing medecine to Nome to fight diphtheria. an excellent first novel in its own right.” Nonfiction.); (4)J. Percy FitzPatrick, Jock of the Bush- See — Nathan Ward, “You Find the Best Stories in the Loser’s veld (1907) (Dog in wilds of South Africa. Called by Dressing Room,” The Wall Street Journal, Feb. 7-8, 2015, pA11. Ward Teddy Roosevelt “the best and truest of dog stories.”); is the author of forthcoming from Bloomsbury USA The Lost Detective: (5) Paul Auster, Timbuktu (1999) (Dog and crazy Becoming Dashiell Hammett. homeless man on a trek.) See — Barbara Trapido, “Five Best,” The Wall Street Journal, May 9-10, 2015, p.C10. THE GREAT BIG CHARTER by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) June was the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta. The four surviving THROUGH AND THRU copies were put on display in the British Library, and they were each by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) different. There was no “original.” It was an oral agreement. These As public education spread in the 19th century, the English ‘u’ was were “engrossments” or written records of the oral pact. dropped from words like ardor, arbor and clamor. As a meddling Pro- In fact, the text was the same. They were just different shapes, sizes, gressive, Teddy Roosevelt got into the battle to Americanize spelling, handwriting, ink color. joining forces with Andrew Carnegie’s Simplified Spelling Board. And See — Dan Jones, “The Mad King’s Magna Carta,” Smithsonian, Teddy issued an executive order that all publications of the executive July 14, 2015, p.51. department adhere to the new spelling. He wanted that second ‘r’ in purr gotten rid of. And “blessed” would be “blest,” and “kissed” “kist.” This kicked off a firestorm of mockery in the press. The Supreme Court ignored the order. Then passed a resolution against it. For once, RETURN OF A CLASSIC BOOKSTORE Roosevelt drew in his horns and rescinded the order. by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) See — Thomas V. DiBacco, “Teddy Roosevelt, Rough Rider Over Last year, the Rizzoli Bookstore — beloved of art, architecture and Spelling Rules,” The Wall Street Journal, April 17, 2015, p.A17. design fans — closed its historic shop at 57th Street in Manhattan. But now it’s back, and all have breathed a sigh of relief. You can find it on Broadway just west of Madison Square Park in an 1896 Beaux Arts tower. The black-and-white stone floor pattern was inspired by flags used in Siena’s Palio horse races. LET’S READ ABOUT THE SPANISH CIVIL WAR See — Sam Cochran, “A New Chapter,” Architectural Digest, by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) Nov. 2015, p. 72. And they’re all written immediately after the war. (1) Constancia de la Mora, In Place of Splendor (1939)(daughter of wealth and privilege marries republican officer and heads their press bureau); (2) André Malraux, Man’s Hope (1937) (the war in the air); (3) Ramón Send- TOO LATE FOR XMAS, BUT MAYBE ON SALE er, The War in Spain (1937); (4) Alvah Bessie, Men in Battle (1939) by Bruce Strauch (The Citadel) (Abraham Lincoln Brigade); (5) Ernest Hemingway, For Whom the That marvelous Charleston-based Southern magazine Garden & Gun Bell Tolls (1940) (the earth moved). has put out their cookbook — The Southerner’s Cookbook, Recipes, See — Richard Rhodes, “Five Best,” The Wall Street Journal, Wisdom and Stories, (Harper Wave). Fried cornmeal-crusted catfish, Feb. 7-8, 2015, p.C10. braised quail, creamed collards, bacon-wrapped venison loin. Just to-die-for. Jezebel sauce. Charleston Brown Water Society punch. Yum. Future Dates for Charleston Conferences Curious about Jezebel sauce? Vidalia Preconferences and onion, tsp. veg oil, 3 tbsp. grainy mus- tard, 3 tbsp. horseradish, ¼ cup apple Vendor Showcase Main Conference jelly, ¼ cup pineapple preserves, lemon 2016 Conference 2 November 3-5 November zest, tsp. lemon juice. 2017 Conference 8 November 9-11 November See — Books for Cooks
10 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
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Powered by photonics Visit www.SDLinfo.org for information on subscribing Vendor Relations Strategies for Libraries by Kirsten Ostergaard (Electronic Resources and Discovery Services Librarian, Montana State University Library)
he library-vendor relationship is one that tion, including telephone calls, in-person visits, email rules to sort is built on interdependence. Ideally, it postal mail, email, and fax. These communi- incoming messages Tis a mutually beneficial relationship in cations tend to increase close to professional into folders by vendor. Email management which each party informs the other to improve conferences so that vendors can plan in-person requires discipline and persistence. This small resources and services. However in some cases, meetings. Some vendors send the same invoice organizational strategy, though, allows for the time required to create and maintain these both electronically and in postal mail resulting easy retrieval and reference that consistently connections paired with differing priorities in multiple viewings and time spent reviewing benefits Collection Development. and goals puts a strain on such relationships. the same information. Vendor communications often include Libraries may find themselves overwhelmed by Another reality is that some vendors assign valuable information, such as vendor repre- a perpetual barrage of information, and limited multiple representatives to our library: a ven- sentative contact information, subscription bandwidth and resources with which to devote dor may have one representative for eBooks, data, license agreements, and invoices. In to vendor relations. While recognizing that another for serials, and yet another for databas- order to manage the data associated with ven- libraries need access to information resources es. Having multiple representatives means a dor communications, the CD department em- provided by vendors and that vendors need to multiplication of communications from these ploys ProQuest’s 360 Resource Manager for sell their resources to libraries to be profitable, vendors and increased record keeping for the Electronic Resource Management (ERM). At how can libraries manage vendor expectations library to keep these contacts all straight. one time, this information was tracked within and still cultivate healthy relationships? Communications from vendors may have a locally housed spreadsheet on a shared In order to shape the library-vendor a mixture of “essential” communication (e.g., network drive. Today, our vendor-hosted relationship in a manageable way, the Montana an invoice that is due, an update to a license ERM system offers the data fields and backup State University (MSU) Library recently agreement, upcoming database outages) and solutions we need in one, central location. adopted its own set of Vendor Relations “non-essential” communication (e.g., new Like most ERM systems today, ours allows Guidelines to communicate its preferences, product features, vendor booth information at for logging itemized payment information, interests, and priorities. The goal of creating an upcoming conference, company newslet- tracking subscriptions, licenses, and notes. these guidelines is to promote transparency, ters). It can be challenging and time consuming In addition to these features, perhaps one of encourage understanding, and make optimal use to separate the essential and non-essential com- the most valuable tools is the ERM’s ability of time and resources spent with vendor-library munication. Additionally, even some essential to track multiple contacts per provider. Each interactions. This paper presents challenges communications, like database subscription contact may be assigned a role such as a con- with library-vendor communication and renewals, can be overwhelming based on the tact for billing, support, sales, etc. As vendor outlines solutions developed by Montana State vendor’s desire to speak at each renewal to representatives turn over, ERM systems serve University Library to address these challenges. review the library’s account and promote pos- as a valuable central repository for the most Challenges sible additions or upgrades. With hundreds of current vendor information. Montana State University (MSU) is a renewals each year, talking with vendors about Contact methods and frequency vary across mid-size, land grant, Carnegie-classified re- every renewal is not possible. vendors. Since implementing our Vendor Re- search intensive/very high research university. A final concern is that vendors often lations Guidelines, the CD department relays The MSU Library supports the education and communicate with multiple employees in communication preferences to vendors to man- research of its students, faculty, and staff with the department. In some cases, vendors send age expectations for our availability. Starting a robust collection of information resources identical inquiries to multiple staff members. in the summer of 2015 when we implemented spanning a variety of disciplines. Two librarians This results in inefficiencies within the depart- the guidelines, we convey these preferences and two staff in the Collection Development ment: two people may spend time answering the to our current vendors as renewals or other (CD) department correspond regularly with same question; they may reply with conflicting contacts occur. We let new vendors know vendors to learn about new products, procure responses; or, they may both dismiss the com- about these preferences at the beginning of resources, troubleshoot electronic access issues, munication, assuming the other will handle it. new relationships. The goal of setting honest and process renewals or cancellations. In the communication boundaries based on our band- past couple of years, the CD department has Compromises and Solutions width is to establish meaningful connections broadened the scope of its work to include the The CD department at the MSU Library with vendors based on an understanding of our implementation and maintenance of a discovery developed Vendor Relations Guidelines needs. Email is our preferred means of routine services product, creation of an institutional to improve workflow and optimize time interaction because it allows for including repository, acquisition of eBooks, creation of spent dedicated on vendor relations. These multiple parties, tracking correspondence, a program for Demand-Driven Acquisitions, strategies combine three approaches: our and improving time management. While reorganization of the department to include own data management, internal departmental some vendor representatives prefer telephone interlibrary loan, and establishment of an online communication, and how we let vendors conversations, the time allocated to telephone database of sounds from nature. As a result of know about our communication preferences. calls detracts from other responsibilities for the increased breadth of our responsibilities we Ultimately, these strategies have afforded us our CD department. As such, we encourage have less time to devote to working with ven- the ability to balance time across projects and and conduct routine communication via email, dors. Consequently, the MSU Library created manage librarian and staff expectations about and reserve telephone calls for critical access a set of Vendor Relations Guidelines in the our approaches to vendor interactions in relation issues. Email is a mechanism for inclusive and summer of 2015 to foster fruitful relationships to other areas of work within the department. transparent project management. that hopefully satisfy both the library and vendor Vendors often share quite a bit of informa- The MSU Library Collection Develop- within the time allotted by the library. tion over email. This can mean a high volume ment department has four members regularly One of the greatest challenges that the CD of incoming messages. In order to track and communicating with vendors. In order to department faces when working with vendors manage the high-volume of vendor commu- mitigate confusion about communications is managing the many forms of communica- nications, members of the CD department set continued on page 16 14 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
For more information about The ASME Digital Collection, Visit asmedigitalcollection.asme.org
To Subscribe, contact Warren Adams Phone: 973-244-2223 Fax: 973-882-8113 Email: [email protected]
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Vendor Relations Strategies ... from page 14 against thepeople grain profile and to promote transparency among team members, the CD department uses a shared email alias for vendor contact. This shared Director, University Press of Florida email address functions like a listserv and Gainesville, FL 32603 • Phone: (352) 392-1351 copies multiple members of Collection Devel-
make meaningful connections, and to evaluate M. B abb Meredith existing subscriptions or consider new resourc- How/Where do I see the industry in five years: All digital but not all open. es. When a company has multiple vendors representing different product types this can mean multiple vendor visits per year. In order Attitudes from the Library Next Steps to manage a burgeoning visitation schedule, the MSU Library encourages vendor visits bien- Community Vendor relationships serve a valuable role nially. This standard is applied to all vendors For more context into how other libraries in support of libraries. As library goals and with the goal of maintaining consistent and fair approach vendor relations, we conducted an responsibilities evolve, reflecting on vendor practices to cultivate vendor relationships. It informal survey of librarians in June 2015 relationships may highlight opportunities for also helps us relay a realistic and manageable on Serialst, hosted by the North American new communication methods or data man- schedule to our liaison librarians. Serials Interest Group (NASIG). Followers agement techniques to manage workflows. We also convey to our vendors that one of were asked: We share our experiences with the hopes of the most helpful interaction points with them “Have [you] developed any policies engaging in a broader discussion focused for our library is the opportunity to understand or guidelines for communication with on improved understanding and mutually more about our existing subscriptions and vendors? Between on-site visit requests, beneficial library/vendor relationships. As owned products to promote their use to our pa- telephone calls received, and emails noted earlier, we established the Vendor Re- trons. While vendor representatives frequently received from vendors, I find time-man- lationship Guidelines with the goal of setting advertise new products during site visits, quite agement to be challenging around these honest communication boundaries based on often ongoing vendor support is priceless. To relationships. To be consistent and our bandwidth is to establish meaningful con- maximize the value of current subscriptions clear with vendors, I’d like to develop nections with vendors based on understanding and provide quality service to patrons, it is im- some policies, which might make this of our needs. Ideally, we would take vendor portant for librarians and staff to become famil- communication less time intensive. For needs and challenges under advisement in iar and comfortable with subscribed products. example, might we limit vendor visits setting these policies. Therefore, we encourage vendors to provide to a specific month or two of the year or A cursory gauge of library community quick video tutorials, training webinars, and only when we request an on-site visit? attitudes on the Serialst provides some sense responsive customer service that reinforces And, could we say we prefer email to of what is happening in libraries and commu- the value of existing subscriptions, in turn telephone communication? I realize nities. From here, we intend to conduct two fostering trust, a positive user experience, and vendors have their own time challenges additional, broader surveys of the commu- good product usage. Creating time for patrons, and needs to communicate so I want to nity for analysis and broader dissemination: librarians, and staff to become familiar with respect that. How do others manage one survey for libraries and one survey for the functional aspects of product platforms, or the communication relationships with vendors. The results of this survey will be new upgrades proves beneficial and is less time vendors?” shared at the 2016 Electronic Resources and consuming than costly site visits. Responses varied with many librarians Libraries Conference. Ideally, libraries will Finally, caller ID on our library telephones noting that vendor representatives are required convey their challenges and preferences in a helps us manage our vendor communications. to promote and market their products as a part way that reflects realities around competing When facing challenges like trying to trou- of their job responsibilities. Some libraries pressures for time and projects. Equally bleshoot a broken resource or negotiating a suggested they receive better pricing when they important, vendors will be able to present contract or having a colleague in your office, have regular interactions with vendors to foster their expectations and needs from corporate, caller ID can be a big time saver. It allows us positive relationships. Others indicated that they individual sales, and support perspectives that to answer a support-case call or to decline an prefer vendor-initiated contact when it involves will help the library community understand unexpected contact. Likewise, some vendors customer service and training opportunities rath- how to better manage our needs and the de- have disregarded our communication prefer- er than possible new purchases. Some respon- sires of our vendors. Our goal is to encourage ences, in which case caller ID can provide the dents actively let vendors know their preferred conversation and understanding between two vendor an opportunity to connect with your communication preferences and these libraries different yet entwined communities. voicemail if you are otherwise occupied. appreciate it when vendors respect these wishes.
16 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
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’ve been on both sides of the library meet- to take extra time to understand your library, business needs. Don’t wait until the last ten ing table. In the not so distant past, I was and more importantly, work on your account. minutes of the meeting to bring up a major Irepresenting a library service provider Don’t make it hard on the visitor by making issue that might lead to a difficult conversation. — perhaps having just arrived from another them contact multiple people or ask a lot of Do give the representative an alert prior to the time zone, perhaps a bit out of breath because logistical questions — saving them time meeting and bring it up as an agenda parking was not as simple as it seemed on the up front will likely save you time in the item. That gives both groups a bit map, perhaps with only a vague sense of the end. Do provide parking instructions, of time to prepare examples, consult history of the account. Or maybe I was settling offer tips for navigating the campus, with stakeholders that may not be in comfortably having visited this library many and designate a meeting point for present at the meeting, and think times before. More recently, I’ve been on the the start of the day. In the course about possible solutions. other side of the table hosting library vendors of planning, don’t forget to leave Last, but certainly not least, and publishers visiting the Acquisitions De- time for meals, restroom breaks don’t let your group air the library’s partment of Stanford University Libraries. I and possibly even a short tour dirty laundry during the meeting. may not have travelled far for the meeting (and of the library or campus. Some This is not the time for revelations thankfully won’t have to fill out an expense re- cushioning in the schedule about internal library politics. port!), but I have put in some time to make sure gives both parties time to learn Similarly, don’t allow internal dis- my department and colleagues get the most out more about one another and establish agreements to derail the meeting. of the short time we have face-to-face with the some common ground. While your visitor may be amused content and service providers that assist us in Do ask your group for an agenda prior to the at the infighting happening during a meeting, the acquisition of library materials. visit and share the agenda with your visitors. it also sends the message that your library Library-vendor meetings are necessary and Don’t assume that everyone in your group doesn’t know what it wants or needs and will valuable, but they can also be time-consuming knows what the meeting is about and what undermine any previous requests you’ve made. and sometimes painful regardless of which side their role should be. If you are leading the of the table you may sit. The reality, more meeting, do make sure everyone in the room After the Meeting often than not, is that the vendor representa- understands why they are there and the goal Don’t expect immediate follow-up from tive asked for the meeting and the librarian of the meeting. Having a uniform message your visitors. They’ve likely visited multiple doesn’t necessarily feel like the host. But the from the library during the meeting will help libraries during the week of your visit and representative will certainly feel like a guest the representative formulate key action items have a to-do list a mile long. But do persist in your library — especially when they try to for follow up. and escalate if issues remain unresolved. access your campus Internet — and, depending Do continue to send concrete examples and on what kind of business is being conducted, During the Meeting provide business reasons for the changes you preparing for a visit as if you are preparing for Don’t assume that the rep knows all the his- are requesting. If the meeting was a sales call an out-of-town guest can smooth the way for a tory of your account. So do provide context for to ask for more business and the library has productive meeting. the points you are making. Maybe there was decided not to commit, don’t be afraid to go Advice for managing relationships between a key organizational change that impacted the ahead and say so. Offering a decision, even libraries and vendors often discuss negotiating way your business with that company devel- if it might change down the road, will save contracts or licenses,1 how to handle difficult oped, maybe budget cuts have influenced your everyone a bit of time. situations,2 or describe specific roles or person- approach to acquisitions models, or maybe you At Stanford, we know we demand a lot ality types that can have a positive or negative are now collecting in new subject areas. All from our service providers. We do our best influence on the relationship.3 Drawing on of this can provide a useful framework for the to make doing business a pleasant experience some of my own experience and observations, representatives as they think about how their for all involved; realizing, of course, we don’t what I offer here are some practical do’s and company can meet your library’s unique needs. accomplish this goal all of the time. When it don’ts for hosting vendor or publisher repre- If you are providing feedback about content comes to visits from our content and service sentatives at your library. or services, do provide specific examples of providers, playing host may only be a small the problem. State the frequency of the oc- part of our business experience, but the little Before the Meeting currence, provide screenshots or photographs things that go into preparing for a visit can If there will be multiple meetings at your of the specific issue, and of course, do provide go a long way in solidifying a long-term re- library, do delegate one person to be the main the necessary context from your institution to lationship. point of contact for the visitor. The library further explain why you are requesting a solu- contact can coordinate meeting times, schedule tion. Having specific examples coupled with conference rooms, make introductions, guide an explanation of the problem’s impact on the Endnotes the representative through the maze that so library’s workflow — and therefore the library’s 1. Janet L. Flowers, Specific Tips for Ne- often is the library, and generally play host. ability to do more or less business with the com- gotiations with Library Materials Vendors These administrative and social tasks go a pany in question — will help the representative Depending Upon Acquisitions Method, Library Collections, Acquisitions, and Tech- long way in making a representative want align the library’s needs with the company’s nical Services 28, no. 4 (2004): 433-448. 2. Katy Ginanni, Anne E. McKee, Jenni Wilson, and Linda A. Brown, “Yer Doin’ it Author Bio Wrong: How NOT to Interact with Vendors, Sarah Forzetting is head of the Ordering and Payments units in the Acquisitions Publishers, or Librarians,” The Serials Li- brarian 68, no. 1-4 (2015): 255-261. Department at Stanford University Libraries. Previously she represented Coutts Information Services as a collections consultant to libraries in the United States and 3. James H. Walther, “Assessing Library Vendor Relations: A Focus on Evaluation Canada. Sarah also worked as a European history editor at ABC-Clio before completing and Communication,” The Bottom Line 11, an MLS at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. no. 4 (1998): 149-157.
18 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
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T: 650.493.4400/800.523.8635 (us/can) Pushing the Vendor to Improve Customer Service by Stacey Marien (Acquisitions Librarian, American University)
Stacey’s Story email the new contact and my questions were codes for eBooks be included in the American University is a private, co-ed- not answered but referred to others and then Order information, Site/Location drop ucational institution in Washington D.C. with there was no follow up with me to see if my down menu. This still has not happened. an FTE of approximately 11,000 students. questions were ever answered. This continued We do have a work around method to It is known for its programs in international for a time and my frustration built. I liked the get the eBook funds into the order but service, public policy and public affairs, and way my former rep handled my questions. She we really need to have it show up in the international law and human rights. AU would send me back my question along with drop down menu. belongs to the Washington Research Library her answer in red. My frustration bubbled over Sept. 26: Could you please provide Consortium (WRLC) that is made up of The and thus began my push back for better service. the list of funds and we will add them. American University, The Catholic Uni- A couple of years into our relationship, (Response from Coutts rep) versity of America, Gallaudet University, Coutts went through internal changes with Oct 6: Our records indicate that these George Mason University, The George the closing of their customer service center funds have been added. However, when Washington University, Georgetown, How- in Canada and the transfer of that service to we test it, we can see that they are not ard University, Marymount University, and Tennessee. It was hard to keep up with who available to you. Our OASIS feedback The University of the District of Columbia. I was supposed to contact with my questions team is looking into this, I will follow In 2010, Blackwell’s assets and debts were and concerns. It got to the point where I would up as soon as possible. send a missive in the form of a word document taken over by Baker &Taylor and YBP. Our For the most part, this system worked for to everyone I knew at Coutts: my sales rep, library was a Blackwell’s customer but instead me. However, it took a tremendous amount my rep who handled the approval profiles, my of automatically rolling over with YBP, our of time on my part to keep up with this. As sales rep’s boss, the head of technical collection managers decided to evaluate both I said to my sales rep on nu- services, and anyone else whose the GOBI and OASIS ordering systems. We merous occasions, why was email I happened to have. My sales were already using Coutts as a secondary it up to me, the customer, to rep would call me and assure me vendor so our searchers had some familiarity have to constantly follow that my dogged persistence was with OASIS but our collection managers had up with answers and keep appreciated but all I wanted was never used the system. After evaluating both track of the status of prob- answers to my questions. systems over the spring of 2010, the collection lems? From my viewpoint, managers chose Coutts as our primary book Here are examples of the ways I it seemed that there was no vendor. would communicate with my con- one on the customer service This article will talk about the bumpy ride tacts at Coutts. I would write up a side of Coutts who would American University Library had in switch- word document and title it “Ongoing take responsibility to see ing over to Coutts for our print and eBook Coutts Issues” and add the date. I my problems through to programs and how during that bumpy ride, a would document all the old issues that resolution. The customer partnership was forged between myself (the I had not received answers on, the last service rep would merely pass my questions Acquisitions Librarian) and my staff at AU response I had received from Coutts and the on to relevant parties but would not follow with the various contacts at Coutts and their status of the question as far as I was concerned. up to ensure that my questions were actually customer service department. Lots of colors were used to highlight the differ- answered. Often, I did not know who my American University was in the first ent levels of information or non-information. questions were referred to. At times during wave of schools to switch over to Coutts from This document would go out monthly or when the first couple of years with Coutts, I might Blackwell’s. Over the next two years, the my patience ran out. For example: have questions referred to four or five people library implemented several programs with Old Issues: and then the onus was on me to follow up with Coutts. The first order of business was to get With the new TOC service, there has those people. It was frustrating and time con- the approval plan profiles set up with the collec- been a problem with diacritics. This is suming. On several occasions I would be told, tion managers. Once those profiles were creat- causing records to not be loaded into “but no one else has ever complained about ed, we needed to set up the shelf-ready process our system. What is this status of this that.” That was not exactly what I wanted to for the approval books. After the approval plan problem? They (Coutts contact) think hear! On the other hand, my sales rep would was implemented, we set up the shelf-ready it’s a problem with old codes being used constantly assure me that he wanted to hear my firm book ordering. The Patron-driven eBook with MARC 21. complaints. While meeting with Coutts reps at program through MyiLibrary came next, and We are looking into and will report ALA and other conferences, I was always told then we set up a patron-driven print program. further at a later date (answer received that they wanted to hear my concerns, that often The implementation of all of these programs from Coutts when question was first their customers did not bring issues to their involved a tremendous amount of time and submitted). attention and they appreciated my frankness. oversight on the part of me and my staff. I As of Sept 22, Coutts has not responded Five years later and programs are smooth was new to Acquisitions and vendor relations to this. sailing with Coutts. We have implemented having spent most of my career as a reference Sept 26: (Technical rep) is in the process pretty much every program that can be imple- librarian. I did not know what to expect in mented with them and I have a very good re- dealing with a vendor and customer service. of contacting Bowker with regards to some MARC data that is being imported lationship with everyone I know there — from My first experience with Coutts customer that creates MARC loading issues. Bob Nardini down to the customer service service was a positive one. I was assigned a reps. After being reassured time and again particular person to contact in the customer I would then add any new issues that had that my input was valued, I have finally come service department and she was always prompt occurred since my last communication. For to believe it! Now, if they could only imple- in answering my questions. I came to expect example: ment Table of Contents for eBooks, I would a certain level of service and when that person New Issues: be happy. I am hoping that their acquisition left the position, that level of service was not eBook funds codes in drop down menu. by ProQuest will not cause another bump in maintained with my new contact. I would Over the summer we asked that the fund continued on page 22 20 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
ProQuest welcomes Coutts Information Services into the ProQuest family. Now librarians can turn to one source of rich, diverse content—ebooks, journals, news, databases, dissertations, working papers, reports and more—and now 25 million print titles from Coutts. The widest selection of resources to meet the unique needs of your users.
Investigate the possibilities at www.proquest.com/go/coutts, or contact us at [email protected] Pushing the Vendor to Improve ... from page 20 against thepeople grain profile the road and upset the good customer service I have come to expect. Acquisitions Librarian, American University Library Bob’s Story 4400 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20016 Every unhappy customer is unhappy in her
Rumors brought back memories of the now defunct I didn’t spend much time with her in from page 6 Intimate Bookshop in Chapel Hill, NC back Charleston. My bad! Regina Gong — isn’t when I was an undergrad. Bookstores are she doing a fabulous job of book reviews for last night, I was talking to my husband about wonderful, aren’t they? us librarians? As a technical services librarian, Barnes & Noble and how I liked it. “I hate it,” http://money.cnn.com/2015/12/04/investing/ I am especially interested in Mary Beth We- he said, “everything is jumbled together with barnes-and-noble-sales-nook-amazon/?utm_ ber’s book on Rethinking Technical Services coffee and snacks and toys and all kinds of source=nl&utm_campaign=dbw-smo-nl- (see p.35). And aren’t you enjoying Stacey magazines and comic books. It’s not a serious 151207&utm_content=804451_DBW+Dai- Marien and Alayne Mundt’s regular column, bookstore.” “Yes,“ I agreed, “but you can go ly+-+120715+-+no+sponsor&utm_medi- Let’s Get Technical, see this issue, p.57. in and see people reading and don’t have to be um=email Talk about “rethinking,” don’t miss our Biz in front of the computer to find things.” B ack http://franklinstreetstories.com/stories/inti- of Acq column in this issue, p.70. It’s about Talk this month by Jim O’Donnell (p.78) matebookshop.html continued on page 29
22 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
uilding the library/publisher relationship create trust and confidence betweenTaylor & Rosalind J. Beiler, Director of Public History is by no means a new issue. It’s an is- Francis and UCF, which developed close ties and Associate Professor of History at UCF, Bsue we see covered in conferences and between the two organizations. and Adam Feine, Taylor & Francis’ Journals industry news articles, and it’s often a point Sales Executive. Moving Cooperation to the New Level of discussion (and sometimes contention) on The internal event for UCF faculty and listservs and industry blogs. Within two years and with their relationship librarians focused on best practices for get- More recently, however, there’s been a renewed, UCF and Taylor & Francis began ting published and a look at content usage for gradual shift away from publishers being seen discussing potential opportunities to reach out UCF. Barbara Tierney, Head of Research as adversarial to libraries, and there’s now a to other library faculty and researchers. and Information Services at UCF, discussed stronger sense that improving these relation- Up until that point, Taylor & Francis how faculty and students can work with UCF ships is important, if not imperative, to staff had mainly communicated with librarians during the research process and also the success of both parties. Michael, and both groups agreed it the support they can provide when publishing would be beneficial for Taylor & academic research in books and journals. More and more publishers co- Francis to get to know the other li- host workshops or Webinars or brary faculty and to better understand In the end, the events were hugely success- conference sessions with library their needs. ful. Almost 60 librarians and faculty from partners, and we’re seeing more and UCF and other universities across central more session-based conferences Michael and Elyse Profera, the Florida attended the workshops, and some great being launched that aim to bring Library Communications Manager discussions came out of the workshops. The librarians, publishers, and vendors at Taylor & Francis at the time, benefits of in-person meetings were obvious. into the same room for discussions started throwing around ideas and These events weren’t just lectures or Webinars and sessions. eventually decided to co-host a with minimal interaction online or in a large It makes sense — after all, both two-day library-centric workshop conference room. Michael and Elyse inten- share at least one common goal: and internal publishing event on the tionally developed the agendas to allow time meeting the needs of researchers and profes- UCF campus. The goals of Taylor & for a breakfast meet-and-great, coffee breaks, sionals. Librarians who feel that publishers and Francis and UCF were well-aligned, and they and a lunch break so presenters, librarians, vendors are only out for profit are restricting both aimed to spread the word to workshop faculty, and Taylor & Francis would have their opportunities and those of their library to attendees that Taylor & Francis was an active time to meet face-to-face and to start to form a take advantage of amazing post-sale services partner with UCF. relationship outside the UCF leadership. These now being offered by several key publishers. Planning began almost immediately in fall breaks between sessions were key to Taylor But developing these relationships doesn’t 2013. It was decided that the workshop would & Francis establishing positive ties with the happen overnight. It’s a process that starts with be held on February 25 and February 26, 2014 library and faculty community at UCF. (an ideal time for Taylor & Francis staff building trust and creating open and honest Success! Collaboration Continues lines of communication. A process that the coming from snowy Philadelphia and a fairly University of Central Florida (UCF) and quiet time for librarians and UCF researchers!). From the very beginning of the process, Taylor & Francis more recently went through. Michael booked meeting space at UCF’s UCF and Taylor & Francis collaborated on John C. Hitt Library and contributed to the almost every detail — from determining who Striving for Positive Relationships invitation lists for both the librarian and author would be invited to selecting dates and topics Prior to 2012, the relationship between days. He also helped secure guest speakers for for presentations. Michael and Elyse in partic- Taylor & Francis and the University of Cen- the events and generate interest on-campus. ular were in constant communication, and this tral Florida (UCF) was strained. The library Elyse handled the logistics, like creating and showed at the events. Sessions were interesting faculty at UCF was skeptical of Taylor & distributing invitations and organizing guest and far more than a sales pitch. Librarians and Francis and there wasn’t much of a relation- speakers from Taylor & Francis. Michael faculty alike shared positive feedback follow- ship between the two organizations. and Elyse worked closely together to create ing the events, with UCF librarians reporting Then in 2012, new staff at Taylor & Fran- agendas that would meet their goals while also they now see Taylor & Francis as being ac- cis took over the management of the UCF appealing to a wide audience. tively involved with a strong after care support account and they began working with Michael program with genuine interest in promoting Taylor & Francis Heads South for the usage and supporting the researchers. Arthur — then Head of Collections at UCF. Winter (or at least for a few days) This “changing of the guard” allowed the two The library workshop also gave librarians organizations to basically start from scratch After months of planning and hard work, from numerous universities the opportunity to and to establish a positive and collaborative February finally arrived, andElyse , as well as talk about their experiences and the challenges relationship. editorial and sales staff from Taylor & Fran- and successes they experience at their own It started out with the usual emails and oc- cis, headed to UCF for the workshop. institutions. The events brought together UCF casional phone calls about Taylor & Francis The agendas Michael and Elyse created researchers and subject librarians as well, giv- products and services — efforts to determine were meant to be both engaging and informa- ing them the opportunity to talk to each other what content UCF needed but did not current- tive, which helped draw interest in the events. about what they want and need when it comes ly have access to and what the University’s The library workshop, held on February 25, to research and support — a key goal at UCF. researchers and faculty wanted and needed. showcased Taylor & Francis products and the With the success of the workshops, other Leadership from Taylor & Francis and UCF TFO platform. It also included a presentation opportunities soon followed. Taylor & Fran- began making in-person meetings at confer- on Open Access with an OA panel discussion cis staff were invited back to UCF in October ences a priority. Being able to put a face to given by seven UCF librarians. The day ended 2014 to present during UCF’s Open Access the name — to the email address — helped with a joint session on the importance of digital Week, and Michael Arthur accepted an invi- exponentially, and that attentiveness helped archives, given by faculty guest speaker Dr. continued on page 24 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
dustry, and they’ve seen first-hand that working Stacy V together and preserving close connections can Francis’ Library & Information Sciences Author Rights Pilot Program, a zero embargo pilot only help them achieve their goals. program for the LIS author community. There are still challenges, and it can be difficult to keep the momentum going and to continue to cultivate relationships like the one between Taylor & Francis and UCF. Staff Journals Sales Manager at Taylor & Francis, and their pre-established relationship means turnover can make it difficult for librarians and but the relationship between Taylor & Francis Michael doesn’t have to start over to build publishers alike, which means it is even more and UCF remains close. new relationships at Taylor & Francis. In important to establish close ties with numerous It’s also made Michael’s transition to the fact, Michael and Elyse’s replacement — people within an organization to help ensure University of Alabama slightly easier. Elyse Stacy Sieck — is already considering a similar that history isn’t lost. Michael has moved now oversees university accounts in the central event at his new home at the University of on from his post at UCF, and Elyse is now a U.S., including the University of Alabama, Alabama.
Stemming the Tide: The Role of Subscription Agents and Consortia in Library Communications by Lindsey Reno (Acquisitions Librarian/Subject Specialist, University of New Orleans, Earl K. Long Library; Phone: 504-280-6499)
ne of the benefits of working with a sub- name of vendor relations. The proliferation of word-smithing or graphic design magic is scription agent or a consortia is stream- of communication leads to a sort of blindness going to change that. Olined communication. One need only in librarians. Making more robust use of sub- In her article “Vendor Relations: Tales work with their designated representative or scription agents and consortia would be more from a Vendee,” Julie Kitchen reminisces online interface of their vendor to accomplish beneficial for all concerned, but some things about the “good-old-days” of acquisitions a host of tasks related to subscription orders, need to change before this can be a reality. when a representative would simply drop by such as claiming, invoicing, troubleshooting, for a cup of tea and laments the current climate ordering, or licensing. Unfortunately, these The Current Reality of “bombardment of electronically mailed, relationships do little to mitigate the onslaught How many emails do librarians receive slightly breathless announcements about of communication directed at Academic Li- from publishers and vendors on a daily ba- the latest publication or service.”1 Before brarians from publishers in the form of phone sis? How many of these emails are actually the prevalence of electronic resources, the calls, emails, post cards, letters, catalogs, and read? How many of these emails lead to relationship between librarians and publishers site visits. This method is not only bothersome, fruitful communication? The daily deluge was less difficult. The environment in which but ineffective, like a magnified version of of contact from publishers is vast and vastly publishers and vendors work has become the spam and junk ineffective. When much more harsh.2 mail one receives at I scan my inbox on Adding to that harshness is a declining home. Phone calls a Monday morn- library market. In this new environment, are screened, emails ing, few emails publishers and vendors have the need to hold are marked as read, receive such swift onto libraries and prevent poaching by com- paper mail is tossed and total annihila- petitors. One of the ways that they attempt to without a second tion as a product do this is by staying in constant contact with glance, and visits email from a pub- customers.3, 4 Is this really necessary or effec- are tolerated in the lisher. No amount continued on page 25
24 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
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about product offers do not get the standard braries. More effort could be put toward group Stemming the Tide ... eradication that befalls most other product events rather than individual site visits. For from page 24 offers. How is this possible? Firstly, there example, the Statewide California Electronic are a lot fewer of them. They stand out in Library Consortium (SCELC) has an annual tive? According to Diane Smith, librarians their rarity. They come from a trusted and event called Vendor Day where vendors and tend to be too polite and string vendors along established source that has your best interests publishers come to meet with librarians and even though they do not intend to subscribe to in mind. The product has likely been vetted library staff from all over the state. There is a new resource. She has also seen, from her already and there is probably a discounted offer also a day-long colloquium where librarians stint with a library vendor, librarians agreeing in place. It is like getting a recommendation on and vendors alike give presentations. There to meet with her, only to read email and look a laundry detergent from one’s parent instead should be more local and regional events like 5 at social media while doing so. Is this a good of heeding the call of a shiny Procter and this, where librarians, publishers, and vendors use of anyone’s time? Gamble advertisement. According to Bernie can meet, exchange ideas, and discuss services, Do you really want to cancel that? Yes. Sloan, “If a library consortium puts its Good rather than the usual sales pitch and tales of Usually, the answer is yes. At the University Housekeeping seal of approval on a new e-re- budget woe exchange. Both librarians and of New Orleans, a review of all continuing re- source and discusses it on consortial listservs vendors have discussed the need for a different sources happens annually, as a matter of course. and at consortial meetings, this helps create an type of partnership.8, 9 In order to do that, we A flat budget plus inflation equals cuts. In the interest and buzz about the e-resource among need to move past the current model. acquisitions department this means, in addition member libraries.”6 It would stand to reason Subscription Agents to the painful process of cutting titles, fielding that publishers and vendors should focus more Librarians might also find that emails from weekly phone calls direct from publishers on consortia than on individual libraries. throughout the ensuing subscription year. one’s subscription agent often receive less They want to confirm that the cancellation was Working more with consortia has benefits scorn in the inbox. Usually, these emails are intentional and they want to know why the title for publishers, such as reducing overhead. Con- important and do not get “marked as read” with was cancelled. Lodging complaints with our sortia often do much of the work that a vendor all of the other vendor and publisher emails. or publisher would do themselves, including There is a recognizable name. You may have subscription agent yields no solution and there 7 seems to be no way of avoiding it. Perhaps, billing and trouble-shooting. This is the case met this person. This is someone that you in addition to the very deliberate process of with the LOUIS Library Consortium in Lou- work with many times throughout the year cancelling a subscription, one could provide isiana. Licensing, billing, and trouble-shooting on renewals, invoicing, and trouble-shooting. a reason, selected from a drop-down box, that are handled by the consortium. Publishers Yet, subscription agents are not in the habit could then be communicated to the publisher would also have the ability to reach a wider of promoting resources outside of their own alongside the cancellation. audience more quickly and with less effort. organizations, even though it would benefit They could make one sales pitch instead of them with additional subscription sales. Library Consortia fifty. They could send out one email instead One of the most wondrous aspects of using Those librarians who work with consortia of a thousand. Feedback would come from a subscription agent is that of information gath- may find that emails to consortial listservs one source, instead of a hundred different li- continued on page 26 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
ATG Interviews Franny Lee, Founder of SIPX and Kurt Sanford, CEO of ProQuest by Tom Gilson (Associate Editor, Against the Grain)
ATG: Some of our readers may not be that shape its development and we remain deeply in all the complicated licensing, purchasing and familiar with SIPX. Can you elaborate on tune with library perspectives today. Michael invoicing processes. There’s an easy, seamless what services SIPX provides? How do these Keller, Stanford UL, was a board member online transaction for the student, that the li- services benefit libraries and their patrons? since inception, and our early adopters and brary can configure to be invoiced for if that’s Do they compete with existing library services reviewers played a significant role in evolving the way things work on their campus, with like online course reserves, open etextbook SIPX’s mission and design — demo users no paperwork or permission payments for the programs, etc.? How do they differ from coming back to us from the early days would library or bookstore to deal with. similar providers like the Copyright Clear- see their feedback realized in a system that SIPX is different from other providers in ance Center? schools are delighted with today! that we come at course materials from the FL: SIPX is a perfect fit withAgainst the Educators, librarians and support staff use perspectives of the instructor, the library and Grain readers because it empowers schools to SIPX to set up course readings lists and then the student. We partner with many types of leverage their own library content for digital students use it to get the readings they need complementary third parties to combine prod- course materials, works with open content for class. What’s really great about the SIPX ucts and services to create all-new solutions, initiatives, and simplifies the rights process solution is that it always automatically checks including the Copyright Clearance Center. for other content they want to use. It’s an to see if those works are available at no cost CCC is an important partner of SIPX and easy-to-use cloud-based solution that can be to students via library subscriptions or open shares its robust copyright clearance and connected into campus Learning Management sources. If they are, the faculty saves their stu- pricing information via a direct API to its Systems, library course reserves platforms and dents money and the library is the hero! When database. However, SIPX also incorporates bookstore coursepack workflows. It’s even a the selected readings are outside the school’s customers’ institutional holdings (including natural fit for distance education, continuing holdings, SIPX offers the instructor alternate where a school has purchased CCC’s Annual studies programs and global Massive Open open and royalty-free options that match the Copyright License), open resources and other Online Courses. same search criteria. If that non-subscribed publisher sources to build an actionable read- SIPX is a nimble, innovative solution — first choice is really what the instructor needs to ing list for students and satisfy the full user we’ve always worked closely with libraries to share with their students, then SIPX simplifies continued on page 27
26 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
28 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
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impact between SIPX and TPP, however, I do Interview — F. Lee and K. Sanford think that technologies and solutions like SIPX Rumors from page 28 can be a way to demonstrate to policymakers from page 22 the changing needs and behaviors of users and with robust licensing arrangements with key provide guidance on current and/or healthy Training the new Acquisitions Technician. publishers that they need SIPX? market practices. As many of us know, there are fewer and fewer FL: We’re still focused on higher education ATG: How do you see the ProQuest-SIPX people with library acquisitions experience. and enhancing schools’ efficiency and effec- relationship evolving? What are your goals Speaking of which, Stacey has a feature tiveness for the benefit of students. Even li- for the next year? How do you see the market article in this issue with Bob Nardini about braries with robust licensing arrangements like for your services changing? What will SIPX Improving Customer Service, p.20. In fact this Stanford benefit greatly fromSIPX because it services look like in two years? entire issue of ATG is about communication be- exposes these rich collections more widely to KS: Looking at the upcoming year, our im- tween librarians and scholarly content providers. faculty and students. This generates a greater mediate focus is on giving SIPX the room and From James Joyce to Critical Insights return on investment. For schools without resources to grow. SIPX will stay nimble and about comic books (p.66) we librarians are many library resources SIPX offers easy trans- be powered by the same entrepreneurial drive, trying to keep up with the present at the same actional access to quality and open content, but be much more robust with the resources of time we respect collect, and digitize the past. so that students can still connect to what they ProQuest to rely upon. That said, we’ll see the A tall order to be sure. need for an effective educational experience. touch-points I mentioned between SIPX and Did anyone besides a few of us hear Bill ATG: Since we live in a global market, ProQuest start to spark change both within Hannay’s session in Charleston 2015? He can you tell us what plans you have for ProQuest and in higher education generally, was speaking about the recent U.S. Court of international expansion? Will these plans to bring benefits and new opportunities to our Appeals case between Google and the Au- be impacted by the extension of U.S. copy- customers, partners and everyone. We want to thors Guild. Google Books: It Ain’t Over right protocols through TPP (Trans Pacific keep ProQuest and SIPX adapting and always ’til the Librarians Sings is the topic Bill spoke Partnership)? open to finding new ways to provide value, about during a concurrent session that was at- FL: SIPX already services global MOOCs which is especially important in the dynamic tended by librarians, many of whom bemoaned where we might interact with students from market we’re in. We will constantly change to the fact that the digitization of books by Google dozens of different countries per course, and meet the customer needs and user behaviors. had ceased. Bill wants to hear from librarians with ProQuest’s impressive global reach, ATG: Franny and Kurt, thank you both about Google Books, because in the end, the international expansion of SIPX as an institu- for taking time from your hectic schedules to essential question to be answered is whether tional service is coming soon! We recognize let our readers know how things are evolving the Google Books project has been worth that different countries have unique workflows between SIPX and ProQuest. We really ap- all the effort to create it (and to fight about and needs, and we’re fine-tuning to make sure preciate it! it). Speak up! Be Heard! Email Bill Hannay SIPX can be configured to be useful and valu- about this!
Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
BT: Of your predictions ten years ago, where do you think you statement at http://100.marywood.edu/priorities/commons/, including hit the mark? the clickable bullet-points on that site’s right sidebar. This goes beyond DB: Ten years ago I saved my highest predictive praise for the practicality to organizational theory. In 2005, I’d come up with what is RENCI Display Wall, which, at the time, was the most high-profile now called the “three-domain diagram,” to depict the physical, virtual, interactive display wall on the market. Now, LC’s and leading-edge and cultural dimensions of an LC. Paul Hagner picked up on that when libraries everywhere (like NCSU’s Hunt Library) are replete with he was VP of EDUCAUSE and Paul immediately began using my dia- multiple display walls, and vendors still seem to be multiplying. So, gram in his own EDUCAUSE presentations. But it was five more years I think that my display wall prediction was right on-target. And then, before Buffalo State College issued the glowing LibQual+ assessments of course, I immediately contrasted that with the opposite extreme of of its own IC, and I suddenly realized how elegantly LibQual+’s three predicting ever-increasing power and capabilities for handheld devices, assessment scales (Library as Place, Information Control, and Affect and we all know where that trend has taken us. (That sounds passe today, of Service) fit the dimensions of the three-domain diagram. That type but remember we did that interview a couple months before Apple intro- of serendipity is a strong indicator that an organizational theory has duced the first iPhone.) At this moment, for me, the most exciting point internal coherence and validity. And I’ve been especially gratified that of innovation lies at the interaction point of small mobile devices on the this theoretical convergence was recognized in the new edition of the one hand and large displaywalls on the other. We see this intersection Encyclopedia of Information Science & Technology (IGI Global; 2014). in the new ThinkHub app for group collaboration from Charlotte’s own It’s article, “Academic Libraries in the Digital Age” (not authored by me) firm, T1V. To see it in action, check out their YouTube clip at https:// features a very insightful overview of my EDUCAUSE discussion of www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUZyoYZo89M. Even though displaywalls “Information Control” and “Affect of Service” in the specific LC context. may not currently enjoy quite the cache or prestige of 3-D printers, I personally suspect over the long haul that interactive displaywalls will impact the learning experiences of at least as many students as will 3-D printers, and probably more. I expect by now we’ve all heard those quiet cautionary comments from librarians whose 3-D printer Makerspaces have seen less demand than anticipated. Don’t get me wrong — 3-D printing is firmly ensconced in our collective future, but is hardly the only library innovation we should be following closely. BT: Did you have predictions from 2006 that did not pan out as expected? DB: In some of my articles and presentations, like my D-LIB paper in 2003, I thought we would see more practical impact from knowledge / data visualization than has thus far been the case. But of course, the consumer stampede to small mobile devices presents an inherent bar- rier to a more expansive exploration of knowledge visualization. The display wall, by contrast, will likely become the natural sandbox for visualization, for both knowledge discovery and big data apps. But that, in turn, means that the higher expense of display walls, and the logistical challenges of their installation, could hold visualization development to a somewhat slower adoption curve than I would have originally hoped. Figure: Convergence between the Learning Commons’ three Still, we’ve seen some gradual progress. CREDO Reference is making conceptual domains and the three assessment scales of LibQUAL+ good use of its MindMap feature, in my opinion. It is similar to what Aquabrowser attempted, but seems a more natural fit for CREDO’s BT: In your 3-part blog for ACRL’s dh+lib webcenter, you related topical research arena. Also, Gale/Cengage/Artemis has incorporated a the LC to digital humanities initiatives. How different or how similar is “Topic Finder Wheel” visualization in their Literature Criticism Online that part of the LC vision to the Digital Scholarship Center movement? that I find promising. DB: Just because LC organizational theory has attained this inter- BT: Do you still think the Learning Commons is a valid model for esting congruence with LibQUAL+ assessment scales, does not mean the library of the future? that theory can override organizational culture. Each institution has a DB: Real-world assessments are certainly proving it is a valid unique culture, and some cultures will simply dictate alternative models model for the present, and I’m not seeing any persuasive evidence that to the LC. But frankly, I have not yet seen an alternative model that its advantages will be less compelling for the foreseeable future. It may offers greater “Swiss-army knife” potential. I understand the growing no longer be the glamorous new kid on the block, but that pales in sig- interest in the Digital Scholarship Center model. It has real promise, nificance next to the ever-mounting stack of proven positive assessment and I’m following it with interest. Yet I think that model also presents results. In my research bulletin for the EDUCAUSE Center for Analysis a hidden risk: the risk of eventually morphing into a Digital Schol- & Research, I examined multiple assessments that cumulatively send a arship Silo, creating yet another insular buffer between research and message of prevailing success that is hard to ignore. Still, I’m not sure learning, or yet another high-prestige escape hatch for star academics our colleagues universally recognize the degree to which the LC, when fleeing the messy challenges of teaching. When you’re working on a properly managed, gives you an organizational model that positions campus that has a well-managed multifaceted Learning Commons (or your library to not only adapt to, but to assertively leverage the unique Research Commons, if you prefer) leveraged to the upper potential fluidity and malleability of digital media. I refer to the LC sometimes of what a LC / RC can become, then you should have all the tools as the Library’s potential “Swiss army knife” of digital tools and ser- needed to do top-drawer digital scholarship within that space, without vices. We see that potential coming closest to full actualization in the compromising its equal importance as a learning space. I wonder if Weigle Information Commons at Penn, for example, and visualized in that duality (or multiplicity) of service dimensions will remain true of LC planning statements even from mid-sized campuses like Marywood the Digital Scholarship Center. University in Scranton. See Marywood’s recent excellent LC vision continued on page 31 30 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
32 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
Column Editor’s Note: This is our first issue for 2016 so I’m wish- on how law librarians are evolving to meet the changes and challenges ing you all a happy new year. I can’t believe 2015 is over. Seems like in their libraries. Finally, don’t miss out the review on A History of it flew by so fast, at least for me. I guess time passes by really quickly Modern Librarianship: Constructing the Heritage of Western Cul- when you’re having fun and, of course, when you live in a state that tures. Just the journey alone in writing this book is a feat in itself. It’s has four seasons. Speaking of state, I’m happy to welcome you dear a great reference and a definitive historical study for those looking to readers to this column where all book reviewers are my MI librarian know the modern history of libraries in the Western world. colleagues (including my husband who works at MSU). We have an Anyway, I hope to see you at the ALA Midwinter in Boston. I’m interesting array of books that we’ve reviewed for this issue starting with looking forward to going there. Hope the winter weather is not too my review of the book Managing Your Brand: Career Management bad. As always, please let me know if you want to be a book reviewer and Personal PR for Librarians. It contains helpful and practical at
34 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
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Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
Rumors freedoms and their privacy with the operational needs support for the principles, on the NISO Website. This of systems providers. The twelve principles cov- project was generously supported by a grant from the from page 32 ered in the document address the following topics: Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Shared Privacy Responsibilities; Transparency http://bit.ly/niso_patron_privacy Just saw on liblicense that The National Infor- and Facilitating Privacy Awareness; Security; www.niso.org/topics/tl/privacy mation Standards Organization (NISO) has pub- Data Collection and Use; Anonymization; Options Ann Okerson’s popular panel in Charleston lished a set of consensus principles for the library, and Informed Consent; Sharing Data with Oth- 2015 — The Long Arm of The Law — focused content-provider and software-provider communities ers; Notification of Privacy Policies and Practices; on the topic of Privacy and consisted of Gary Price (http://bit.ly/niso_patron_privacy) to address privacy Supporting Anonymous Use; Access to One’s (topic: Ignorance is No Excuse), Bill Hannay (topic: issues related to the use of library and library-related Own User Data; and Continuous Improvement Privacy: A Legal Overview), Lisa Macklin (Librar- systems. This set of principles developed over the and Accountability. Organizations and individuals ies within the Higher Education Privacy Framework). past eight months focuses on balancing the expec- are encouraged to provide public comments on the Once again a fascinating panel! tations library users have regarding their intellectual NISO Privacy Principles, as well as to register their continued on page 56 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
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ALA MIDWINTER: BOSTON 2016 www.amdigital.co.uk VISIT US AT BOOTH #1014 [email protected] Collecting to the Core — La Frontera: The U.S.-Mexico Borderlands by Roberto C. Delgadillo (Librarian, Peter J. Shields Library, University of California, Davis; Latino Studies Subject Editor, Resources for College Libraries)
Column Editor’s Note: The “Collecting of the landscape and people from the work of of twenty-six Mexican men who entered the to the Core” column highlights monographic chroniclers such as Father Junípero Serra United States on foot and were abandoned by works that are essential to the academic li- and Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca.1-2 In their guide in the brutal desert west of Tucson, brary within a particular discipline, inspired addition to the ethnographic and geographic Arizona, in May 2001.6 Of the twenty-six men, by the Resources for College Libraries bib- information found in these accounts, there fourteen died, and the twelve who survived liography (online at http://www.rclweb.net). exist thousands of administrative documents were on the verge of death when they were In each essay, subject specialists introduce including judicial records, inspections records, rescued by the border patrol and transferred to and explain the classic titles and topics that military papers, land deeds, mining titles, and the southern Arizona town of Wellton. Urrea’s continue to remain relevant to the undergrad- civil documents. Church documents, such narrative not only re-creates the men’s personal uate curriculum and library collection. Dis- as baptism and tithe records, and Inquisition stories, it also deftly illustrates the complex- ciplinary trends may shift, but some classics proceedings provide demographic, economic, ities on the broader topic of undocumented never go out of style. — AD and social information in addition to church immigration. For the immigrants chronicled history.3 The Spanish, and later the Mexican here, the crucial struggle of border crossing government, produced records from this region occurs not at the geopolitical line dividing the he U.S.-Mexico borderlands is a re- until the annexation of Mexico’s northern U.S. from Mexico, but rather during migrants’ gion of the United States and Mexico territory by the United States.4 The signing of travels across the border regions and roads Textending nearly 2,000 miles from the the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo to end the that would ultimately lead them to new lives Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, and is Mexican-American War in 1848 established in America. In depicting this region, Urrea formed by six Mexican states (from east to a new border region between the United States describes how the paths of contemporary west, Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, and Mexico, and the increase in explorers, migrants cross and blend with those made by Chihuahua, Sonora, and Baja California Norte) settlers, and populations resulted in an increase native peoples and pioneers; he transmits an that border on four of the United States (Texas, in border literature of fiction, history, descrip- image of a territory defined by the movement New Mexico, Arizona, and California). The tive, and travel writing. In the years since, of peoples who have been marginalized by steady streams of people and information that scholars across academic disciplines — from the dominant society. It is the borderlands, flow across the border has, over the years, historians to ecologists to folklorists — have not the border itself, that presented the biggest exerted a strong influence on the culture of written about the borderlands and its peoples, challenge to the “Wellton 26.” both countries, while close trade relations, whether or not they define the geographical commercial and financial interests, and the In recent years, increasing numbers of area using that term. At present, there is a con- Central Americans have migrated to the United demand for labor have bound the countries scious readiness to define this immense body together economically. This interaction of States, many of them women and children. of material as border-related. Collecting and Children, some as young as seven years old, are physical, human, and economic forces has been archiving borderlands materials has become a mutually beneficial in many ways but is also setting out in search of parents or relatives who mission of numerous libraries. What follows is left to find work in the United States. In her often strained, as cultural, political, and eco- a selected list of works that capture the complex nomic differences present challenges to finding book Enrique’s Journey, Pulitzer Prize-win- vision and range of the United States-Mexico ning journalist Sonia Nazario investigates the common ground on shared problems, including borderlands. economic development and exploitation; free complex issues surrounding the causes and trade; environmental issues; women’s, Native In Borderlands: The New Mestiza = La effects — both positive and negative — of American, and human rights; health and edu- Frontera, Gloria Anzaldúa bears witness Latin American immigration as she follows the cation; undocumented immigration; and drug to the injustices imposed upon Mexicans and story of a Honduran teen attempting to reunite trafficking, to name a few. Yet despite these Chicana/os over the past several hundred with his mother in America.7 Throughout, the problems, the borderlands operate in many years.5 Beginning with the conquest of Mexico narrative examines diverse immigration issues, ways as an extension of the U.S. south into by the Spanish in the seventeenth century, she not only along the U.S.-Mexico border but also Mexico and likewise, from Mexico north into explores the deep rift in Mexican culture and along the border between Mexico and Central the U.S., creating a unique border culture made memory after the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe America. The numerous statistics, documented of Native Americans, Mexicans, Chicana/os, Hidalgo allocated half of Mexico to the United accounts, and information about the immigra- Latina/os, and mainstream North American States, and ends with a message of future resis- tion experience validate untold histories and fill populations. The literature of and about the tance: Chicana/os, she says, will endure while in details alluded to in the main story. United States-Mexico borderlands provides a Anglos will die out or move on. Using a mix When the U.S. Border Patrol originated perfect laboratory for the exploration of multi- of poetry and prose, as well as a healthy blend in 1924, the primary targets of the American disciplinary themes such as the construction of of English, Spanish, Tex-Mex, and Nahuatl, immigration laws were not undocumented culture; the creation of identity; the causes of Anzaldúa tells a compelling and often painful Mexican migrants. In fact, Mexican agricul- political behavior; the shaping of economic ac- story of forced assimilation, lost heritage, and tural workers, valued by American farmers, tivity; the practice of comparative history; the denial of self. Highly autobiographical in were exempt from key restrictions, namely nature of transnationalism; and the influence parts, Borderlands urges readers to disregard the national quota system that strictly limited of race, gender, immigration, and ethnicity. imposed ideals, internalized colonialism, and the number of immigrants allowed to enter the Documentation of the region now en- false borders to create a new self-identity. First U.S. each year. However, by the middle of the compassing the United States-Mexico border published in 1987, this work remains on many twentieth century, the U.S. Border Patrol had began in the sixteenth century as Spanish college reading lists across disciplines. shifted efforts toward policing undocumented explorers and missionaries returned reports A finalist for the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for immigrants at the Mexican border, a practice to the church and state bureaucracies of the general nonfiction, Luis Alberto Urrea’s that continues to this day. UCLA historian Spanish colonial empire. These reports pro- The Devil’s Highway: A True Story details Kelly Lytle Hernández charts this develop- vide modern scholars with a written record the experiences of the “Wellton 26,” a group continued on page 43 42 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
Academic E-Books: Publishers, Librarians, and Users by Michael Zeoli (Vice President, Content Development and Partner Relations, YBP Library Services)
Academic E-Books: Publishers, Librari- (Nadine Vassallo, BISG) and “there is no DDA; as of September 2015, fewer than 100 ans, and Users edited by Suzanne M. Ward, pressure to acquire books before the moment of publishers with more than 50 new titles per year Robert S. Freeman, and Judith M. Nixon need. Thousands of eBook titles are candidates make more than 50% of their frontlist available (Purdue University Press, 2016) contains all the for cost-avoidance, or at least cost-deferment” in DDA, and just half of those publishers make elements of a compelling thriller. Depending (Suzanne Ward, Rebecca Richardson, Pur- more than 75% available. It is important for us on your perspective you may ask, “how will due University Libraries). all to recognize that not all publishers have had our hero escape this time?” or sitting on the From a publisher perspective, Rhonda the courage to participate in and experiment edge of your seat, wonder, “when will the Herman writes, “For print books, advance with new digital business models, and that other shoe drop?” orders fell roughly 50% since 2010 […] the many titles are not available in these models The book captures the essential “Janus” per- amount of revenue from eBooks is not enough even for publishers that do participate. spectives and issues from a leading cast of char- to make up for the drop in print revenue.” McFarland, like many publishers, is mak- acters in the academic book ecosystem, which She continues, “But the combination of DDA ing changes to its DDA and STL policies con- is as challenged as the earth’s ecosystem these and the Short-term loan (STL) has begun to cluding that “Revenue has fallen too quickly so days. We have come to a moment in which, undermine the equilibrium in the revenue of inaction is simply not an option.” This position as Rhonda Herman, President of McFarland some titles.” is in fact widespread among publishers and Publishing, states, “…inaction is simply not an Her views are echoed in the contribution recognized in libraries that have been experi- option.” In the Introduction, the editors write by Tony Sanfilippo (Director, Ohio State menting with DDA and STL longest. As Karen modestly that “this book provides a snapshot University Press) who writes, “But it is also Fischer (University of Iowa Libraries) states of both the eBook reality and its promise in becoming evident that certain models are be- in her article, “By 2015, some librarians began the mid-2010s.” This book in fact uncovers coming rather problematic for publishers […]. wondering about the long-term sustainability of major chasms opening between parts of the Demand-driven (or patron-driven) acquisitions the short-term loan model. As more libraries scholarly book supply chain; some described and the typically accompanying short-term employ the STL model, many publishers have directly in the essays and others indirectly loan option […] is one example. […]. one thing become increasingly uncomfortable with it. though the juxtaposition of views, which like is immediately clear: this model is guaranteed […] Many publishers attribute considerable “snapshots” also capture information obliquely to delay the majority of a title’s revenue until revenue losses to the STL model…” Beyond and sometimes unintentionally. By soliciting one year after publication.” As Herman noted, changes in pricing, publishers are also with- contributions from various perspectives along Sanfilippo also observes that “this model is drawing titles, as Kathleen Fountain (Orbis the scholarly book continuum, the editors have also significantly cannibalizing print sales.” Cascade Alliance) explains in her essay, “set traps for accidents”; in fact, one of the We should bear in mind that for most pub- writing, “in a review of the five titles with the greatest values of this book to our ecosystem lishers in the humanities and social sciences, most loans in FY 2014, three were no longer lies in the “synapses” between perspectives. 70-90% of publisher book revenue continues for loan or sale.” How do we reconcile statements such as to be from print and much of this material is The publisher experiences are borne out these: unavailable either in digital format or in DDA. in the library contributions to the book, albeit “the relationship between scholarly pub- As an aside, fewer than 250 of the 1,500 pub- cast naturally in a different light. As Suzanne lishers and libraries is a vital and defining lishers on YBP’s approval plan publisher list Ward and Rebecca Richardson write, “In- feature of this [scholarly books] market…” make more than ten frontlist titles available in continued on page 45
44 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
Little Red Herrings — Copy That? by Mark Y. Herring (Dean of Library Services, Dacus Library, Winthrop University)
oogle Books won another (and possibly money after a bad idea. A federal appeals court The company would have had to pay tens of the last?) round against the copyright ruled that Google’s “snippets” were “fair use” millions in fines, perhaps even billions, and it’s Gdrudges, or so we are to believe. Is because what Google was doing was transfor- clear that Google was tired of the legal pro- anyone surprised? I know I’m not. In the latest mative. I suppose in the sense that Google ceedings. This now gives them carte blanche chapter, the 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals ruled distilled whole books into small, bite-sized to continue on their merry way doing what the in early October that Google’s book-scanning tapas-tastings, that’s true. Internet is so good at: helping technicians make project is a-ok, copacetic, fine with them, it In any event, it’s all fair use and so fair money off of others’ creations for free. Whew! doesn’t matter — you get the point. The “cre- game. If you’re one of the authors, it doesn’t Glad we dodged that bullet. ators” in this case, authors under the auspices matter what you think, or, rather, if you It appears that most are happy with this of the Authors Guild to those of us who work disagree, it’s up to you to do something about outcome, including many librarians. A ran- around books, will appeal again, but it appears it. Google is doing you a favor because, dom sample of headlines runs along the lines at this point that they are spitting in the wind. according to Google spokesperson Aaron of “Researchers Rejoice!” to “Huge Win for Since 2005 the Authors Guild has tried to put Stein, Google has turned those snippets into Google” to “Copyright Go to Hell.” I’m just the brakes on this runaway train to no avail. As a giant “card catalog” for the digital age. kidding about the last one. I made it up. But an author, I appreciate their persistence, but I Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Besides, it exposes it may as well have been one. wonder now if this isn’t just throwing good your materials to more eyes and that means Now, I’m not going to defend copyright. more money, copy that? Everyone hates it in this country and I really Had Google lost, some don’t need another reason for people to send insiders say that this would me hate tweets, even though they are so much have been the end of the better and easier to dismiss than the old hate service and possibly the be- snail mail I used to receive. But I would like to ginning of the end of Google. continued on page 48 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
Keep upthegoodwork. us know. let questions any have you If backs upthisassertion.] stand that empirical research cited inthefuture?[Iunder but itisalsomorelikelytobe only willitbereadmoretimes article isopenlyaccessiblenot your if that know you Did zzz. Here’s how to do it: xxx-yyy- could be. is notopenlyaccessible,yet article your that notice We ute toyourgoodwork. such-and-such. This isatrib- article thatcitesyour to publish a peer-reviewed about are We news! Good continued onpage 47 - - - 5) Similarly, an institution which wanted Op Ed to support open access could score the total Video Acquisition making from page 46 output of the university against this measure. 6) Or perhaps even a discipline which took you feel like are not just scholarly publishers — they also on the mission of having its scholarly literature have a mission to actively advocate for open open available to all. access. Pinging these authors of cited sources is a great opportunity to educate broadly among 7) Various advocacy organizations could scholars in the disciplines that they publish in. use a tool like this to assess which articles are And answering questions that come back from referenced the most in some large body of work these authors can be an important measure of and focus their advocacy on the authors of the how well scholars understand the plethora of most popular yet still inaccessible articles. issues that continually arise in the industry. 8) Everything said here about publishing a Another interesting effect of this pinging journal article could equally be said about a cou- proposal is that pinging will tend to gang up ple of other content types important to academic on the most important articles since they will publishing, namely: annotated bibliographies be the ones that are more often cited. and curated lists of resources. Again, inclusion of a cited source that is open is a better user expe- What’s Wrong with this Proposal? rience of that bibliography and is also a moment I always remember the advice of an old of good news to the author that their work is now friend, Gerry Weinberg, from his book Are being recognized. A bibliography where most Your Lights On?, “If you can’t think of at least or all of the cited sources are available is clearly three things wrong with your proposal you of greater use than one which simply identifies probably don’t understand the problem.” So sources which are inaccessible. here are some things potentially wrong, many I think that the combination of these mea- of them raised by people I’ve shopped this idea sures could definitely “move the needle” in with recently: addressing misunderstandings among scholars • While it is clear that articles with about open access and begin to overcome the cited sources that can be clicked inertia that otherwise holds back the full realiza- through to access the full text are tion of the benefits of open access to the world’s better, is the cost worth the benefit? scientific and scholarly enterprise. Keeping an ? • If not, are there enough clear ways eye on the total utility of a journal article to the to automate much of the process so least resourced scholar (other than access to the Try that the costs go down? Internet) I think we can deploy continuous im- • Is a publisher likely to have access provement until the full benefits of open access to the contact information for a suf- for scholarly journals is achieved. ficient number of the cited sources Feedback so Far to make this a useful effort? I’ve now shopped around this basic idea • Are changes needed to citation stan- to a wide variety of people including senior dards, link-resolvers, DOIs or other management of a couple significant academic things that effect a user’s ability publishers, scholars (among friends and fam- to locate cited sources which may ily) in a wide variety of disciplines including Your single-source solution reside in different places? STEM, social sciences, and humanities, well for media acquisitions • What about cited sources where the au- recognized experts in Open Access, Alt Met- thor is no longer living or accessible? rics, members of NISO, librarians, and open access publishers. Almost everyone so far has firm orders Let’s First Shine a Light on This found the idea intriguing and worth further ex- and See What that Evokes amination. One put it this way, “I’m not aware approval plans 1) I think we need a simple tool that will of publishers doing this today and I think it’s shine a light on the accessibility of cited sourc- definitely something they should try.” Another shelf-ready es. My non-technical description would be a said, “This is really good. It’s simple and I’m tool which could: not aware of anyone paying attention to this.” small distributors • Ingest a reference list, a bibliogra- I’ve now found two publishers, one an OA phy, or even just an author’s c.v. publisher and another a subscription publisher foreign imports • It would provide a score (%) of who are pinging authors of works referred to out of print titles referenced sources which are not in the publisher’s new publications. Neither accessible and would highlight them one is doing this to ping authors about sharing streaming video in the output. their articles. Rather, they are pinging authors of cited works in order to strengthen the con- 2) This could help automate the process of nection between the publisher’s new authors identifying which authors to ping for publishers and the authors of referenced works. These and get taking up that process. two publishers both say that it’s a lot of work, 3) It could also be used by individual but they nevertheless stand as a bit of an “exis- scholars who are good O.A. citizens and have tence proof” that it can be done and that it can decided to go through their whole set of pub- be motivated by the self-interest of publishers. lished work and share any that have not been I would like to single out Peter Suber’s archived yet. Book, Open Access, published in 2012 by MIT 4) Run on a grander scale such a tool could Press (https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/open-ac- be used by the editor of a journal to score the cess and now available open access) which was journal on % of cited sources which are openly especially helpful to me to clarify my ideas accessible. about these suggestions. www.ActionLibraryMedia.com 800-886-4408 Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Realities of Flat Discounts by Howard N. Lesser (President, Midwest Library Service, 11443 St. Charles Rock Road, Bridgeton, MO 63044; Phone: 800-325-8833)
t’s often standard practice for library are caught in the middle between customers state has its own contract requirements. When consortiums and many libraries to ask for desiring flat discounts and publishers offering bidding, the book vendor is faced with trying Isimple flat discounts. Why shouldn’t they? discounts that are far from flat. to accommodate discounts that vary by state, Flat discounts are easy to understand and, more The question is, how do vendors bridge university, and publisher — or to come up with importantly, are easy to compare. the gap? First, let’s assume that no vendor an alternative. And here’s the catch… As a book vendor, we are often asked about will intentionally offer discounts at an unprof- While the vendor is obligated to sell the offering flat discounts, and bidding on a state itable level. Presuming the publisher offers a books at the contractual discount, the vendor contract often requires a form that only allows discount, vendors will seek to offer a discount is not actually obligated to provide all of the a single discount, regardless of the publisher. that will appeal to the customer and allow at books that have been ordered. Any books Although the single-discount world might ap- least a minimal profit. To quote that can’t be profitably supplied at the pear to exist, the truth is that all flat discounts a flat discount, the vendor is agreed upon discount can should require an asterisk. required to make assumptions simply be cancelled as “not We work with more than 20,000 publishers. on the mix of discounts avail- available.” Each has its own procedures, and discounts able from the publishers. If Furthermore, vendors vary wildly between publishers. Some offer vendors are honest, they are not obligated to disclose flat discounts; others offer multiple discounts know this could better be why a book is unavailable, based on a variety of factors; and many offer described as merely an so it’s a no-cost choice to no discount at all. educated guess. the vendor. Yes, there is a Discounts vary because of the publishers’ The publishing indus- cost, but it’s borne by the method of selling in different categories. For try is clearly mature and customer. Often weeks later, example, publishers supplying trade books to well established. Its pat- the customer is left with an public libraries, major booksellers, and large- terns and practices are set unfulfilled order and must scale retailers (e.g., Walmart, Amazon) can (mostly in stone). For the sake of comparison, make a choice. Either accept that the book afford to offer volume discounts. Discounts on however, let’s consider vendors of other com- can’t be found, or reorder from another vendor. educational and scholarly books for academic mon products. Suppose there were a fixed price And these actions require staff time. institutions, however, tend to be significantly for a car, regardless of size, power, or features. The discount issue is a challenge for ven- smaller. Imagine a set price for lumber, regardless of dors that focus on order fulfillment, and for Due to changes in the industry, publishers’ wood type, grade, or tensile strength — or for well over half a century, we have considered business plans have also transitioned. Print- carpeting, regardless of material, density, or order fulfillment an absolute priority. Our on-demand, short runs, and eBooks seldom durability. fulfillment rates exceed 95 percent (while allow for a discount, and adding yet another How would car dealers, lumberyards, and other vendors hover in the mid-70-percent layer to the issue are book distribution centers carpet manufacturers respond? Two possibil- range). For us, this is only possible by using that represent multiple publishers. ities: They could price their products based flexible discounts and ignoring the variability It wouldn’t be that difficult for a publisher on an anticipated mix, or they could devise a of publisher discounts. to adjust list pricing so that a consistent dis- strategy that required no assumptions regarding Libraries order books, and we believe it’s count could be offered. But the reality is that the mix. our obligation to make a complete and honest publishers have no real interest in changing. State contracts or agreements often set a effort to fulfill their orders. As a result, vendors trying to remain viable firm discount, without exception, and every
— then who are we, those of us who create It’s always been piecemeal at best, and that Little Red Herrings content, to try to stymie them at any juncture piecemeal approach worked pretty well because from page 45 for whatever they want? What is yours is it forced those who want more to reflect a bit and theirs and what is theirs is theirs. If our current perhaps create something on their own. In other make one point. At this rate, we’ll eventually copyright laws are draconian and debilitating words, it helped to make us all both users and wake up Congress to take another look at copy- to those who want and need information, then creators. The last thing we need is for yet another right. I hope I don’t need to remind anyone why not make it the Wild West of Copyright divided world between competing creeds, or that the last three times Congress did this, it here al la China, the Wild East of copyright? more disincentives for those who create content. only made things worse. Do the numbers 70 It sounds silly, I know, but why not let the When you think about it, copyright has years after the death of the author, 95, or 120 decision to make something free to everyone worked pretty well in this country, and it has ring a bell? The old joke about the opposite be made by those who create the information allowed the rich and the poor, the intelligent of Progress being Congress is hilarious, of that ostensibly so many people want? Is it too and the clever, the enterprising and the flippant course, but especially when used in conjunction much to ask that we allow them to decide if to be successful. Are we ready to jettison with copyright. they will make their information available on something that has worked pretty well for While most of what I read about copyright Creative Commons or some other open access something we not only don’t know is going borders on the pejorative, no one really calls venue rather than letting those who had little or to work, but have some preliminary evidence for copyright here to mimic what it is in China. nothing to do with creation of said information that it may in fact imprison that very thing it And yet this strikes me as the only place left for make it for them? Sure, if we do it this way we hopes to liberate? us to go. If the information-wants-to-be-free won’t get everything, but then, the search for crowd wins the day — and they are, of course information has never been a zero sum game.
48 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
Section Editors: Bruce Strauch (The Citadel)
n October 16, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second On a book-by-book basis, therefore, very little of the works are Circuit handed down its opinion dismissing the Authors actually made available to users of the system. Guild’s copyright case against Google Inc.2 What does it all O A Reminder of what Google is doing mean for librarians? Google has made digital copies of millions of books that were History of the Google Books case submitted to it for that purpose by major libraries. Over 20 million Let’s make a quick trip through the history of this long-running have been scanned since 2004 (at an average cost of $10 per book). In litigation. It all began in 2004 when Google announced the initiation turn, Google has established a publicly-available search function for of its “Google Print” project and its “Library Project” (now generally the digital copies. called “Google Books”). A few months later in 2005, the Authors Specifically, an Internet user can use this function to search — with- Guild, several individual authors, and various publishers filed a lawsuit out charge or advertising — to determine whether the book contains a in New York City against Google, seeking to enjoin the project from specified word or term. The result of the search is that the user can see going forward. “snippets” of text containing the searched-for terms. As litigation sometimes does, the proceedings began to drag out as the In addition, participating libraries (i.e., those that have made their parties filed various motions with the court and engaged in preliminary books available to Google for scanning) are given a limited right to investigations (known as “discovery”). The parties also began negoti- download and retain digital copies of the books that they submitted. ations over a possible settlement in 2006. After extended discussions, the parties filed a proposed settlement agreement on October 28, 2008. Google’s Search Function is Quite Limited Notice of the proposed settlement was widely circulated and produced The search function in Google Books is quite limited. Only the first hundreds of objections. The parties then modified the proposal and, on usage of the searched-for term on a given page is displayed, for example. November 13, 2009, filed a proposed Amended Settlement Agreement Overall for each book containing the search term, a maximum of three with the trial court. “snippets” containing the term are displayed. (A snippet is a horizontal segment comprising ordinarily an eighth of a page highlighting the term.) After notice of the amended settlement was circulated in early 2010, another flood of objections was filed, including one from the U.S. De- It appears that the Google Books system cannot be fooled into pro- partment of Justice which alleged that, if the proposed settlement was viding more quotations. In particular, a researcher cannot increase the adopted, substantial anticompetitive effects would result. On March number of snippets revealed on the system simply by repeating the entry 22, 2011, U.S. District Judge Chin rejected the amended settlement as of the same search term or by entering searches from different computers. not “fair, adequate, and reasonable.” Moreover, one snippet per page and one page out of ten containing The parties went back to the drawing board but were unable to the term are randomly “blacklisted” by Google and cannot be displayed. reach a settlement that was likely to pass muster with the court. So Further, no snippet views of certain books such as dictionaries, cook- the case resumed its litigation posture, and on May 31, 2012, Judge books, and short poems are permitted. Chin certified a class of plaintiff-authors and allowed them to proceed The Second Circuit’s Ruling 3 to trial. But a little over a year later, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the In analyzing “fair use,” the Court of Appeals applied the four-part Second Circuit vacated the class certification and ordered Judge Chin statutory test contained in Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976. to consider whether or not Google had a legitimate “fair use” defense. That Act provides that in determining whether a use is “fair,” the factors He did so, and on November 14, 2013, Judge Chin granted summary to be considered must include: judgment to Google on its fair use defense. (1) the purpose and character of the use, including whether such The Authors Guild filed an appeal which, almost two years later in use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational October 2015, resulted in affirmance of the District Court’s judgment. purposes; Where Are We Now that the Case is Over? (2) the nature of the copyrighted work; Is it actually over? Plaintiffs could possibly file a petition for a writ (3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court, but the likelihood of the Court to the copyrighted work as a whole; and accepting the case for review — and actually reversing it — seems low. (4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value But the truth of the matter is that, assuming the case is over, the of the copyrighted work. legal result of the case is both extremely sweeping and at the same time Focusing heavily on the first factor (i.e., the purpose and character extremely narrow. While millions of individual books have been copied of the use), the Court of Appeals upheld Google’s making of a digital and made part of the Google Books project, all that the Second Circuit copy to provide a search function as fair use because it is “transforma- has approved are the narrow word search and “snippet” features of the tive.” It augments public knowledge by making available information project. The court’s opinion is limited to this specific conduct, and about authors’ books. By contrast, Google does not provide the public there is no court authorization for Google to do anything more than that. continued on page 50
Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
LA RESOLANA ARCHITECTS, PA. Registration “Application approach.” The Registration V. CLAY REALTORS ANGEL FIRE AND Registration is simple. Provide a copy approach can be found in Vacheron & Con- ANGEL FIRE HOME DESIGN. UNITED of the work, an application and a fee. The stantin-Le Coultre Watches, Inc. v. Benrus STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE Register of Copyrights then checks the work Watch Co., 260 F.2d 637, 640-41 (2d Cir. TENTH CIRCUIT. 416 F.3d 1195; 2005 U.S. to determine if it is copyrightable. If it is, then 1958). And there’s the nice “the exam- App. LEXIS 15319. “the Register shall register the claim and issue ination would be meaningless if filing and This is about that oddity of the author to the applicant a certificate of registration.” 17 registration were synonymous.” Robinson having copyright when the work is fixed in a U.S.C. § 410(a). v. Princeton Review, Inc., 1996 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 16932. tangible medium but having to register before But the protection is always there from that suit can be brought. moment of tangible medium. “[R]egistration But Mel Nimmer and various courts think La Resolana Architects met with Clay is not a condition of copyright infringement.” application is sufficient. After all, the owner Realtors to discuss building townhouses at 17 U.S.C. § 408(a). In fact, registering is can sue whether the application is rejected or the famous Angel Fire, New Mexico ski resort. entirely voluntary. not. See Melville B. Nimmer, Nimmer on Architectural drawings were shown that were Copyright, Vol. 2 § 7.16[B][1][a], p. 7-154-56. done specifically for the site, but no agreement But if you want to sue …? See also, Lakedreams v. Taylor, 932 F.2d 1103, was reached. This was in 1996-97. The big benefit of registering is you are 1108 (5th Cir. 1991). In 2003, an architect from La Resolana allowed to sue in federal court for infringe- They note that an infringer can run amok was at the site and noticed a very similar set ment. 17 U.S.C. § 411(a). And the certificate while the Copyright Office sifts through piles of townhouses being sold by Clay. Teeing up of registration serves as prima facie evidence of applications. The owner can sue and move for a lawsuit, La Res applied to register their of the copyright’s validity. towards a court date while waiting for the copyright, sent in apps, fees, etc. Before con- Now, about our case … certificate. firmation of the registration,La Res filed suit. “[N]o action for infringement of the copy- And yet … Clay moved for dismissal because La Res right … shall be instituted until preregistration Do you really need a paper certificate to lacked a certificate of copyright registration. or registration of the copyright claim has been sue? The fact of registration can exist before La Res replied all the stuff had been received, made in accordance with this title.” the certificate goes out. And it’s the fact of and copyright was approved for registration And even if the registration has been registration that gives the court jurisdiction. on Jan. 22, 2004. refused, you may still sue with a copy of the Why do lawyers do these kind of delaying complaint served on the Register of Copy- Nonetheless … things? Do they imagine the other side will rights. Id. 411(a). The Tenth Circuit sticks with the regis- get bored and go away? The word “preregistration” was added in tration requirement. The creative soul ought The district court held for Clay. And up 2005. But this was not part of the to get busy and register without waiting we go to the Tenth Circuit. statute when this action was filed. for someone to infringe. Plus you could So which is it? Nothing in the language have the odd even suggests that receipt Subject matter jurisdiction gives a court circumstance by the Copyright Office power to adjudicate a case. The 1976 Copy- of presumption is sufficient. Registration right Act merged a confusing mix of state and of validity upon is not automatic. It can be federal law into a single and exclusive Federal application, refused. You must have system. All state law was preempted. then have the registration or refusal before filing suit. And Protection was made easier by granting it certificate refused, and the presumption flips you’re trying to establish your prima facie back. the moment an original idea “leaves the mind” case for copyright. and is put into a tangible medium. See 17 And they affirm the dismissal of the com- U.S.C. § 102(a) (“Copyright protection subsists But despite the plain language … plaint. … in original works of authorship fixed in a Gosh darn it, the courts are divided be- And the billable hours go up for lawyers. tangible medium”). tween the “Registration approach” and the
Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
QUESTION: An academic librarian asks of their digital copies to the public at large. ANSWER: University presses perform about the new decision in the Authors Guild v. There was no proof that libraries had violated very important functions for academic authors. Google case and whether the decision in favor this requirement. However, today it is easier for authors to man- of Google is likely to be appealed. So, is the case now over? No, the Authors age their copyrights than it was in the past due ANSWER: On October 16, 2015, the Sec- Guild has announced that it will appeal to the to the Internet. The distinction is whether the ond Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed a U.S. Supreme Court. Mary Rasenberger, author has assigned his or her rights (meaning a lower court decision in favor of Google. (See Executive Director of the Guild stated that complete transfer of the copyright) or licensed http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/appel- the Second Circuit did not the rights to the press (which late-courts/ca2/13-4829/13-4829-2015-10-16. understand the grave impact does not transfer ownership). html, for the full opinion). The opinion is a that the decision will have If the university press is as- major win for fair use and basically finds that on the potential income of signed the copyright, it owns the scanning of books and making snippets authors. The Court may or the copyright which should available to users, which Google began in 2005, may not decide to hear the be registered in the name of is fair use. The court held that the fact Google appeal. It typically does so the press and not the author. is a for-profit company does not disqualify it when there is disagreement An ideal approach today from claiming fair use. The court then applied among the circuit courts. is author ownership of the the four fair use factors. Experts differ on whether copyright with an exclusive (1) Purpose and character of the use. The such disagreement among license to the press. It is court held that Google’s scanning of entire the circuits exists on this issue. For an excellent simply a more modern approach that provides works was highly transformative since entire discussion of the case, see ARL policy notes at: the press with all the rights it needs and still works were not made available to users, but http://policynotes.arl.org/?p=1200. permits the author ownership. scanning was necessary to enable the search- QUESTION: A school librarian asks about QUESTION: How does the availability ing. The snippets offer significant information the interlibrary loan of books and other works. of inexpensive scanning devices affect the about the books, and not the books themselves. How many times does a loan request new Google decision? Will libraries now be The snippets provide a way to search the work become too many so that the library should able to scan whatever they want and use the and that contributed to the finding of trans- consider purchasing the book? What is a digital copies? formativeness. (2) Nature of the copyrighted reasonable loan period? ANSWER: A Chinese company named work. The court pointed out that this factor ANSWER: The CONTU Guidelines ap- CzurTek is developing a book scanner it plans seldom plays an important role in fair use to sell for only $169. This certainly will make determinations. Moreover, whether the works ply to photocopying or other reproduction of works. If the original copy of a book is lent, scanners widely available even for small librar- are fiction or nonfiction is not “dispositive in a ies. The Google decision finds that Google’s fair use determination.” (3) Amount and sub- the CONTU Guidelines do not apply since they deal only with reproduction of copyrighted scanning is fair use, but Google does not make stantiality used. While copying small portions digital copies available to users. Instead, it is is more likely to be fair use, there is no rule works. The suggestion of five contained within the Guidelines apply to journal articles that are scanning to create a database that is aimed at that copying an entire work cannot be fair use. searching the 20 million books it has scanned. Here, the copying was appropriate to Google’s reproduced for the borrowing library. With books, the Guidelines say that a borrowing A user may find up to three snippets from a book transformative purpose. Further, the snippets to determine if the user wants to purchase or are limited to three per work, each snippet is no library may request a reproduction of a portion of work five times per year within the life of borrow the book from a library. Other entities longer than one-eighth of a page and works such could create similar databases and develop as cookbooks and dictionaries are excluded the copyright. At some point after that, the library should purchase the book from which it restricted search techniques. But libraries just from having snippets provided. (4) Effect on scanning widely and making digitized copy- the market for or value of the work. Google’s continues to request reproduced portions. If the borrowing library is borrowing only the original righted works available with no restrictions scanning and snippets do not substitute for the would not comply with the Google decision. original work. In fact, the snippet view “does copy and there is no reproduction, there is no not threaten the rights holders with any signif- limit on how many times it may be borrowed, QUESTION: A public librarian asks icant harm to the value of their copyrights or although the lending library may have a limit. how one determines if graphic images are diminish their harvest of copyright revenue.” Academic libraries are likely to have loan copyrighted. The Second Circuit rejected the three Au- periods for books ranging from a couple of ANSWER: Unless one is absolutely sure thors Guild arguments: (1) that authors had a weeks to six weeks, or even a semester. What- that an image is public domain, assume that is derivative right in the application of the search ever term the library sets is reasonable. protected by copyright since copyright attaches and snippet view functions to their works; (2) QUESTION: Many university libraries automatically. There are a number of sources that Google Books exposed the authors’ books along with the Authors Alliance and Authors for both public domain and royalty free images to the risk of hacking; and (3) that Google’s Guild recommend that authors retain their own on the Internet and a quick search using the distribution of the digital copies to libraries copyrights. A university press employee asks term “public domain images” will reveal them. exposed the books to risks of loss. Partner whether language in their contracts should be After consulting these sources, look at Flickr libraries contributed books to be scanned by amended. The current language reads: “The and other image archives to see if the particular Google and Google then provided those li- Author grants and assigns exclusively to the image is included and if copyright information braries with a digital copy of the book as well Press for the full term of any copyright, all is included. as returned the original. The court found that rights to print, publish, reproduce, display pub- If after a thorough search no copyright in- this was not a problem since the libraries’ use of licly, and sell the Work in all forms, languages, formation has been located, then the library can those digital copies were restricted by contract and media (including ebook) throughout the make a decision about whether to use the image to use its digital copy only as consistent with world, and the exclusive right on the Author’s and assume the risk that a copyright owner will the copyright law and the library is required behalf to license, sell, or otherwise dispose of come forward and demand royalties or whether to take precautions to prevent dissemination subsidiary rights in the Work…” to find another image to substitute.
52 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
arly this fall a senior editor at one of Take the example of a publishing company the houses that publishes engineering and the concern expressed by that production Ehandbooks of mine wrote to tell me that manager three decades ago. Was it my prime he wouldn’t have as much time to deal with responsibility to maintain the production me as previously because the company where department as it was in terms of the number he works was going through a reorganization of jobs within the department and not to make and a “great many people” would be laid-off working conditions for the staff any harsher The Best in a month or so. The news took me aback that they were? Or was it my responsibility to and I responded with concern about him and embrace new technology when it made sense his colleagues. But not about myself. That I and to look to outsource production functions of saved for another time. both internally and externally, no matter how Pharmacy Nevertheless, I have more to say, but my many departmental jobs were lost? Do you run purpose in this column is not to analyze that roughshod over a staff and institute a reign of In One particular decision. I’m in no position to do terror to force them to work harder? so thoroughly and fairly, for the simple reason Look at the issue in another, more personal, Collection that I’m not privy to any of the factors that went way: I remember my financial manager, who into the decision and I’m not about to attempt to was well versed on staff reduction issues, interview telling me company that other executives executives and mem- whom she bers of its and others board, none of who would talk to me any- in similar positions had worked for had at- way, I’d guess. I’m just the editor of some tempted to placate their bosses and save their handbooks the company publishes, after all, own jobs by letting people go — and that while even though one of them is a bestseller for its the bosses accepted the layoffs, the strategy type of publication. So why would anyone in didn’t help an executive save his own job. power think they needed to share management In the final analysis, I knew that no matter information with me? I’d expect an expres- what cost control strategy I adopted, I had to sion of some concern about the welfare of maintain quality and enough of a personal my handbooks, albeit carefully hedged (they touch among editorial and production staff to might be planning to eventually divest the lists keep book authors and journal editors satis- containing my handbooks and wouldn’t want fied. You wouldn’t want them decamping for to give that information away), but nothing a smaller publisher, say, who promised to be more than that. more nurturing. Nor could you consider them The news brought to mind an encounter nothing more than prima donnas whom you when I’d been appointed general manager of could treat dismissively because of the repu- the scientific and technical division at Wiley tation your company had for publishing works thirty years ago. There were over a hundred of great scientific and technological value over and thirty people working for me, which a considerable period of time. was one way of putting it. One of the senior Not that that reputation wasn’t extremely production managers congratulated me and important. We executives considered ourselves then said, “we’re counting on you.” As she stewards of the company’s intellectual property saw it, I surmised, all those people weren’t and reputation for publishing excellence. It only working for me, they were also in some was our job to maintain the logo’s significance measure depending on me. So I’m sure that I and relevance. And what the company pub- 30 References said something that was meant to be reassuring. lished was greater than any one of us. Or all But that wasn’t the whole story, of course. It of us, for that matter. Over 450 Case Studies never is. Which brings me to another important A few years before that encounter, I’d been constituency — the public with its perception Preceptor Central present at a discussion between my predeces- of your company and other publishing com- NAPLEX sor and his second-in-command. It was just panies. The public I speak of includes many after a board meeting. I listened to the two of in academia and in government and funding them agreeing with satisfaction that the most agencies who believe it borders on the immoral important job of a corporate executive was to to profit from journal articles reporting on increase shareholder value. publically funded research, as well as many For more information While I would agree that increasing a in the broader public who subscribe to the contact us at for-profit company’s stock price over a sus- bromide that “information wants to be free.” [email protected] tained period (not for a quarter or two) is the So when, as has happened in the case of STM prime measure of how well a chief executive publishing, that the public determines that or and his or her reports and other executives your company is in journal publishing only visit us online at perform, there are, it seems to me, constituen- for the money — only for the enrichment of cies other than shareholders to whom attention shareholders and corporate fat cats — there’s pharmacylibrary.com ought to be paid. continued on page 54 15-302 Notes from Mosier — The Silver Swan Column Editor: Scott Alan Smith (Librarian at Large, Mosier, Oregon)
he English Renaissance composer Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) not justify exploitation. You are supporting an organization that does published perhaps his most famous work, a madrigal, titled The not pay a living wage or benefits, and bullies its suppliers. This does TSilver Swan in 1612. During that time a popular conceit held that not represent the core values we express as librarians, and to cave to swans, nearing death, were granted the gift of speech. The lyrics to the this pressure is inexcusable. I feel that in becoming a librarian I have madrigal have been ascribed to Gibbons, to his associate Sir Christo- joined a tribe of hypocrites. pher Hatton, and are by some regarded as anonymous. The madrigal, PDA/DDA — I have written already that on one level we have always in five voices, is an achingly beautiful choral work, and during my time been patron-driven: if a patron wants something, we do our best to get in Oxford May Day was always a treat, when the choir of Magdalen it. I will grant that adding a PDA/DDA option to your library’s suite of sing madrigals from the college tower at dawn. services can be beneficial to users. But those who in recent years have The lyrics are as follows: advocated abdicating all collection development responsibility to this The Silver Swan, who living, had no note, model do so at the severe detriment of at least a certain percentage of When Death approached, unlocked her silent throat, their patron base. I have heard AULs from ARL libraries expound such views. What utter gibberish. Those in an academic community who Leaning her head upon the reedy shore, cotton on to what this can deliver will exploit it to their advantage; those Thus sang her first and last, and sang no more: who don’t will suffer. As a collection development officer your duty is “Farewell all joys! O Death come close mine eyes, to maintain some form of balance; to relinquish all decision-making More geese than swans now live, more fools than wise.” is to build an unbalanced, out of sync collection and serve your patron This is but one of many examples of an older generation proclaiming base poorly. their grief and sorrow over the perceived shortcomings of their younger Social media / social skills — like PDA/DDA, social media focus counterparts. Alas it is that I find myself increasingly identifying with has gotten totally out of control. These are tools; like any tools, they the Old Codgers Club and viewing the behavior of younger librarians can be used wisely or inappropriately. If you spend more than an hour with dismay. a day on Facebook there’s likely something seriously wrong with your I’ll confine this rant to a few topics, in the belief that not many of values. Yes, we need to engage users and patrons utilizing the media you will read much further anyway. But here are a few bones I will they use and are comfortable with, but not to the point of compromising pick (or dead horses I’ll kick, or what you will): our core values. Amazon. I’ve already spoken out about what I view as the obscene Also, those of you in acquisitions, collection development, and tech- practices of Amazon. During my bookselling career, when I was still nical services need to take a crash course in etiquette. For example: it (at least somewhat) restrained, I bit my tongue when librarians would is not acceptable or appropriate to ignore telephone calls or emails from tell me in one breath that they “wouldn’t dream of shopping at Wal- vendors seeking to schedule appointments. As a young bookseller (in Mart” but would then proclaim they did much of their book acquisitions those pre-email, pre-web days) I scheduled meetings and enjoyed the through Amazon, Wal-Mart’s digital equivalent. The arguments professional courtesy and easy social grace of a generation of librarians that faculty and students expect delivery in a couple of days doesn’t now largely retired. Later, when I was a library director, I faithfully hold water with me. It’s time we stop this capitulation to immediate replied to all such calls, often explaining that our budget or collection gratification and tell faculty, “Look, if you really needed that for your requirements didn’t fit with the vendor’s offerings — but I had the course reserves you needed to ask for it last month.” Ordering from a decency and fundamental politeness to respond. To disregard such predatory, abusive organization is not acceptable. Convenience does requests is irresponsible, unprofessional, and ultimately expensive to your institutions, because vendors must schedule itineraries and build business models around workable scenarios. If you are charged with spending public money — perhaps in the millions — you need to behave in a way that stands up to public scrutiny. The Scholarly Publishing Scene Conversely, vendors need to understand the world of libraries. I from page 53 got telephone calls in my library director days from companies who had products and packages whose cost exceeded my total materials a crisis. Leading academics have taken up arms, so to speak, and have budget. I politely explained we couldn’t afford their offering, asked to established their own publishing entities, with journals, for example, be taken off their call list, and in some cases, e.g., children’s materials, that publish top-drawer papers that news organizations run to for the pointed out we didn’t have very many kids in our district. One of the latest relevant scientific and medical information. Governments and primary reasons we established the Feather River Institute, which has funding agencies take steps that threaten the health of your lucrative subsequently transitioned into the Acquisitions Institute at Timberline business model. Lodge, was to create a forum to enable librarians, publishers, serials The STM publishing industry and individual houses have taken steps agents, booksellers, and library automation vendors better to understand to deal with these threats — calling for shutting down Internet privacy the business realities and challenges each group faces. sites, for example — and to bolster their image as stewards of STM So we’re back to the Swans. I had younger colleagues at Blackwell’s knowledge and information. Readers of this magazine are doubtlessly who were ambitious, in some cases able, and driven, but had no interest familiar with most or all of the new journal publishing business models, in paying their dues. Some have gone on to library careers with lofty as well as the industry givebacks and concessions made to the STM titles but questionable responsibilities that might seem unwarranted giv- academic and professional communities. en the perilous state of library funding (what, indeed, do some of these Say what you will about whether the industry and its eight-hundred- positions [I’ll refrain from identifying job titles] truly have to do with pound gorillas have been dragged kicking and screaming into this state of our mission? Yes, these functions need to be addressed, but it would affairs. Suffice it to say that shareholders’ pockets can no longer be the seem we do so at a disproportionate level.). Once again we confront sole concern of STM publishing executives. Not if they want to survive the beast of instant gratification. To them I would simply say: follow — and want their companies to prosper. Their primary concern can no this path at your peril: you too will be at this watershed, not all that far longer focus solely on profits that will translate into shareholder value. distant, where the high water mark can be seen and you will look back Publishing executives also have to perform the necessary balancing acts on your successors with a mixture of who knows what? I’ve been alluding to. So long as revenues and profits don’t head south, “An individual is rich in the things he can do without.” — Henry of course, and desperate measures are required. David Thoreau 54 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
he old perception of “library as ware- and foremost, academic libraries should strive a partnership between the librarians and house of knowledge” is challenged by to connect with researchers and students and the College Writing teaching faculty, with Tthe new awareness of “library as place.” make the library’s services engaging for all. information literacy instruction woven into Just as the college and university environment Libraries are a place, a place students and the semester’s coursework. We contacted our is changing from the model of the lecturer at researchers go to reflect, collaborate, find students directly, developed online tutorials the podium, patiently imparting his knowledge information, study, seek assistance, and more. and assessments, and conducted in-class to students, to a more dynamic and interactive Keeping engagement in mind, what ser- sessions, all with the focus on engaging and learning experience (Adelsberger, Collis & vices can academic libraries offer in the 21st connecting with the students while imparting Pawlowski, 2008, p. 253), the shift of infor- century to meet their users’ needs, perceived information literacy foundations. mation format from hard copy to multimedia or not? “One means to remain relevant and The campus so embraced the idea of a “Per- and digital challenges those old perceptions of viable is for libraries to redefine how they sonal Librarian” that faculty across campus the library; it is a fundamental change in how advance learning and scholarly activities and approached librarians at the Reference Desk libraries collect resources and conduct business promote how they are still essential” (Garofalo, as well as during meetings and other chance (Breeding, 2013, p. 18). Technology holds 2013b, p. 181). Libraries explore how best to encounters, all wanting to know when they a pivotal role in these shifts; “implementing incorporate new formats and technologies in would get their “Personal Librarian.” The successful technology changes providing services, as evidenced pilot’s concept recognition and the developed requires attention to the people by the incorporation of mobile goodwill helped our efforts to enlarge the pilot involved” (Garofalo, 2013b, technologies in reference service and incorporate it into the campus Learning p. 180). And those people in- provision (Hahn, 2011), and Communities when the College implemented volved are not just library staff social media for outreach and its First Year Experience (FYE) in 2014. We and librarians, but the users of marketing (Garofalo, 2013a). built upon the pilot’s success and developed the library — staff, researchers, The transformation of libraries a collaborative facet of the general education students, and community. into information commons, an program that involves all first year students. “Web-based resources and informal learning space where We have currently reworked the “Personal applications have taken on a “an entire academic community” Librarian” in the FYE for the Fall 2015 se- dominant role in the daily workflow of shares space and resources (Woodward, 2009, mester, and we will be assessing our impact researchers, students, and librarians alike” p. 110), is an effort to meet the needs of the on and engagement with first year students at (Bailey and Back, 2013, p. 62). How can we 21st century library user. the semester’s close. best integrate these resources and applications Beyond the research resources and digital Peer reference is another service that falls into the library’s workflows and mission so that content and technological tools, today’s ac- under the engagement umbrella. As Bodemer we provide the services our users need? “Aca- ademic libraries should strive to identify the states, “student learning can be enhanced demic librarians have done an amazing job of expectations of the students and researchers. by the informality inherent in peer-to-peer retooling both themselves and their libraries” We know that our library users have high interaction” (2014, p. 164). Peer reference (Woodward, 2009, p. vii). Perhaps if we can expectations, and we generally meet those is simply using student assistants to staff the gaze into that crystal ball a bit and change our expectations. What services can we provide reference desk, generally implemented more to perspective, we can reinvent how we think that help us better develop connections with deal with librarians’ expanding workloads than about what we do, and then better focus on the those who have not yet used the library, that to provide more engagement with students. academic library services for the 21st century. help us engage with those students? A welcome consequence of peer reference Reinventing the library may seem a daunt- The personal librarian model is one model is the student-to-student connection. Students ing task. We can become overwhelmed think- that has been successfully adapted in various at the reference desk may be seen as more ing about change and how to adapt to it. And means and at many libraries in efforts to foster approachable by other students, with peer with change hitting academic libraries from a method to engage with students. Bennett reference workers meeting an immediate in- numerous fronts, pondering how best to deal (2015) and Green (2014) discuss how a per- formation need as well as easing any transition with technology changes and impacts, along sonal librarian can positively impact library with a librarian referral. “Student endorsement with what services we can best offer, can be users. Shelling (2012) describes a short-term of peer-led sessions provides clear evidence challenging to achieve. If we consider a basic personal librarian project that resulted in that participating attendees perceived them as foundation of libraries to be that libraries con- “unexpected positives” (p. 143), such as team useful and valuable” (Bodemer, 2014, p. 172). nect people with resources, and then take the building and learning more about their users. Support of the distance learner is another time to muse on how we can continue to cover But the bottom line with personal librarians is service area for the 21st century that involves that basic, we should realize that services for personalizing the library experience, ensuring engagement. As delivery of learning contin- the 21st century academic library are not that that “students know the library has not just ues to shift to incorporate the online learner, difficult to visualize. books but also familiar-looking people who academic libraries can examine ways to best There are many articles discussing how know their names and want to help them” meet their needs. “Libraries may have to libraries can demonstrate their value and (Kolowich, 2010, para. 5). modify their structure and reorganize duties” assess their performance, whether in the At Mount Saint Mary College, we (Garofalo, 2013b, p. 192), but many of the ser- library, in the classroom, or virtually (Jackson successfully integrated personal librarians vices online learners need are already in place and Hahn, 2011; Matthews, 2014; Ritterbush, into the College Writing course for freshmen at academic libraries — a library website with 2014; Angell, 2013; Heath, 2011; Gutierrez in a 2013 pilot project. As Hardesty (2007) links to resources, remote access to research da- and Wang, 2012). Assessment and value are recommended when discussing librarians tabases, an online contact method, and library important, but that aside, I would state first and student success, our project incorporated continued on page 56 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
Bob Holley talks about the pleasure of read- Another last minute rumor! Great news! Rumors ing in his column, this issue p.58. At our library, I remember when Christian Boissonnas started from page 39 we have a Browsing collection of materials, Acqnet at one Charleston Conference! Acqnet books, DVDs, etc. Used to be that we profes- will now be the new AcqNet list at lists.ala. I am sure that Michael Pelikan was at the Long sional librarians selected what was put in the org. All subscriber addresses have been moved Arm panel! See his column, this issue, p.73 about collection. There was little circulation. So we to the new server. http://lists.ala.org/sympa/ the need to teach Identity Literacy. decided to let the younger group of librarians and info/acqnet. Postings for the list may be sent to Did y’all see the debate Friday afternoon at patrons take charge of the Browsing collection.
Column Editor Note: In this month’s Our approval vendor, YBP, was selected those records and loaded them into Voyager. In column, we feature the experience of piloting as our DDA vendor and ebrary was selected addition, the subject bibliographer was able to a DDA program for specific subjects. Sally as our DDA platform. At the time of the pilot manually move titles into the DDA plan, and Krash, previously Head of Acquisitions at project, all of our domestic approval plans were those were included with our weekly record the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library at with YBP and we had established e-approval loads. The total number of discovery records Tulane University , now Head of Information plans with this vendor and platform. It was loaded into Voyager for the duration of the pilot Resources Management at UMass Amherst, logical to continue using the same vendor/plat- was 3588, including 27 that were manually and Eric Wedig, Chief Bibliographer for the form, as we had well-established relationships added to the plan. Additionally, 95 invoice Social Sciences at the Howard-Tilton Memo- with this vendor, were familiar with the YBP records were supplied to the library for titles rial Library at Tulane University describe GOBI interface for managing selections and purchased, and acquisitions staff overlaid the their experience with implementing this pilot invoicing, were less likely to include titles that MARC records as part of invoice processing. program. — SM and AM had previously been received by the library, and had established technical services workflows The Pilot Takes Off including the supply of MARC records. We Initially the pilot got off to a somewhat slow The Pilot Program initially provided technical specifications for start, but it was not long before it was obvious The Howard-Tilton Memorial Library DDA MARC records delivery and selected the that the program was being well used. We (HTML) serves as the main campus library for single-user purchase option (the same as our noticed by the end of the fall semester that we Tulane University. Currently, 62% of the col- e-approval plans) which only allows for one needed to further limit our subject parameters, lections budget is spent on electronic resources. user to access one eBook at a time. ebrary also as many titles were being pulled into our DDA As many libraries move towards demand-driven offers a multiple-user option at approximately, program that we did not intend to include; selections as a replacement for more traditional 50% more per title a significantly higher price. specifically a large number of business titles. collection development activities, the HTML We further specified no short term We decided to make adjustments to the collections management group was more in- loans; an option available for DDA subject parameters, excluding eB- clined to continue traditional selection practices plans that allows a specified number ooks that were related to business and “test” demand-driven acquisitions (DDA) of uses before a purchase is triggered. and management, as those were as a supplementary approach for acquiring titles We chose not to use this option, as the collected by a separate library on the fringe of what we collect. Our library has cost for loans had increased signifi- at Tulane. established e-approval plans for social work, cantly, and our purpose for the pilot Even after eliminating the economics and math, and this pilot program was to enhance our collection, not business and management titles, would be used as an enhancement to the social temporarily “rent” titles. there continued to be significant work and economics e-approval plans. Internal workflows and processes purchases over the late fall term Implementing the Program were established and documented through and continuing into the spring During the first part of 2014, a working the technical services department wiki at http:// term. It was obvious by March, group was formed to investigate best practices, tults.pbworks.com/w/page/84523930/DDA. 2015 that it would be necessary to increase costs, and workflows involved in implementing Information on the pilot plan was distributed our deposit if the pilot program was to con- a DDA program. The working group consisted to the larger collections group initially and tinue. Fortunately, we were able to identify a of stakeholders in technical services and col- throughout the project. source for additional funds and increase our lection development. The group determined In the fall of 2014, the pilot project began deposit with YBP to $19,000, which covered that we would take a conservative approach with an initial deposit of $10,000. This amount DDA purchases for the remainder of fiscal to DDA by initially conducting a pilot project, was expected to cover the term of the project, year 2015. and selected to focus on economics, social from October 2014 through June, 2015, the In total, we incurred 95 trigger events, or sciences, history, education, and religion titles end of the fiscal year. We determined this purchases, and spent a total of $14,374 on the that would not normally come in on our regular figure after consultation with our YBP book DDA pilot project, with an average of $151 approval plans. representative, who believed that this amount spent per title. eBook purchases spanned 33 Two principal non-subject parameters were would be sufficient based on her experience LC classifications, with Economic History (by established, limiting the number of publishers with other academic libraries conducting sim- Subject) and Theory &Practice of Education included and establishing a price-range. The ilar pilot projects or placing similar parameters being the most popular classes. One aspect of publishers offered in the pilot were limited to on their DDA plans. the pilot that was not foreseen was the number Routledge, Ashgate, Brepols, Brill, Earths- We included titles in our program that met of books that we would remove from the plan. can, Elsevier, Lit Verlag, IMF, Peter Lang, the parameters of the plan for the last two cal- This was due to price increases over our maxi- Routledge, Springer, and Wilfred Laurier. endar years, and initially loaded 2389 MARC mum set price, due to the title coming in under The price range for eBooks was set at $125 records into our Voyager library system. Voy- a standing order, due to a decision to obtain through $200. (Our upper limit for our e-ap- ager bibliographic records fed into our Primo print instead of an eBook, and largely due to proval plans is $125.) These presses and the discovery layer, so they were discoverable in titles that met our parameters but did not meet price range were chosen to allow peripheral three ways: through Primo, the library’s online our collections needs, such as business titles. materials, normally not purchased by the social catalog, and the ebrary online platform. Ad- This required monthly processing by both the sciences selectors or matching our approval ditionally, bibliographers could identify titles acquisitions librarian and subject bibliographer plans, to be discoverable to Tulane library included in the plan on the GOBI platform or to identify and remove those titles from the users through the library’s discovery platform by looking at the local code (980 $c DDA) plan, taking approximately eight hours total per and online catalog. Additionally, we excluded added in individual catalog records. YBP month. A total of 370 titles, or just over 10%, titles that met these parameters but came in provided records that matched our profile on were removed from the program. under print standing orders. a weekly basis, and cataloging staff retrieved continued on page 59
Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
have a question for all readers. What is tion as the foundation of libraries’ mission.” The practice of public libraries has changed the most popular service in most, if not I don’t know if these answers depend in part since then to include best sellers with multiple I all, public libraries? My answer would upon the wording of the questions, but I find copies, genre fiction, computer games, videos, be providing books and media for pleasure them surprising. From reading various blogs and other popular formats; but some librarians reading and viewing. (For the rest of this and discussion lists and from talking to public object to any change that focuses on pleasure column, “reading” also includes “viewing.”) librarians, my conclusion is that the rather than learning. While the philoso- A Google search with the terms “most popular chief reason many patrons come to phy of “give-them-what-they-want” service” and “public libraries” supports this the library is to have access to recent has prevailed, the rhetoric of finan- position; but most of the documents are not best sellers, reading materials for cial and moral “improvement” has formal studies, publicity releases, or annual their children, accessible non-fic- not completely disappeared. reports. Instead, I found this “evidence” in tion, and tons of genre fiction. I’m To start with youth services, more informal discussions among librarians. willing to bet that an analysis of the emphasis is often upon I taught the introduction to the profession library budgets would support literacy and skill building rath- course at Wayne State University for several this statement rather than the list er than upon the pleasures of years before it struck me that students didn’t of priorities above. The public reading. The justification for encounter any discussion, either in the textbook who participated in this survey summer reading programs is that chapters or in the supplemental articles, that apparently has the same reticence they “boost student achievement” emphasized the public library’s role in provid- as many librarians to admit this “dirty with the assumption students require ing materials for pleasure reading. The course secret” — that is, they want “fun” stuff to read rewards to read during vacation. http://www. dealt with general issues such as the nature of and not necessarily a lesson in democracy or slj.com/2010/11/students/summer-reading- library science, the history of libraries, library unofficial schooling. programs-boost-student-achievement-study- culture, job responsibilities, and required skills. To make my position clear right away, I says/#_ While more in the school library In other words, the readings were supposed to don’t consider this to be a negative. In fact, I domain, arguments against Accelerated Reader cover the essence of the profession and impart believe that the importance of pleasure reading include that the normal implementation of a fundamental knowledge of librarianship. for public library users is one of the main rea- offering rewards for reading turns off avid While some mention is made of books, the sons why public libraries will survive. Since pleasure readers and that restricting reading emphasis was on the increasing importance of their beginning, public libraries have provided to the children’s grade levels stops students ebooks and issues such as copyright rather than great economic benefit by purchasing once for from reading what they want to read above or pleasure reading — which may be what brings multiple uses though current ebook licensing is below their reading skill. This need for extra the majority of patrons to the library. Instead, reducing, though not eliminating, this benefit. inducements overlooks library nerds like me the focus was on “information” — what it is, I ask my students to estimate what a family who needed no encouragement to read a book how to create it, and how to access it success- of four might spend each week on reading a day during the summer because, for me, fully. Within this context, “information” has materials if they are all heavy readers. With reading was fun. Furthermore, some public a strong link to facts, science, research, and three books per person and a few DVDs, the libraries need to defend graphic novels for in- academic libraries though many students intend weekly cost of supporting this family’s read- creasing literacy and computer games because to work in public libraries. ing habits would easily be over $300 and that the students have to read the text within them I believe that the same bias appears in most doesn’t include newspapers and magazines. and also hone their problem solving abilities. official studies and reports. To provide one Even in wealthy suburbs, that’s a lot of money Adult literacy seems to be less important telling example, the very recent Pew Report and far surpasses the cost of Internet access except for those areas with non-English speak- on Libraries at the Crossroads, which is a at $25-75 per month. This economic benefit ers and immigrants where the public library study of public rather than academic, school, often appears in annual reports but without fills an important role in teaching English and or special libraries, says the following in the any indication that much of it results from the speeding up the acculturation process. While second paragraph of the first page: circulation of popular fiction. the term “reading ladders” is most often used Many Americans say they want public I’m going to be so bold as to say that the in youth services, I would extend the concept libraries to: root cause for the reluctance to celebrate the to adults. Once again, reading non-quality • support local education; enormous success of public libraries in pro- literature for pleasure is not good enough. The goal is to get adults into the library with best • serve special constituents such as viding recreational reading is the same as why Americans are uncomfortable with sex — that sellers and genre fiction since this theory holds veterans, active-duty military per- that they will get bored with these materials and sonnel and immigrants; is, the Puritanical American prejudice against pleasure. The history of the public library sup- then move on to high quality materials. I have • help local businesses, job seekers ports this view. The reasons for the founding my doubts about this theory since, if it were and those upgrading their work of the public library include education for the true, television viewers would all be tuning in skills; masses, self-improvement, helping immigrants to PBS and avoiding action series, sitcoms, and • embrace new technologies such as assimilate, and access to the classics. I’ll add reality shows. I certainly know of library users, 3-D printers and provide services to my personal viewpoint that Andrew Carnegie including the librarians, who have spent their help patrons learn about high-tech and other philanthropists supported libraries as whole lives happily reading popular fiction. gadgetry. competitors to the saloon so that their employ- On the issue of funding, I believe that http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/ ees wouldn’t come to work with hangovers today’s public library directors realize that 09/15/libraries-at-the-crossroads/ and might learn some new skills. Temperance justifying their budgets is difficult due to the Later on the same report notes that “over- societies strongly supported the founding of prevalence of anti-tax movements and reduced whelming majorities of Americans see educa- many public libraries. continued on page 59 58 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
year, limiting the ceiling for DDA purchases Let’s Get Technical to $150 would significantly reduce costs. from page 57 Also, limiting the number of presses in the plan would keep costs under control and still Lessons Learned provide access to peripheral publications, such This being our initial foray into DDA, we as those produced by Ashgate and Routledge. certainly learned a lot from this experiment. Should we continue with DDA, in addition to This pilot project was initiated to allow us- considering the benefits of DDA, we will also ers to have access to a much wider array of consider the impact on staff required to run the materials than the library would normally DDA plan: one acquisitions technician to load have purchased, and that goal was achieved. MARC records, one acquisitions librarian and Peripheral titles were offered without risk that one subject bibliographer to monitor the plan funds would be wasted if they were not used. and make adjustments, and one acquisitions The choices made by patrons were not limited technician to process invoices and overlay by Alfred Kagan MARC records. to books for which a librarian was able to pre- $55 softcover (7 × 10) 2015 dict interest, as expected. While our project Overall, the plan provided a valuable was implemented on a relatively small scale, learning experience with some success and ISBN 978-0-7864-6400-5 it served as a valuable supplement to the large some disadvantages. We were able to offer Ebook 978-1-4766-1729-9 number of books purchased for the selected titles to patrons at the point-of-need, include subject areas. selections that may not have been purchased We experienced a number of disadvantages. through normal processes, and reasonably fit MCFARLAND IS PUBLISHING The number of eBooks that incurred trigger processes into existing workflows. However, events or purchases was more than we had the very high price range made it difficult MORE THAN 400 NEW BOOKS AND initially predicted and our costs exceeded our to stay within our initial budget after only a EBOOKS THIS YEAR. VISIT OUR initial deposit. One of the mistakes we made small number of purchases were made. Going was setting a price range of $125-$200 per forward, we need to determine the best way to WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION. title. This price drove the costs up too fast; keep costs under control and make sure any many of the books purchased were more than expansion of the DDA program has a minimal www.mcfarlandpub.com $150. If we continue the plan in the next fiscal effect on staff time. And They Were There Reports of Meetings — Frankfurt Book Fair and 34th Annual Charleston Conference
Frankfurt Book Fair — October 16-18, 2015, Germany told us that UK authors publish in a relatively small number of OA journals available and have a marked preference for hybrid journals. Reported by: Anthony Watkinson (Principal Consultant, The take-home story is that 70% of UK articles and 78% globally were CIBER Research)
Issues in Book and Serial Acquisition, “The Importance of Being Earnest” — Francis Marion Hotel, Embassy Suites Historic Downtown, Courtyard Marriott Historic District, Addlestone Library, College of Charleston, and School of Science and Mathematics Building, Charleston, SC — November 5-8, 2014 Charleston Conference Reports compiled by: Ramune K. Kubilius (Northwestern University, Galter Health Sciences Library)
continued on page 61 60 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
Column Editor’s Note: Thank you to all of the Charleston Conference attendees who agreed to write short reports that highlight ses- sions they attended at the 2014 conference. All attempts were made to provide a broad coverage of sessions, and notes are included in the reports to reflect known changes in the session titles or presenters, highlighting those that were not printed in the conference’s final program (though some may have been reflected in the online program). Please visit the Conference Website, http://www. charlestonlibraryconference.com, for the online conference schedule from which there are links to many presentations’ PowerPoint slides and handouts, plenary session videos, and conference reports by the 2014 Charleston Conference blog- ger, Donald T. Hawkins. Visit the conference blog at: http://www.against_the_grain.com/category/ chsconfblog/. The 2014 Charleston Conference Proceedings will be published in partnership with Purdue University Press in 2015 (http://docs.lib. purdue.edu/charleston/). In this issue of ATG you will find the final -in stallment of 2014 conference reports. The first five installments can be found in ATG v.27#1, Febru- ary 2015, v.27#2, April 2015, v.27#3, June 2015, v.27#4, September 2015, and v.27#5, November 2015. Watch for reports from the 2015 Charleston Conference to begin publishing in the February 2016 issue of ATG. — RKK
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2014 In this session, speakers from two universities covered an array of (continued from previous installment) issues that come with a growing streaming video collection. Koennecke AFTERNOON CONCURRENT SESSIONS 2 provided an overview of streaming in libraries, more specifically what content libraries are streaming, and why and how they are doing it. Speaking Our Piece: Libraries and Publishers on Their Then, Pavlick and Marcin shared a very detailed workflow of how Relationship in the STM Market — Presented by M. Kathleen their library hosts streaming video files for course reserves. He also Kern (Librarian, University of Illinois) covered a number of issues that libraries must consider when hosting video locally, such as managing rights and term licenses, familiarity with content availability from different distributors, the appropriate Reported by: Erin Wentz (MCPHS University) technology to host and stream files, discovery, communication across
Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
62 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
spatial and temporal vectors and questions which we can ask ourselves NOTE: Advanced registration was required for to properly position the missions (and quadrants) of our host institu- this limited seating session. tions, the library’s, and our preferences and inclinations in order to see how they align. In essence, the three choices he offered were: stay and Reported by: Ramune K. Kubilius (Northwestern University, sublimate (stay and work to change), try to undermine, or leave. For Galter Health Sciences Library)
Oregon Trails — Out of Sight, Out of Mind Column Editor: Thomas W. Leonhardt (Retired, Eugene, OR 97404)
“I told you so,” I said to no one in particular knowledgeable librarians do not order every eBooks on one slender, lightweight device? It as I read the front page story in the September book that is published and would not even if sounded appealing in concept and the design 23, 2015 issue of the New York Times. It did they had the money and space to do so. We are of the apparatus was appealing, too. But you my heart good. “The Plot Twist: E-Book Sales educated in order to exert critical judgements — can read only one book at a time, even though Slip, and Print Is Far From Dead” critical as in critical thinking, that too elusive those hundreds or so volumes are available For decades the death of the book has beast that all colleges promise to teach. while your print library is 30,000 feet below been predicted with great certainty and almost I feel vindicated as I think about the and many miles away. Ironically, those very gleefully, as if we were about to be freed from future of the codex, the print book, and about devices are themselves somewhat threatened oppression. One of those false prophets, the eBook as an alternative to that perfect by applications loaded onto smart phones and an innovative leader in library automation, technology. As the New York Times story tablet computers. was sure that the book would be gone by the suggests, at least for now, the eBook is just I never bought a Kindle or a Nook, but I 1990s. Project Gutenberg, a crude data-input that, an alternative, one to be used for certain have both applications on an iPad mini and method of creating electronic texts (they aren’t books and certain times, and not a substitute have downloaded several books for each app. really books, are they, these digital pretend- for the real thing. I can think of a couple of I have even read several of those books, mostly ers?) seemed to be showing the way. Google reasons why interest in digital books has abated German language Krimis (mysteries) that were followed with its senseless (but monetarily and why print books will remain the dominant not readily available in the U.S. A large selec- driven) and still necessarily crude scanning form for many years to come, if not forever, tion of titles is available now for all varieties method devoid of consistent quality control as and certainly within my lifetime. of electronic readers so I could, in fact, find it attempted to digitize every book in the world, There have been many improvements since reading material appealing to me, but reading aided and abetted by librarians who should those early digitized books made available books (I hesitate to call those collections of have known better, fair use or not as the courts by Project Gutenberg and Google. eBooks pixelated words books) on an electronic device would have it. Was it a fool’s errand? There became digitally-born, and with the advent is not really enjoyable, even though it can be was no quality control over the digitizing but of the Kindle and the Nook devices and dirt fun flipping the pages and wondering how it also no quality assessment of what ought to be cheap prices, reading eBooks on those devic- does that. If I had the appropriate reader, I digitized. Everything in print was equal even es became cool and an ostentatious way to could presumably mark my place and annotate though we know it isn’t. Who are we to judge? announce that one was an early adopter. Why certain passages that I want to go back to but I hear the naysayers now but just as publishers lug that heavy, ungainly paperback aboard an pleasant experience or not, what was I to do do not publish every manuscript sent to them, airplane, when you could carry hundreds of continued on page 65 64 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
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Oregon Trails I can to a couple of favorite booksellers, and He’ll smile and suggest to one of his children I donate the rest to St. Vinnie’s, my favorite or grandchildren that he or she might enjoy a from page 64 charitable organization. Despite such thinning, vicarious adventure on the high seas and hand I am chronically short of shelf space and stack the book on to another generation. with the eBooks once I had finished reading and double shelve books just to keep them off I wonder how many of those downloaded them? Most of the non-fiction works that I the floor, but not off desks and tables. have downloaded can serve as reference books, books ever get read, never mind about getting but I will never read the fiction works again. I I am a bibliophile; therefore, I collect rid of them. Out of sight, out of mind. The can’t pack them up and hope that a bookseller books. My book shelves are lined with good in- few eBooks that I have on my readers just sit will give me even a pittance for them. I can’t tentions but I have more books than I could ever there or do whatever 1s and 0s and pixels do donate them to St. Vinnie’s so that others can begin to read. I don’t belong to Bibliophiles when no one is watching. enjoy them at a discounted price. I can store Anonymous because, even if there were such The eBook is a marvelous bit of technolo- them in the cloud, but I will never read them an organization, I don’t want to kick my habit. gy itself, but is not in the same league as the again so why take up virtual space unless I eBooks? Sure, they are inexpensive and old-fashioned yet never out of fashion codex, a care to create a virtual library (read Canetti’s easy to download, but are they handsomely perfect technology that replaced the scroll and, Auto de Fe (Die Blendung) for the first and bound (photos of dust jackets and covers don’t moving from manuscripts to type-set pages and most imposing virtual library) but why create count)? Can I download a signed or inscribed book, led to a literacy rate far beyond what had something that has no appeal to me. I am, as first edition? What about a finely printed and existed up until then. The eBook, as a reading I write this, surrounded by real books, com- bound, numbered and signed book by a favorite technology, is a step backwards compared to panions whose personalities and qualities can author? I can’t download a second-hand copy the codex and is really nothing more than a be summoned by a glimpse at them sitting on with a certain provenance and some margina- fancy scroll. my shelves. I prefer the book as artifact and, lia that somehow binds me to a stranger with As I write this, I look around my small, apparently, most other readers do, too. whom I share a common interest, be it subject book-filled office. Two of my book cases have Despite what some people might call or author. to be moved soon to allow workers access hoarding but I call collecting (I am a reader I would like to think that when I am gone, when replacing one of my windows. I will and a bibliophile and cannot, by definition, be as we all must go, my grandson will have kept be boxing several hundred volumes, carefully a hoarder simply because I accumulate books some of the books that I have shared with him. handling each one, so it will likely be a slow in the hundreds), I am constantly winnowing He’ll be sitting near a book case and his eyes process. I’ll hate to see them disappear, but on my library as interests change, for some of my will settle on Mr. Midshipman Hornblower, the bright side, I can look forward to unpacking collections are ephemeral by design. I give for example. He will take it off the shelf, blow them, light streaming though my new window, an increasing variety of books to one of my real or imaginary dust off the top edge, open it, as I lovingly re-assemble that part of my library grandsons and occasionally to others when and remember, as he begins reading, that his and feel the room warm with their renewed I know there is interest. I sell or trade what grandfather had enjoyed that very same copy. presence.
Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
often lament that printed academic and schol- “Comic Fandom Through the Ages” sums up The essayists also note the lack of credit arly works lag behind online sources in time- changes in readership and the relationship and “larger than life” appeal afforded to even Iliness. To a degree, this is a simple necessity. between readers, creators, and the tone and positively portrayed female characters, as any I was pleasantly surprised in this regard subject matter and tone. The changes in both heroism or actual plot contributions they make when reading through the Salem Press volume fandom and creators detailed by Munson and are are often simply forgotten or overshadowed The American Comic Book, part of their Critical Helvie work well together to set up Katherine by the acts of male figures. The importance of Insights series.1 Edited by Joseph Michael Whaley and Justin Wigard’s final chapter, Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Sommers of Central Michigan University, “Waiting for Wonder Woman: The Problematic is a cited example of a dynamic figure, a mover this collection of essays provides a wonderful History of Comic Book Women and Their of the plot and as much a hero as her teammates, overview of many facets of the comics medium Cinematic Doubles.” The pair note the cate- who is still rarely portrayed in merchandising in from a roster of credentialed theorists. The chap- gorization of women into three general types: as heroic a light as her counterparts. ters are consistently well researched and written, ordinaries, superwomen, and supervillains. The fact that fans don’t have a solo Black offering valuable insight into the world of comics At the time of the final essay’s writing, Widow movie on the horizon, paired with the and graphic novels both in print and in the digital Marvel was preparing to announce that a female recent announcement that the Captain Marvel era. I’ll highlight a few that really stood out. character would take up the mantle and powers film has been pushed back twice now to 2019 Art historian, writer and curator Kim Mun- of Thor in that title. Whaley and Wigard note to accommodate another Spider-Man reboot son’s second contribution to the book (her first that Marvel’s own publicity in pointing out that and an Ant Man sequel, show that we’re still focuses on censorship) “From the Mainstream this would be the company’s eighth title led by a waiting for Wonder Woman.8 9 By the way, the to the Margins: Independent Comics Find a female character is perhaps blindingly admitting actual Wonder Woman’s 2017 solo film debut Voice” frames the rise of independent and a serious problem in comics representation. The will be a prequel to Batman vs Superman.10 alternative comics from the days of Harvey authors recount the 1938 origin of Marston’s It is refreshing to see a print work that is so Kurtzman’s counterculture MAD and the Wonder Woman, an intentionally empowering “in the know” as to reference thoughts of fans and underground comix of both Denis Kitchen feminist icon who carried tools associated with creators such as Kelly Sue Deconnick and Gail and Robert Crumb to the present. She notes bondage and submission as she defended the Simone that one might be accustomed to seeing the importance of these often intentionally out- wronged and advocated for the oppressed. go by on their Twitter or Tumblr accounts. Such sider works as a response to the homogeneity They note the immediate departure from Mar- a combination of timeliness and rigor is a won- institutionalized by the team-based, “work for ston’s intended ideal after his death in 1947 derful thing to behold. I really can’t recommend hire” production line model of the Big Two. and the transfer of control to the creative team The American Comic Book enough to libraries Munson sees the founding of Fantagraphics that gained control of the character. “Wonder looking for critical works in comics, film, or pop in 1974 as being of importance. The publisher Woman’s feminist agency was both denied and culture in general. As part of Salem’s Critical has been reminding the comics industry of actively combated as she became subject to Insights series, purchase comes with access to its own history and diversity with a threefold [boyfriend Steve] Trevor’s patriarchal ideol- the Salem Literature database.11 approach. The first was purchasing the tabloid ogy.”3 Such a large fall for such a strong icon Nostalgia Journal and repurposing it for comics presaged problems across the industry for years: criticism as Comics Journal in 1976. Second, “The decline of Wonder Woman signified a Endnotes and perhaps the publisher’s bread and butter, is decline for women in comics, a period of time 1. Sommers, Joseph Michael, ed. The the many reprints it has published from previous when even their strongest icon was depowered, American Comic Book (Critical Insights). eras, notably newspaper strips like McCay’s and the world waited for Wonder Woman to Har/Psc ed. Ipswich, MA: Salem Pr, 2014. Little Nemo in Slumberland, Segar’s Popeye, regain her footing as a hero for all people to 2. The American Comic Book, ix. Herriman’s Krazy Kat, Foster’s Prince Valiant, look up to.”4 3. The American Comic Book, 201-202. and Shulz’s Peanuts. Third, Munson points Whaley and Wigard list Sue Storm’s chief 4. The American Comic Book, 202. out Fantagraphics early championing of new power of “not being seen” as a prominent 5. Gail Simone, “Women in Refrigerators.” works that did not fit into the mainstream, such example of the depowering and subjugation March 1999. Accessed Oct 25, 2015. http:// as Chris Ware’s Acme Novelty Library and the of women, so common as to be normalized lby3.com/wir/ Brothers Hernandez’ Love and Rockets. and overlooked. They move from these 6. Green Lantern Vol 3 #54. 1994. After Fantagraphics, Munson notes the problematic portrayals in print to incarnations 7. The American Comic Book, 203. rise of Dark Horse, which has enjoyed success of the same characters in Marvel and DC’s 8. Trailer Heroes, “Marvel Pushes Back with creator-owned series like Mike Mignola’s big screen franchises. They are particularly Four Movies In Light of Spider-Man Deal.” Hellboy at its spin-offs, and of Image Comics, critical of Mary Jane Watson’s character in Accessed Oct 25, 2015 http://www.trailer- born from a creator exodus from Marvel and heroes.com/2015/02/marvel-pushes-back- Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films as a constant four-movies-in-light.html DC. She also traces the importance of the the damsel in distress. Each film features MJ’s independent and highly personal nature of 9. Daily Dot, “Marvel will delay ‘Captain rescue in its final act. They also recount the Marvel’ to squeeze in an ‘Ant-Man’ sequel.” the works of Art Spiegelman on present day 1999 coining by writer Gail Simone of the Accessed Oct 25, 2015. http://www.dailydot. creators such as Alison Bechdel, whose auto- term “women in refrigerators,”5 a reference com/geek/captain-marvel-movie-delayed- biographical and nonlinear Fun Home is held to the gruesome killing of Alexandra DeWitt, ant-man/?tu=gav up as an example of the distinct and intimate girlfriend of Green Lantern Kyle Rayner, in 10. Comics Alliance, “‘Wonder Woman’ Is works that resonate strongly with an increas- 1994.6 The villain Major Force murdered her Actually a ‘Batman vs. Superman’ Prequel, ingly diverse and personally invested fandom. and stuffed her body in Rayner’s refrigerator Will Include a Major Superhero Cameo.” Editor Sommers notes in his introduction for him to find. Also noting theDC’s Identity Accessed Oct 24, 2015. http://comicsal- liance.com/wonder-woman-batman-vs-su- that Munson’s second essay marks a “medial Crisis crossover event was initiated by the perman-prequel/?trackback=tsmclip shift” in the collection.2 Philip Smith’s “From rape and death of Elongated Man’s girlfriend 11. Salem Press, “Critical Insights.” Ac- the Page to the Tablet: Digital Media and the Sue Dibny, the authors lament that “[i]n this cessed Oct 24, 2015. http://www.salempress. Comic Book” is a great overview of changes to manner, women are not seen as victims or com/critical_insights.html the form in recent years. Forrest C. Helvie’s survivors, but as plot devices.”7
66 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
Murray asked the audience to consider how present-day discovery services are different from Echo. Who Who is our most challenging person to support? Do they know how to navigate the Web? Operate a mouse? Understand user interface clues? Do they have a speech, mobility, or visual impairment? Can they even form the question they are asking? The people we want to serve with our discovery layers have a wide range of skills and knowledge. Is there any way for us to get that context? What The “what” should be rooted in the tradition of the reference inter- view: find the answer or provide instruction on how to find the answer. Do our discovery layers lead the user to the answer or are they just mimicking the single search box? Where Do we envision black cylinders in an office, on the reference desk, or in a dorm room, like the Echo? Can we integrate the layers into the labs, performance spaces, etc. where the user could have a question to which they are seeking the answer? When When do undergraduates do their research? Some of the contextual clues the discovery layer could use could be time of day, time of year, or day of week, so that it could ask whether the user is just looking for three best articles or doing an in-depth study. These are signals; Google uses over 200 signals when a user does a search so that it can tailor the results to their needs. Why “Why” is a special signal and requires special handling. It has signif- icant privacy implications; for example, we do not like to be followed by ads after asking a question. Libraries must respect user privacy. What can we infer from the questions users have asked over the past month? The “why” signal distinguishes discovery services from Amazon Echo, • How do we learn what users want while retaining serendipi- Siri, and other personal assistants. ty? What is the balance between serendipity and finding the answer that the user wants? Do we risk alienating users if the Maybe some of the ideas discussed at the Forum will make a real system allows for serendipity but then gives them things they difference in the discovery layers and related services used by our pa- don’t want? We need to broaden our idea of what serendipity trons. Here are some comments that Murray found significant: means and expand beyond the idea of libraries as holders of • You should not have to educate your user, but if you could monographs, serials, and other materials. get better results after five minutes of training one of them, what would you do? • Librarians have mixed needs in discovery. Quality discovery user interfaces do not always result in increased usage. How • Embedded librarians should not be thinking about competing do we measure the value of our systems? Is rising usage good with Mendeley, Google, etc. We should be working with those or bad? How do we answer the question “Did the user find services for the benefit of our users. what they needed?” • We should spend effort on realizing where users are when they Slides from the Forum presentations are available at http://www. want more information. How useful are discovery services niso.org/news/events/2015/October_discovery/agenda_discovery_fo- for our students? rum/#agenda. • Links for searching Wikipedia or Google are on many Web- sites. Why don’t we have one for searching the library’s resources? Users should not need to go to a library and set up access to the discovery service before using it. (For example, Donald T. Hawkins is an information industry freelance writer the link to Wikipedia from within the Digital Public Library based in Pennsylvania. In addition to blogging and writing about of America Website works very well.) conferences for Against the Grain, he blogs the Computers in Li- braries and Internet Librarian conferences for Information Today, • Think hard about what young people are doing when they’re Inc. (ITI) and maintains the Conference on Instagram, etc. Calendar on the ITI Website (http:// • Where do electronic resources turn up in the electronic health www.infotoday.com/calendar.asp). He record? recently contributed a chapter to the book • Can we construct a “privacy when desired” feature or have Special Libraries: A Survival Guide a “do not track me” button for some searches? Privacy is (ABC-Clio, 2013) and is the Editor of important, but users expect libraries to use their personal data Personal Archiving, (Information Today, in processing their searches. 2013). He holds a Ph.D. degree from the • Walking through the stacks is great serendipitous browsing, University of California, Berkeley and but we must not forget that there are always books not in the has worked in the online information open stacks. industry for over 40 years.
Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
ore often than not, individuals hired into acquisition techni- When I train, I try to provide some education, but I don’t hope to provide cian positions have no previous acquisitions work experience anything on par with an actual course, such as the ALCTS Fundamentals Mor education, and may even have no prior library work of Acquisitions online course, which all of my staff take. I’ll include a experience. Moving someone from knowing nothing or a little more few suggestions regarding education in this article, but highly recommend than nothing to competence with work that may be quite complex is registering new acquisitions staff for the course itself during their first few a monumental task, and this may be done mostly by trial and error by months on the job. All of my new hires have taken it, since long before I those who have to hire and have little experience with this. Over the became an instructor for it, oftentimes obtaining not only education, but years, I’ve moved a number of acquisitions new hires to competence, also information and ideas that proved valuable and that we put to use. and this article is an overview of my process, refined over time, and will hopefully prove helpful to those with little experience with this. The Training Outline and Timeline — An Overview of the Training Process Education and Training In advance of training, I always create a training outline with a timeline. Both education and training are necessary to create competence The outline includes basic areas that will be covered, as well as a time in library acquisitions. While it’s entirely possible and sometimes range for learning it. When new staff begin work, I give them the outline beneficial to have technicians entirely perform rote tasks without so that they understand what they’ll be learning and how long I expect understanding what they’re doing, more complex tasks require more training to take. The timelines I give are always ranges, allowing those knowledge and skills and more training. Competence in any task re- with substantive experience to move on very quickly, while allowing those quires understanding why a task is being done a particular way. Tasks with less experience to spend more time to master skills before moving on. which occasionally or frequently require the application of judgment may require knowledge of theory, interconnections with other library Training Outline and Timeline Example units, and the policies of any over-arching agencies. Training produces competence in a task, whereas education provides theory and the abil- Part 1: The Basics, 4-8 weeks: General office and employment info, acquisitions at ity to make judgment calls, and enables technicians to independently UMBC, searching, bibliographic matching skills, series searching, exporting OCLC make decisions, solve problems, and develop or modify procedures. catalog record, order creation, and workflow review. Part 2: Intro to Rushes, 1-2 weeks: The web order system, basic rush ordering, and ALCTS Fundamentals of Acquisitions Syllabus reserve orders. Part 3: Special Procedures and Problem Solving, 2-6 weeks: Added volume and added Section 1. Goals and Professional Resources copy orders, replacement orders, not-yet-published orders, resolving differences between orders and records found, resolving differences between records found in Exercise 1: What is Acquisitions and Basic Terms Quiz different databases, reprint orders. Exercise 2: Prioritizing Acquisition Goals Part 4: Intro to Student Supervision, 2-4 weeks: Schedule, professional treatment, Exercise 3: Standards Collaborative Student Wiki work assignment, training, checking work and follow-up, supervision, evaluations. Exercise 4: ILS Quiz Part 5: Special Formats Ordering, 1-2 months: Procurement methods, vendor Section 1 Self Test selection, videos, sound recordings, scores, e-books, foreign books, out-of-print books, computer files, slides, plays, government documents, conference proceedings. Section 2. Basic Methods, Functions, and Workflows Part 6: Managing it All, 1-2 weeks: Prioritizing work, using a calendar to organize Exercise 1: Definitions Review Quiz and prioritize tasks, systems of organization. Exercise 2: Order Request Forms Part 7: Preparing Procedures and Documentation, 1-4 weeks: Basic HTML, minor Exercise 3: Workflow editing, major editing, reviewing existing documentation for currency, creating entirely new procedures. Section 2 Cumulative Self Test Part 8: Necessary Extras, 1-2 weeks: Backing up other staff, compiling statistics, Section 3. Vendors answering faculty and liaison questions. Exercise 1: Types of Vendors and Services Quiz Exercise 2: Vendor Assignment Quiz Day One — Orientation and Learning Expectations Exercise 3: Vendor Performance Evaluation and Financial Viability Quiz Through long experience, I’ve found it extremely important to focus Exercise 4: Ethics Case Studies trainees on learning, as some trainees will approach their training work as a Section 3 Cumulative Self Test production task, while failing to learn to mastery, and not get what we were Section 4. Budget, Finance and Accounting expecting them to get from the training, only to later fall unacceptably short Exercise 1: Budget Quiz on quality. Quite explicitly, in my very first meeting with a new hire, on the Exercise 2: External Financial Officers and GAAP Quiz very first day, I will tell them that their top task is learning, and they should Section 4 Cumulative Self Test be proactive about it, and take time to read, take notes, study procedures, Final Project Group Assignment – Begin Work on Your Project reformat information in ways that makes more sense to them, or whatever it takes for them to master the information being presented, and that taking Section 5. Special Formats two hours to wrap their head around information is far better than getting it Exercise 1: Special Formats Quiz done in an hour but not having a good handle on the information presented Exercise 2: Electronic Resources Quiz and the work being done. Exercise 3: Music Quiz Through long experience, I’ve also learned to tell trainees that I have an Exercise 4: Video Quiz “open door” and that they should come to me and ask me questions about Exercise 5: Identifying Special Formats Vendors the work that they’re doing, and that I really frown on guessing when some- Section 5 Cumulative Self Test one could just ask a question. I’ll also let them know that we’ll have daily Section 6. Conclusion, Comprehensive Assignment, and Final Exam training sessions for their first few weeks, and also have additional “how’s it going meetings” on Fridays, outside of the department, oftentimes in easy Final Project: Create an Acquisitions Manual chairs in the stacks, for them to tell me about any problems they’re having, Final Exam continued on page 71 70 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
Pelikan’s Antidisambiguation — Identity Literacy: Time to Teach it? Column Editor: Michael P. Pelikan (Penn State)
heck out the history of libraries in Wiki- Identity Providers represent an immensely So in light of the Department of Education’s pedia and you’ll find, “The first libraries powerful industry. For many young people, the notions of literacy as an ability to locate infor- Cconsisted of archives of the earliest form attaining of an ID from one of the important mation in text, to make low level inferences of writing...These archives…mark the end of identity providers such as Google, Twitter, or using printed materials, or to integrate easily prehistory and the start of history.” Facebook marks a point of passage in the estab- identifiable pieces of information, how will the Examine the concept of Literacy and its lishment of personal autonomy, approaching or “average” junior high, high school, or college history and you’ll find that, “…early acts of on the level of getting one’s driver’s license. A undergraduate do if handed a printed copy literacy were closely tied to power and chiefly university network ID is simply something one of the Terms of Service of a modern Social used for management practices, and probably receives at New Student Orientation. Media Identity Provider? Will they be able to less than 1% of the population was literate, as A university colleague of mine recently extract a cogent representation of the content it was confined to a very small ruling elite.” observed that, likely, persons we serve in of those terms of service? Could they read it In libraries, we pride ourselves in promot- the junior high school to undergraduate age and translate it back to you in the vernacular? ing literacy as a Public Good. We point with demographic group are most likely to regard Would they feel it’s worth the effort to try? an objectively supportable justification at the the identity we provide them with as a tempo- Interestingly, it’s a person’s name (and its history of the public library movement in the rary tool, not adopted by preference, but used expression) that we often treat as a foundational United States. I’d like to suggest, however, that because it is required — to access the systems building block of literacy. Historically, the fact we have still far more to do in the promotion and services we offer. On the other hand, that one could write and recognize one’s own of literacy. they regard their “social identities” as being name was a rudimentary test of learning. The We’ve expanded our definitions of liter- owned by them, and as being a more-or-less writing of a person’s name, rather than making acy to embrace the ideas captured by math- permanent representation of themselves and “one’s mark” has been used by some scholars in ematician John Allen Paulos in his book, their interests. attempts to estimate early literacy rates. Today “Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and But when do the gigantic industrial pro- we learn to write our names at a very early age. its Consequences.” From public libraries viders of identity ever try to raise the Identity We applaud and celebrate the attention and se- to university libraries, we find evidence that Literacy level of their customers? Those riousness with which a child turns to the effort careful collection developers have taken care customers are the product they’re in business to spell out his or her name. We preserve those to include materials that intercept and assist to produce. They’d rather offer an Easy first autographs alongside early interactions people with literacy and numeracy at all ages Button, with hidden hooks and barbs, so as to with clay or paint. Perhaps we value them so and at all levels of accomplishment. enrich their collection of marketable metadata. highly because they are among the first lasting Today I’d like to propose the idea of Iden- They’re protected by the fig leaf of compliance: evidences of a person’s intentional engagement tity Literacy. Just as we teach and promote they publish their terms of service. and interaction with the world. literacy and numeracy, perhaps the time has According to a U.S. Department study in In the early days of multi-user computing come that we should name and promote Iden- 2003, cited in the Wikipedia article “Literacy systems, one adopted or was assigned a user tity Literacy among our students and clientele. in the United States,” 21% to 23% of adult name, typically used simply within the scope Social Media services are not merely the Americans were not “able to locate infor- of a single system. I can’t even recall with first place many people go when they fire up mation in text,” could not “make low-level certainty what my first computing identity was their computers. Facebook and Twitter are not inferences using printed materials,” and were or how it was assigned, back when my goal simply where many people do most of their unable to “integrate easily identifiable pieces was to learn something about these mysterious, voluntary reading and writing. No — these of information.” It has become a truism that often untouchable systems. My college had a services are in fact the source of choice to most persons don’t read the Terms of Service PDP-11. Of course, I was also willing to try which many people turn to obtain, and even displayed on click-through screens as they sign my hand at Wumpus, or Adventure, or Trek. to establish, an online identity. up for online services. continued on page 74
Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
he Charleston Library Conference is excited to report that Larger images are Greg Gersch, a graphic recorder from the Washington, DC area, available on the Charles- Tcreated works of art from information presented in sessions at the ton Conference Website (http://charlestonlibraryconference.com) and conference on Thursday, November 5. We are thankful for a Platinum for more detail, but you can see some Sponsorship from bepress (http://www.bepress.com/) that made this of the excerpts below. possible. We also thank Melanie Dolechek, Executive Director of the And the ultimate answer to the ques- Society for Scholarly Publishing, for her invaluable assistance onsite tion, “Where Do We Go From Here?” providing guidance and industry-specific information to Greg as he “The Charleston Conference has worked and asking questions and talking with attendees. always placed emphasis on innovative Greg used large canvases, approximately 8x4 feet, to capture the and out-of-the-box thinking. This main ideas and takeaways from the conference through graphic art. He year we are going to try using a graph- recorded the plenary presentations from Courtney Young (Head Librar- ic recorder who will listen to speakers ian and Professor of Women’s Studies, Pennsylvania State University and transcribe the Eureka moments and 2014-2015 American Library Association (ALA) President) and and insights visually. This should be perfect for the 35th Charles- Jim O’Donnell (University Librarian, Arizona State University) as ton Conference,” said Conference Founder and Convener Katina they were presented live on stage. During the afternoon Strauch. “We would like to breakout sessions he was stationed in the lobby area thank bepress for sponsoring collecting notes from attendees and asking questions to this exciting new approach. summarize their “Aha!” moments. We will be sending a digi- tal image of each of Greg Gersch’s masterpieces to the attendees following the conference and hope that this will serve as one of the touchstones to continue conversations long after the conference is over.”
comfortable “nomme de plume digitale.” Some the threats it can carry, and how to navigate Pelikan’s Antidisambiguation people felt empowerment in the discovery that it so as not to endanger themselves or others? from page 73 they could actually, finally, be the stinkers they I have sometimes observed in Bibliographic really were. Instruction a tendency to focus upon the oper- These games, especially Adventure and Trek, As deep as the cesspool of human depravi- ation of a particular interface rather than on used a lot of printing paper, so it was wise to ty and criminality is the Internet’s capacity to the broadly applicable underlying information ask the computer lab person if it would be harbor it. In the libraries we’ve struggled with science inherent in search and retrieval across alright to play them. I can remember feeling the tensions between our ideal of providing all interfaces. At most, and only perhaps, that I’d really stepped into the future when the access and providing a protective environment an explanation of Boolean operators might lab got a video terminal which presented what in which people can learn and grow in safety. be provided (and described as “advanced” before had been printer output in beautiful I’ve seen reminders on placards near publicly searching — perhaps because that is what the green characters. Now one could explore Will accessible computers, there to remind people, interface calls it). But the difference between Crowther’s creation without regard for the for example, not to enter certain types of in- “And” and “Or?” Not so often. And left aside amount of fanfold printer paper one was piling formation into a Web page’s text entry form. are proximity operators, wildcard searches, up behind the terminal. In the restrooms of these same libraries, we even the usefulness of examining a search Many Against the Grain readers will re- might find a reminder, taped to the mirror, that result set to understand why particular records member CompuServe, America Online, and washing your hands helps prevent the spread were returned. “Well, most people don’t want other early commercial computing services. of flu. Such efforts are well intentioned, to bother with all that,” I’ve been told. Ok A CompuServe ID was a mark of the for- but perhaps demonstrate in their simplicity — maybe it’s not our jobs to elevate people’s ward-looking person. Originally seven digits an inability to take on the multi-faceted, understanding of how things really work. in length, later eight, nine, and ultimately ten difficult domains of cybersecurity or public But we ought to be able to show anybody digits, these IDs were generated in advance. health policy. what a sophisticated modern spear phishing Starting in 1989, CompuServe enabled email I think the challenges of cybersecurity are attack looks like. We can promote the idea access using the ID in the form of “xxxxx. exactly what we should take on in our schools that complex passwords, changed at reason- [email protected].” and universities. We have Drivers Education able intervals, are simply what it takes to be a It was through such vehicles that we could programs because untrained people can cause responsible citizen of the net. We can suggest first explore the unregulated world of the grievous harm to themselves or others behind that a Friend is something more than someone bulletin board. The extent to which such com- the wheel. I’m not suggesting that one ought you Like and who Likes you back on Face- munications were assumed to be anonymous, to need a license to surf the Web, but might book. And as ever and always, we can create or nearly so, had an influence on the way some we not at least include in our curriculum con- an environment in which it’s not an imposition people would express themselves. A person tent designed to help people understand the to ask people to think. might adopt a persona, and establish it as a nature of the network, its characteristics and
74 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
Column Editor’s Note: When I was budgets...whose librarians have acquired the records, cost, platform features, contacts, considering topics for this edition of Being exact resources we need to access...or can internal notes, and notes from an informal Earnest with Collections, I reached out to a request them via interlibrary loan. But it can survey of other libraries in the Oberlin Group colleague who I have known for some time. be a problem for people who are members of consortium of liberal arts colleges. With Ms. Having just left the University of Central public libraries that don’t provide ILL service... Gallagher and Dr. Miller’s leadership, the li- Florida after nine years, I am very familiar independent scholars...academics who are be- brarians discussed and voted on whether to sup- with the innovation that is coming out of tween jobs, retired, or employed by institutions port each project. Some we will go ahead and Rollins College. I have collaborated with with limited budgets, or in remote countries... invest in, and others we will keep an eye on for Jonathan Harwell on other projects and or remote areas of the Mississippi Delta, for further development and possible investment was impressed with his knowledge of cutting example...many of our own students the day in the future. We’d like to share our decisions edge issues in collection development and after graduation (or commencement, if you in case they’re useful for our colleagues; and discovery. He proposed this article on the will...commencing reduced information ac- in the spirit of open access, we can share the various open access initiatives at Rollins cess)...or perhaps anthropologists working for spreadsheet with anyone interested. Here are College. There is a focus on open access a state government that doesn’t provide them our decisions in no particular order. and, in particular, a move toward promoting with the library resources they need. • Knowledge Unlatched: We paid Open Educational Resources within academic So in honor of Open Access Week, I’d like $1,300 for the pilot collection a few libraries in Florida. One of my last presen- to share what we librarians are doing at Rollins years ago. We will pledge at least tations in the state was with Claire Dygert College to support the movement. We are a $2,643 for the next collection, al- from the Florida Virtual Campus, and our small liberal arts college with a graduate busi- though this cost might go down with topic was on efforts to reduce the high cost of ness school, located in Winter Park, Florida. more libraries participating. We will textbooks based on library efforts to expand We’ve found over the past few years that while be selecting packages to support, in the area of OER and textbook alternatives. our faculty continue to actively recommend based on upcoming Webinars. library purchases, those numbers have de- When I got my first look at this article I was • PLOS: We will join as an institu- clined. Meanwhile we review every serial and impressed by the efforts Rollins College has tional member, and will use direct database subscription annually to make sure billing to cover any author costs for made and how they now serve as emerging we’re using our funds effectively. Even with- leaders in open access. Dr. Jonathan Miller, our faculty. out a cancellation mandate, we’re identifying • BioMed Central: We will join as Jonathan Harwell, and Erin Gallagher have low-hanging fruit — subscriptions that have shown that academic libraries of all sizes can an institutional member for $960 little or no usage and high costs. These factors annually. play a role in the future of this movement. I have enabled us to find more effective uses for hope ATG readers will be as enlightened as I some of our library funds. We have canceled • Stanford Encyclopedia of Philoso- was after reading this article. — MA some subscriptions and added new ones. We phy: We will join with Professional have also invested in open access, to do our Membership at $25 annually. his morning I woke up by reading a part in opening up the information landscape • Open Textbook Library: No cost long passage from Richard Grant’s for our own patrons and for the world at large. unless an entire book is printed. We Dispatches from Pluto: Lost and Found Rollins is a leader in open access. Our are promoting with a link on our T OER page (see below). in the Mississippi Delta (Simon & Schuster, College of Arts & Sciences faculty passed an 2015), a fascinating account by a writer who Open Access Policy in 2010. According to our • Lever Initiative: We will support has migrated among various countries and now Library Director Jonathan Miller, we were with $4000 annually. settled in Pluto, Mississippi. This book is listed the third liberal arts college faculty to adopt a • Open Access Network: $10,791 at $16 in paperback or $11.99 for Kindle; it’s policy of open access, following the Harvard sought. Not supporting at this time. not available from any of the library ebook model (Miller, Jonathan. “Open access and • Open Book Publishers: $500 annu- vendors listed in YBP’s GOBI interface. I liberal arts colleges: Looking beyond research ally sought. Not supporting at this read the excerpt as published in The Telegraph institutions.” College & Research Libraries time. online and accessible free of charge. It’s being News; vol. 72, no. 1, Jan. 2011, pp. 16-19,30; • Open Library of the Humanities: shared on social media, so it can be discovered also available in our institutional repository). $500 annually sought. Not sup- and read by people like me who weren’t aware Our library faculty have already supported porting at this time. (Disclosure: I of the book or who don’t regularly read The the pilot collection of Knowledge Unlatched, volunteer as a section editor for the Telegraph. This is the sort of serendipity that which provides open access to books from a OLH.) opens texts to a broad readership because they variety of scholarly publishers in various disci- are not hidden behind paywalls. At least that’s • PhilPapers: $500 annually sought. plines. This fall we decided to take a close look Not supporting at this time. the case for one selection from Grant’s book. at the proliferating OA projects and determine As I write this, it’s Open Access Week whether we will support more efforts. Erin • Open Library: donations accepted. 2015, in which SPARC promotes the ongoing Gallagher, Electronic Resources & Serials Not supporting at this time. open access movement. In recent years we’ve Librarian (and ATG “Hot Topics” columnist), • Reveal Digital Independent Voices: been seeing increasing numbers of articles, worked with Shawne Holcomb, Collections $5,130 sought. Not supporting at books, and multimedia available with open Data Specialist, to produce a spreadsheet with this time. access. Yet of course there are still many texts data on the projects to be considered. For each • HAU-NET: no cost information that are not. That’s not always a problem for they provided the URL, a summary, availability available yet. Not supporting at this people. As long as we’re academics...cur- of usage statistics, discoverability, embargo time. rently employed...by institutions with healthy period, DRM, perpetual archiving, MARC continued on page 77
Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
endors spend millions of dollars preparing their salespeople will contact you if more data is needed.” and executives to be better negotiators when dealing with their This part of the process requires ground Vlibrary clients. Publishers, aggregators, and subscription agents rules on when communication is required in the information industry follow their brethren in other industries by and when it is not. sending their salespeople and executives to school to learn how to be As we all know, the salesperson is all better negotiators. Whether their employees were great negotiators to too happy to work hand-in-hand with the begin with, a few days of training makes those salespeople even better library. Unlike the library however, the salesperson in the information when sitting across the table negotiating an e-content deal. industry has monthly revenue goals to attain. If the rep knows that In checking the various curriculums at major library schools here in the possibility of selling the company’s 12th century Middle East the U.S. and abroad, it is astounding to notice that virtually no courses collection is in the queue, then he can accurately predict when that are given on how to successfully negotiate with vendors. Given that order is expected and all is well. On the other hand, if the rep has no every librarian that graduates with an MLIS degree will most assuredly idea when it may or may not come in, the rep will dutifully call the come in contact with a plethora of vendors selling everything from person at the library that was the contact point for updates on the status databases to discovery services to desks and chairs, one wonders why of the possible order. If the library person does not return the call or this crucial part of the information professionals’ training is not covered. tell about the status of the order, then the rep may call others at the Given this inequity of having to face well prepared vendors schooled library for an update. By communicating ahead of time to the sales rep in the latest negotiating techniques, what can the information profes- of the decision-making schedule, embarrassing phone calls to library sional do to “level the playing field” so that there is a fighting chance to administrators asking about the status of the order will be averted. come away with a better than reasonable deal when buying any number 3. Team — The buying and selling process for libraries can, in of goods/services offered to the library? many cases, be a complicated one. Information professionals need to Paul “Bear” Bryant, legendary football coach at the University of know that they are not alone in the negotiation process; or rather they Alabama once said, “It’s not the will to win that matters. Everyone has are only alone if they choose to be. The reality is that there are many that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.” Coach Bryant never people within the library can be of enormous assistance in hammering sold a database to a library, but his quote clearly gives the direction that out a favorable deal with a vendor. The librarian just has to look around is needed for any library to successfully negotiate with vendors. After the organization to find those people. The salesperson is surrounded by all, it’s all about preparation. a “team.” To better respond, the library needs a “team,” as well. Here’s In lieu of taking a semester course on negotiating with vendors, I will what that team may look like: offer at no additional cost an abbreviated course right here in Against • Team Leader – That’s the person who deals directly with the the Grain and call it Negotiation Skills 101. It will give every infor- seller. mation professional the basics on how to be better prepared for your • Financial Authority – That’s the person with the money; the next vendor negotiation. If you follow the steps that I will be outlining person who reinforces the fact that your organization has the in this article, I guarantee that you will be better prepared for your next money to spend for the resource in question. negotiating session. Additionally, by following the framework that I • Technology Person – Every library, be it academic, public, will outline, you will save money for the library as you acquire new government, corporate, legal, etc., has a person or a team of products or renew current ones. persons whose sole job is to make sure that the technology Successful product acquisition can only be achieved by following a associated with the intended purchase is operational so that simple, yet comprehensive preparation plan that involves four elements. all the users at the library are gaining unrestricted access to There are four elements that need to be addressed: all data services. The tech person can tell the team if the 1. Objectives — To be successful, you need to know what you want. database under consideration can be effectively used. The first step is to write down what it is that you want. In the parlance • Legal Person – Your legal department needs to be kept abreast of sales, if the objectives are not written, they simply do not exist. And of the impending deal and it is best to review the vendors’ if those objectives are not written down, how can you possibly measure contracts as the negotiations continue so that when a final your success (or lack thereof) after the negotiations are complete? decision is made, your organization has already reviewed the So the first step is — Write down what you want. For example, the paperwork so that the deal gets done without delay. Archeology department at the University has requested that the library • The Boss – Whomever it is that has authority over the librar- should investigate the cost to acquire a new database on Middle Eastern ians’ activities needs to always be in the loop. Sometimes, artifacts from the 12th century as published by XYZ Data Systems and at critical points during the negotiation, the appearance of their competitors. The budget assigned to this will be no more than the boss at the meeting may actually hasten the purchasing $25K with capped renewal increases of no more than 2.5% over the timetable, which is good news for both parties. next two years and final selection needs to be completed in six months. 4. Strategy — The final piece of the puzzle is to develop and im- So here’s the “Statement of Objectives” — We want to acquire a plement a strategy, which means going back to your original objectives. database on Middle Eastern artifacts from the 12th century for no more For example, you may tell the vendor that your budget for this resource than $25K with a capped yearly renewal cost not to exceed 2.5% over is $18K. That means that the first price you tell the vendor that you’re the next two years. Final selection of the vendor of choice will be willing to pay is $18K and then see what their counter offer may be. determined within the next six months. You may be surprised to find out that their counter offer could be below 2. Timetable — The goal is to get this deal done in six months the anticipated $25K. or less. This is the part of the process where the information profes- Strategy is not about hard-ball or soft-ball. It’s about how you want sional must make clear to the salesperson the ground rules on time to deal with the salesperson. I have spent a career in the information and communication. “Bill, thank you for presenting your company’s industry going into every negotiation trying to be as flexible as possi- 12th century Middle Eastern artifact collection to the library. We will ble on price and terms. It’s all about your negotiating comfort level. be back in touch with you over the next three weeks if we need more Whatever the strategy, write down your objectives and assess yourself information. Please don’t call me or anyone else in the library since I continued on page 77 76 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
Of course, I’ll think a little about just how it makes sense to sell a book at that price at all and where the concept of profit has gone. Which part of the $1.45 pays for the printing and binding, which for the distribution to booksellers, and which part for the shipping to me? It’s a good choice for a professor to assign her students in a world of overpriced textbooks. Subscription Management Subscription management While I waited for that to arrive, I happened to walk past a bookstore. Solutions for Libraries & You remember bookstores. They’re easy to spot: big sign “Books” E-procurement integration Corporate Procurement outside and lots of greeting cards, wrapping paper, and writers’ supplies E-journal set up and activation inside. But behind them, actual books. It took me thirty seconds in the store to find what I was looking for: Vintage books edition, near-exact Prenax Inc. provides subscription E-journal URL maintenance management solutions for procurement reprint of that copy that went to college with me. Click-through access to e-content I photographed the ISBN and mailed it to myself. Back to Ama- professionals and libraries. As a partner, we provide a single point of contact for Cost center accounting zon: if I search for editions of Ulysses or even just paperback editions managing electronic and paper Automatic claiming of Ulysses, I do not find the Vintage edition at all. I do find its cover subscriptions, professional memberships illustrated on one entry on page 13 of the hits, but that points only to and books. We offer a true one-stop shop Custom and branded e-portals four used copies priced each at more than $2,000 (two thousand dollars: for all business, scientific, technical, License negotiation and management not a typo, but no explanation what could justify the price). If I input medical, research publications and the ISBN, I get the correct edition, for $12.45, Prime eligible. It comes electronic content. We save you time Flexible management reporting with other tabs for hardcover and eBook editions, but those tabs lead and money and eliminate the hassle of Built in approval process to editions that have nothing to do with the Vintage edition. (When I working with multiple content suppliers. wrote up this sad tale on the redoubtable Liblicense-l discussion list, a Express payments to publishers Prenax offers the flexibility of two reader pointed me to an Oxford World’s Classics edition. It is similarly Check in option for print titles invisible to the basic search but available if you know the ISBN already.) platforms, one for servicing libraries and one suited for serving corporate Partnerships that provide usage That copy of Ulysses I took to college must have come from the customers. Basset Center Book Store in El Paso, where the leftist philosopher Paul statistics, rights management, Goodman’s books spun on a rotating rack just across the aisle from discovery tools and single sign on. the special corner hosting the richest selection of John Birch Society publications I’ve ever seen. I never knew I had it so good. And you can’t go home again. Basch Subscriptions, Inc. Prenax Inc. You can, of course, go to a library. I’ll resume this story in my next 10 Ferry Street, Suite 429, Concord, NH 03301 column and explore the alternatives. Joyce is not dead yet. (P) 603-229-0662 (F) 603-226-9443 www.basch.com www.prenax.com
Both Sides Now ... from page 76 Being Earnest with Collections throughout the process. If you don’t write it down; it doesn’t exist and from page 75 at the very least cannot be measured. A strategy document for negotiations is really a “living” text, which • Unglue.it: free to join, and pledges accepted. Not supporting means that as you progress through the process, some demands will be at this time. met whereas others may go unfulfilled. That’s what naturally happens • UC Press Luminos: $1,000 minimum sought. Not supporting and it is certainly understandable that you may win some and lose some. at this time. No matter, to gain your favorable results along the way leading to the Along with these investments in external programs, we’re investing final objective, stay the course, continually assess yourself and success internally as well. Dr. Miller has initiated an internal grant program for will be imminent. Rollins faculty as an incentive to adopt and/or create open educational I am reminded of the song sung by the great Harry Belafonte called resources (OER) for their courses. Our OER page at http://www.rollins. “Hosanna.” The opening line of this calypso tune is “House built on edu/library/services/oer.html provides an explanation of the grant pro- a weak foundation, will not stand.” In negotiating, the foundation of gram, a brief note on the costs of textbooks (some are over $350), and those discussions must be built on a strong foundation. That involves links to OER repositories. The grant provides a stipend to the faculty Objectives, Timetable, Team, and Strategy. If those four elements are member, as well as a team of collaborators consisting of a librarian, an covered, the library will be prepared and after all, preparation is the instructional technologist, and the director of our Institute for Effective name of the game. If not adequately prepared, success will be fleeting, Teaching. The first recipient,Dr. MacKenzie Moon Ryan, is bringing if at all. OER to her course on global art history. After Dr. Miller presented the OER grant program at the Florida Mike is currently the President of Gruenberg Consulting, LLC, a ACRL meeting last week, several in attendance remarked that he had firm he founded in January 2012 after a successful career as a senior given them a nudge toward actually taking action and investing in what sales executive in the information industry. His firm is devoted to we’re talking about so much. OER is an important element of the open provide clients with sales staff analysis, market research, executive access movement, and has become a hot topic recently as textbook coaching, trade show preparedness, product placement and best prices continue to rise. practices advice for improving negotiation skills for librarians and As we head back to Charleston, I’m hoping to hear about how other salespeople. His book, “Buying and Selling Information: A Guide librarians are choosing to invest in open access. Are you supporting for Information Professionals and Salespeople to Build Mutual some of the programs we’ve listed, and/or others? Are you collabo- Success” is available on Amazon, Information Today in print and rating with faculty members on identifying and/or creating OER, and eBook, Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, Kobo, Apple iBooks, OverDrive, researching the usage rights for those resources? If we’re going to be 3M Cloud Library, Gale (GVRL), MyiLibrary, ebrary, EBSCO, Blio, earnest in supporting the open access movement, we’re going to have and Chegg. www.gruenbergconsulting.com to continue investing time and funding in open access resources.
Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
his is a sobering moral tale about what from the 1980s by a German scholar who did published and distributed by Amazon’s own becomes of the printed book in today’s an elaborate critical edition to clean up the “self-publishing” print and digital services. Tmarketplace. The print book, I tell my inconsistencies of the earlier editions; and as it But worse is Amazon’s relentless failure to pay faculty and administration, has a long and glo- happens now you can buy reprints of the 1922 heed to metadata. You can’t tell what version rious history in front of it yet, but just at the mo- original printing, full of misprints, as well. you’re looking at. ment some of its friends aren’t helping much. The copyright situation, you see, is messy When you find a given title on Amazon, When I left home for college on a red- and contested. It’s pretty certain (I am not a it generally lets you choose among Kindle, eye flight long ago, I took a suitcase and a lawyer) that the 1922 text is out of copyright; hardcover, paperback, and sometimes au- Smith-Corona portable typewriter and in the it’s pretty certain that the 1980s critical edition is diobook versions of the same book. When typewriter case a single book – the sort of book in copyright; and the status of the 1930s edition it’s a new commercial product from a single “college men” would read, I was sure. It was a is tangled in different national copyright laws publisher, that works well. Time after time brand new copy of the old Vintage paperback and haunted by the Joyce estate, which has been on the Ulysses pages, you will be given that of the 1934 edition of Joyce’s Ulysses. It kept notoriously protective of its rights in every way. choice, but the three or four versions whose me company through college and indeed keeps Still, it used to be easy to buy this book. tabs appear on the same screen turn out, when me company still, though that copy has never It’s always been in print, the supply chain was you click on a tab, to be completely different actually been read. I got a couple of chapters always full of copies, it was assigned reading editions. What looked like a possible contender through several times and then drifted off. in hundreds if not thousands of university for the paperback choice offered a “hardcover” When I finally read it the first time, I’d been courses. There’s every reason for this book tab that linked to an out-of-print edition by a studying in Dublin for a year and bought a to be a business success, and we should all completely different publisher. perfectly lovely small trim-size hardback copy benefit from that. So then I went back a day later, had the same published by the Bodley Head and read it in result, and got in touch with Amazon for some Well, try that Amazon search, ok? You’ll a week, while going out and jumping on city help. There’s a click-here-and-we’ll-call-you get dozens of pages of hits, but what you busses to track down the locations of every help service that I tried first. TheAmazon repre- find is a vast mishmash of dumped-to-digital chapter. That copy I’ve read several times sentative there failed completely. He had clearly e-books of dubious provenance, dumped-to- since, always with great enthusiasm. never heard of Joyce or Ulysses and could not POD p-books equally dubious, and secondhand So what if a young person today needed a find any copy for sale at all on the Website. copies of editions you half-recognize but can’t copy of Ulysses, I asked myself some weeks be sure what condition they’re in. When I first So then I wrote in to their email customer ago. What’s available? Time to check Amazon. did the experiment, I gave up, partly because I service and received back a note encour- Bad news. don’t actually need a copy right now, but also aging me to purchase this volume: http:// Let’s stipulate that we want a well-made because I genuinely could not find one that www.amazon.com/Ulysses-James-Joyce/ and serviceable paperback book, sturdy enough met my relatively simple criteria — new, well- dp/1494405490/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-vid- to last through a serious reading of 800 or so made, dependable edition. (Print on Demand eo&ie=UTF8&qid=1442585290&s- pages, well-printed, in an edition that you can books are particularly insidious today, cheaply r=8-1&keywords=paperback+for+Ulysses be sure has something to do with what Mr. made and variously unsatisfactory. Even staid This is a dump-to-POD edition distributed by Joyce wrote. Simple enough? Oxford University Press for almost ten years Amazon’s own self-publishing arm. It’s the most remarkable copy of Ulysses I’ve ever No. Try the Amazon search yourself. has been doing POD to keep some classic seen, since it fits the whole book into 228 There are three main versions of the text, to scholarly titles “in print,” but the objects they pages, trim size 8.5x11, formatted with two start with. One is the long-standard British and sell now are barely serviceable and to my eye columns of 56 lines each per page, each line American edition that was my Vintage paper- downright ugly, a conscious betrayal of half a averaging ten or so words. I’ve not seen the back. That text stabi- millennium of serious physical object and can’t be sure, but the type lized in the early 1930s book-making.) face must be 10 point or more likely smaller. after the first printings Amazon contrib- My eyes hurt just thinking about it. were corrected and the utes to this problem publishing situation in two ways. First, So I squawked again and got one more mes- mostly regularized; many of the trashware sage from the email customer service, saying there’s a later edition editions are in fact that no reputable publisher now offers Ulysses through Amazon. This is unlikely to be true, but it is what Amazon’s representative says. This customer service representative again seemed to have no idea who Joyce is, what the ADVERTISERS’ INDEX book is, or why someone would care. When I had said “most famous and important novel of 47 action! Library Media Servicel 77 basch Subscriptions, Inc. 80 Midwest Library Service the twentieth century” he reacted not at all. He 40, 41 adam Matthew Digital 65 the Charleston Advisor 21 ProQuest invited me to submit a product request online. 2 ambassador Education Solutions 8 the Charleston Report 29 rittenhouse I persisted. I got Amazon to make another try to find a good new paperback copy ofUlysses 79 american Chemical Society 7 cold Spring Harbor Lab Press 13 sPIE Digital Library for me. What they came up with this time was 33 american Economic Association 25 emery-Pratt 11 springer Science & Business Media a Wordsworth edition from the UK for $1.45. 53 american Pharmacists Association 61 evolutionary Ecology, Ltd. 37 taylor & Francis Group This has the merit of coming from a somewhat serious publisher, producing inexpensive copies 19 annual Reviews 9 igi Global 69 turpin Distribution of out-of-copyright classics. Reader, I bought it 15 asME 17 igi Global 3 ybP Library Services — don’t actually need it, but for $1.45 (and free 5 atg 59 McFarland shipping with Prime), I couldn’t resist. It’s not bad at all. It does the job. Coming from a corpo- For Advertising Information Contact: Toni Nix, Ads Manager, rate publisher, it’s probably even copyright-legal.
78 Against the Grain / December 2015 - January 2016
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