A Position Paper from Carmi Parker: Flexibility, Efficiency, Fair Pricing
/Carmi Parker, ILS Administrator from Whatcom County Library System, has written a position paper based upon a study of over 11,000 digital title licenses and nearly a decade of looking at trends. Based upon revenues that might be gained from print equivalents, the model proposed considers how offering metered and perpetual licenses at different costs can provide flexibility without publishers losing revenue. The paper looks at different license models, benefits for libraries and publishers, library budgets, how library digital content vendors can improve services, and how all stakeholders might have a “win” by working together. Why is $15 for a 30 circ metered licenses “fair”? Download the paper to see.
”Neither libraries nor publishers are satisfied with the license terms currently applied to books in eFormats. We are not in agreement on what availability models and prices are fair, in part because we are still breaking new ground with these formats, their capabilities, and how to measure success. This position paper, by Readers First Working Group member Carmi Parker, proposes a single licensing model that aligns with print but optionally enables the unique capabilities of eLending: perpetual licenses and concurrent use.
The proposed model moves us toward:
improved flexibility, which will help libraries better support the healthy culture of reading valued by both libraries and publishers
increased efficiency for libraries for whom each model creates incremental work
no significant cost increase for libraries or revenue decrease for publishers
In addition to introducing the model, the paper describes the evolution of license terms since 2011, analyzes the impact of the model changes on collections, and suggests how adjustments might benefit both publishers and libraries. Finally, it submits recommendations for moving forward.”