Licensing in Libraries: Practical and Ethical Aspects

Licensing in Libraries: Practical and Ethical Aspects is designed to help librarians, publishers, students, and professionals in library licensing stay at the forefront of this rapidly evolving field. Experienced professionals present state-of-the-art information on licensing issues, including interlibrary loan contract management, end-user education, pricing models for electronic materials, copyright, public domain issues, e-books, consortial licensing, licensing software, and legal aspects of licensing, as well as an important historical perspective on the development of the field.

Licensing in Libraries provides publishers with important considerations that impact their roles as vendors of licensed products. Licensing professionals can update their knowledge with a close look at the controversial issues surrounding licensing special collections, digital rights management, and producers’ concerns about content. The book also looks at the role of the Copyright Clearance Center regarding compliance in the electronic environment.

Licensing in Libraries examines:

• licensing from both a vendor and consumer perspective
• software to help manage licenses
• factors for vendors to consider when deciding on pricing models
• current information on the more complex levels of licensing
• the developing world of e-book licensing
• licensing laws of concern to librarians
• the impact that licensing has on library services
• educating patrons about products they will use
  

Academic librarians and licensing experts from across the US assess the state of licensing issues, including interlibrary loan contract management, end-user education, pricing models for electronic materials, copyright and public domain, e-books, consortial licensing, licensing software, and legal considerations, as well as historical perspectives on the development of the field. Of interest to librarians, publishers, and specialists in library licensing. The editor is head of collection development at the U. of Oklahoma Libraries. The papers were also published as Journal of Library Administration v.42, no.3/4, 2005. Annotation ©2005 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Stephanie Ferretti, MLS(Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine)
Description:Karen Rupp-Serrano has put together a collection of articles which examine issues, trends, models, and best practices for licensing electronic resources in libraries and consortia. This book is copublished simultaneously as an issue of Journal of Library Administration.
Purpose:The authors discuss and share their knowledge on licensing issues. They provide an overview and historical understanding of the issues and their impact on libraries when purchasing and managing electronic resources. The book provides a balanced examination of the issues from the perspective of all involved, including publishers and vendors, and establishes a framework for future planning.
Audience:This book is designed for the librarian who is just entering the field of electronic resource management. The editor has put together a list of able authors, all experts in their areas, and woven together a balanced perspective for use in academic libraries of all sizes, as well as consortia.
Features:Each article focuses on a specific aspect of licensing electronic resources for journals and e-books, a relatively newer and changing market. The librarian's roles in pricing models, educating end users, and model licenses are included. Of interest are chapters on the public domain in digitization, and software for managing licenses and compliance. As a compilation of articles copublished in a journal, it is unfortunate that the references are not more up-to-date, since the market for electronic resources is constantly changing.
Assessment:The book provides a balanced and historic overview of the field of licensing electronic products. The well written chapters cover a wide range of issues that the newcomer will find useful and enlightening. It provides a framework of what to look for in a contract and how to negotiate for the items that mean the most to your library.