Consortial licensing: In case of academic libraries

Abstract

The role of consortia has grown significantly in the past few years. This acceleration can be attributed to the rapid development of information technology and the rise in cost and quantity of electronic information resources. While traditional print practice of ownership is through purchase, electronic resources are licensed through network services. It is to provide users better access to more information, that academic libraries turned to consortia to deal with licensing. Library consortia use their size and buying power to obtain significant price breaks and expanded services. Consortia licensing became a hot issue when library consortia concentrated on providing their membership with a coordinated approach to negotiating and maintaining licenses for electronic resources. In this article, consortia, consortia licensing, model licenses, and license negotiation are discussed. The addresses of selected Web sites related to consortial licensing are also provided.