LIBER licensing principles for electronic information

Abstract

As we all know most publishers - joining in with new IT-developments - are nowadays actively working on digitizing their publications and storing these documents on their own computers or those of others, in order to distribute them electronically or have them distributed. They are making them available for use, until now in most cases only as a supplement to the printed versions. Publishers are working on or are considering - with or without the intervention of libraries - activities such as storage, disclosure and provision of access that traditionally belong to the field of work of libraries. By using the new scope that information technology offers, they try to defend their position in the field of information and, if possible, to strengthen it. Unfortunately the cost of digital information is not any lower than than printed information. On the contrary, the cost is generally even markedly higher. Many commercial publishers offer electronic versions of their journals for sale only in combination with the printed ones, and request for these electronic versions a rise in subscription price that varies with each publisher, but usually exceeds 10%. It should be noted that a small number, together with some learned societies, have decided (temporarily?) to avoid a rise. Some publishers - and not the smallest ones - when negotiating licences demand a number of supplementary conditions that do not facilitate the decision about closing such licences.