Publisher/Aggregator FAQs
This FAQ includes questions and answers to reflects the discussions held and the questions raised by publishers and e-book aggregators at the core reading list e-books tender briefing event. They will also be of use to librarians.
What are the start dates and the end dates of this project?
The project started in January 2007 and will run to the 31st of March 2009.
Why then does the core reading list e-books tender say that the end date is the 31st August 2009?
The e-books licensed as part of the project will be funded by JISC Collections for TWO years from 1st September 2007 to 31st August 2009. The e-books will therefore be available at the beginning of term and for the deep log analysis study year (all of 2008). In addition, the period between March 2009 and August 2009 will allow project partners to consider next steps in light of the project results.
Where did the funding for this project come from?
It is capital funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
Who will the e-books be made available to?
As the funding is from HEFCE, the e-books included in the project will be made available to all UK higher education institutions that are included on the JISC banding list. Institutions that receive direct funding from the UK higher education funding councils are banded according the amount of funding they receive. It is not based on FTEs.
Further information on JISC Banding
Who will be able to access and use the e-books that are included in the project?
The JISC Model Licence will be used when licensing the successful e-books. The model licence defines ‘authorised users’ as:
- Any person who is a current student, faculty member or employee of the institution (including those teaching students at a partner institution) and who is permitted authenticated access on and off site.
- Any person who is NOT a current student, faculty member or employee of the institution, but who is permitted by the institution to access its secure network from computer terminals while the person is located physically within the library premises. This person is referred to as a Walk-in User because they can access the resource by ‘walking in’ to the library but are restricted to using it only within library premises.
Further information on the JISC Model Licence
Will there be any restrictions on the numbers of concurrent users of the e-books?
Access to the e-books licensed as part of the project is on an unlimited concurrent access model.
What authentication methods will be used?
Athens authentication is available and where implement, Shibboleth.
Further information on the UK Access Management Federation.
The core reading list e-books tender says that a two year licence will be awarded to successful bidders; will this licence be renewed after the two years?
No. JISC Collections has been awarded capital funding to undertake a national e-books PROJECT. The funding is a set amount and must be spent by March 2008. JISC Collections will not receive further capital funding and will only fund the licence for two years.
So what will happen to the e-books licensed after the two years is up?
One of the aims of the project is to gather empirical evidence to inform the creation of appropriate and realistic business and licensing models based on the demand and use of the e-books. It would be ill-advised to agree future licensing arrangements for the e-books before the results of the project are available, thus in March 2009 at project completion, successful bidders will be able to make informed decisions about pricing and licensing.
Will JISC Collections licence the e-books included in the project on its endorsement model at the end of the two year funding?
JISC Collections will not fund licences for the e-books post project completion, however, it will work with project partners (the licensors) to explore next steps based on the results of the project. This might mean that JISC Collections licenses the e-books on an endorsement model, or it might mean that JISC Collections facilitates the direct licensing of the titles between the licensors and the higher education institutions. This will all depend on the results of the project.
Will successful bidders have to pay to receive the deep log analysis data and will other successful bidders be able to see the data?
No. JISC Collections is funding the deep log analysis study. The successful bidders will receive this unique data for free. This data will be confidential to each successful bidder and will only be shared with the deep log analysis team and the national e-books observatory project board. Findings presented in reports will not include confidential information.
Why does the tender request print sales figures?
Print sales figures are required for benchmarking and to inform pricing models for the future sales of e-books. Although there are many other factors that influence the impact of free at the point of use e-books, the analysis of the print sales figures against the usage will be useful in looking at trends in terms of revenue that traditionally has come direct from students.
The tender requests free MARC records, is this a core requirement?
Yes. MARC records are essential to ensure the integration of the e-books into library catalogues. It is recognised that there may be different levels of compliance but all bids should include MARC records.
Can titles be submitted that have not been in e-format before?
Yes. Titles can be submitted that have not been in e-format before, However, they must be delivered in e-format to be considered in the project.
Will this project look at student reading behaviours and interactivity?
The deep log analysis will test the hypothesis that the provision of e-books may influence student reading behaviours. It will also inform how functionality influences student behaviour.
Will the project monitor the promotional methods used by libraries?
Yes. The deep log analysis study will look at different promotional methods being used by institutions.