On May 9, President Obama issued an executive order designed to make “open and machine readable” the default state of government information. A crucial raw material of democracy, i.e. government information, will be free and open to anyone. Entrepreneurs will organize it in novel and useful ways and resell it with added value. Non-profits and activists will look for ways to use it to help empower and liberate ordinary citizens. Law librarians ought to be in the vanguard of these efforts. The Executive Order is available here.
President Obama’s Executive Order–Making Open and Machine Readable the New Default for Government Information
May 16, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Usage Statistics
May 16, 2013 By 1 Comment
Librarians have been requesting usage statistics from vendors since electronic databases became prevalent among research tools. While the cooperation of legal vendors to supply figures still varies somewhat, there appears to be a trend toward providing the information. Last May, CRIV Blog asked why legal vendors have been slow to become COUNTER Compliant. The list of vendors currently registered can be found at this web site. Some prominent vendors of legal databases and library services are registered, including: Berkeley Electronic Press, de Gruyter, Cambridge University Press, Gale Cengage, OCLC, Oxford University Press, ProQuest, Taylor & Francis Online, and Thomson Reuters, though some have not yet undergone audits for 2011 or 2012.
For the librarian, the upcoming AALL session at the annual meeting, A1: Making Sense of the Numbers: Understanding Vendor Statistics, should help us use these statistics to build and maintain collections. For an interesting take on how collecting electronic statistics may benefit vendors, visit the Krafty Librarain blog to review the entry, Usage Stats: Are They a Double Edged Sword?
Request for Assistance: Update to Thomson Reuters Social Security Number Requirement for eSignature
May 8, 2013 By Leave a Comment
In April, CRIV received a request from a firm librarian asking about the need to require social security numbers to eSign for a business transaction. CRIV would like to thank Anne Ellis for looking further into this issue. Below is Thomson Reuter’s response.
Dear Michelle,
Thank you for your email.
In our online ordering system, the electronic signature did request input of the last four digits of the ordering customer’s Social Security number for verification. This policy was established to protect customers from unauthorized transactions.
Should individuals placing orders prefer not to enter the last four digits of their Social Security number, they are encouraged to create a unique, four-digit personal identification number (PIN) to serve as part of their electronic signature. This PIN will serve as a method of verification for the individual placing an order. Customers can make this change when placing an order.
Our intent through this process is simply to provide confidence and security for our customers. If you have further questions regarding the online ordering process, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Anne Ellis
Senior Director, Librarian Relations
If you have an issue that CRIV can assist with, please use our Request for Assistance form available at: http://aallnet.org/main-menu/Advocacy/vendorrelations/request-assistance.html or email Michelle Cosby, CRIV Chair at mcosby@nccu.edu.
AALL’s Vendor Relations web site
May 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment
If you have not yet visited AALL’s Vendor Relations web page at http://aallnet.org/main-menu/Advocacy/vendorrelations, it is worth a quick review. The page links to CRIV Tools, The CRIV Sheet, and The CRIV Blog. It also has Antitrust FAQs, tips for working with vendors, the Vendor Liaison update, and vendor-related documents such as the Vendor Relations Policy Draft and information from the Vendor Colloquium. It is a very good starting place for librarians with vendor questions.
LexisNexis Response to April 2013 eBook Questions – Posted on Behalf of LexisNexis
May 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Below is Lexis’ response to the questions posed during the mid-April phone conference with members of CRIV. CRIV would like to thank Cindy Spohr, Deana Sparling, and Silvian Rosario for taking the time to speak with CRIV and answer the questions below. If you have questions about how these responses will impact your library, please contact your LexisNexis Representative. If you have a concern that was not addressed here or in the February response, found here, please email Michelle Cosby, CRIV Chair at mcosby@nccu.edu.
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LexisNexis would like to thank Michelle Cosby and CRIV for the opportunity to continue the conversation on eBooks. The questions discussed during the recent call and answers to them follow.
For additional information, we recommend you visit http://www.lexisnexis.com/ebooks/ , where you can access current lists of electronic titles, view an eBook demonstration, and review Frequently Asked Questions. Additionally, you may find answers to your questions in the terms and conditions (the “Electronic Publications Master Agreement”) related to eBooks (as well as CDs, DVDs, PDFs, flash drives or other publications distributed electronically by LN) located at http://lexisnexis.com/terms/bender/masteragreement/. We also welcome your questions and suggestions by phone at 800.833.9844 or email to ebooks@lexisnexis.com.
Q: Concerns were raised regarding the administration of eNewsletters and eBooks.
A: LexisNexis® digital content (eBooks and PDFs) is fulfilled and supported via the LexisNexis download center. This download center can be accessed through our online store. Since its launch in November 2011, we have continuously made incremental updates to improve the download capabilities for our digital content. In summer of 2013, we are planning to significantly enhance the user experience related to the download management process for eMedia. The planned enhancements will include a self-help portal for administrative staff that will, among other things, allow the admin to change, edit, add and delete email user addresses receiving notifications from the download center. Customers will also be able to view a history of all their eBook purchases in the download center and be able to download any previous newsletter updates they may have missed.
Q: How are customers notified of a change in format for an existing subscription?
A: Newsletters: When a newsletter format is changed so that it is only available in an eNewsletter (PDF) format, LexisNexis’s process is that customers are notified, individually, with a letter included in the last print shipment. For example, the customer will receive a notification of the format change with the April 2013 print newsletter that the next issue, May 2013, will only be available as an e-newsletter in PDF format. The timing of the notification is dependent on the publication schedule of the newsletter. A complete list of titles in this category is posted to http://www.lexisnexis.com/eBooks.
Print + CD: When a Print + CD title is migrated to a Print + eBook format, LexisNexis’s process for notification is that customers are sent a letter, with the print title, with instructions to download the eBook. Upcoming titles are posted to http://www.lexisnexis.com/eBooks.
Q: Concerns were raised that the list of titles changing to eFormat is not being kept up-to-date.
A: We aim to post a list of titles earmarked for migration approximately 30 days in advance, as our information allows. We do this through our eBooks site at http://www.lexisnexis.com/eBooks.
Q: Concerns were raised that Libraries will be forced to print newsletters at their own expense.
A: With a single subscription to a newsletter, the library has the right to use the Electronic Publication on a single personal computer, e-reader, tablet, mobile device, or other display device, in the manner described in the Electronic Publications Master Agreement. In addition, one copy can be printed. While there is no requirement that the library make one print out of the newsletter, we do understand that some libraries may elect to do so.
If a library is interested in lending and sharing capabilities for eBooks and eNewsletters, the LexisNexis® Digital Library can simplify buying, updating and lending. Find more information on the LexisNexis Digital Library here: http://www.lexisnexis.com/ebooks/lending/
Q: Concerns were raised that due to the change to eFormat, libraries will need to purchase e-readers.
A: A particular brand of e-reader is not required as programs that act as e-readers are available for computers. For more information, visit the eBook Resource page: http://www.lexisnexis.com/ebooks/resources/.
Q: Concerns were raised regarding highlighting in digital content.
A: The Digital Rights Management (DRM) related to a publication dictates the ability to highlight, share, print, etc. For a single user, single copy subscription, only one user has the right to use the eBook, so only one person can highlight. (However, for libraries permitting access under section 1.3 of the Electronic Publications Master Agreement, the permitted user highlights would be displayed together, much as they would if multiple patrons marked on and highlighted a printed book.) With the LexisNexis® Digital Library, users have the ability to highlight and make notes, which can be saved by the user outside the eBook. These notes and highlights are suppressed when the book is checked back in, so the next user will not see this information and is able to make their own comments and highlights. If the original user checks the eBook out again from the LexisNexis Digital Library he/she will have access to the highlights/notes originally made.
Q: Concerns were raised on electronic invoicing.
A: For some organizations, Lexis Advance® invoices will be sent electronically in summer of 2013. However, the invoice format for print, eBook, eNewsletters is not changing. You will continue to receive these invoices in print.
Q: Can the abbreviations on invoices be more specific? (The example provided was MA Laws)
A: Within some constraints, we can make adjustments as needed so that the abbreviation is more descriptive. For the example raised of MA Laws, the abbreviated title on the invoice has been changed to MA Annotated Laws.
Q: What action should be taken by subscribers who choose not to accept a change in format for existing subscriptions?
A: Customers who choose to seek a refund or cancel their subscription due to a change in format should call Customer support at 800.833.9844 for options related to their purchase.
Request for Assistance: Requiring Social Security Number as part of eSignature for Business Transactions – Thomson Reuters
April 30, 2013 By 1 Comment
CRIV received a request from a firm librarian asking why it was necessary to require a social security number as part of an eSignature for an online business transaction with Thomson Reuters. Currently, the work around available is using an order form which can slow down the purchase process for eBooks needed in a hurry. CRIV would like to thank Anne Ellis for looking into this issue. Anne’s response is below. Due to the response, CRIV is following back up on the issue to see if a more concrete explanation on this topic is available. For example, why can’t One Pass Verification be used as an alternative?
Dear Michelle:
Thank you for the opportunity to address concerns requesting the submission of personal identification during an online purchase.
Our ordering system requires a method to verify the person placing the order, commonly referred to as an electronic signature. The system’s settings require the individual’s name, title and last four digits of their social security number for verification.
If you have further questions regarding the online ordering process, please contact us at 1-800-328-4880.
Sincerely,
Anne Ellis
Senior Director, Librarian Relations
If you need CRIV’s assistance please use our form, or email Michelle Cosby, at mcosby@nccu.edu.
Michelle Cosby, CRIV Chair
A Message From the Chair: LexisNexis eBooks
April 30, 2013 By Leave a Comment
CRIV is still waiting for Lexis’ response to the questions posed during the phone call in mid-April. In the meantime, CRIV has scheduled a demo with Lexis in May to become more familiar with how the eBooks Library works so that we can better understand the needs of the AALL Membership. If your library would like a personalized demo, please contact your Lexis Rep. Alternatively, Lexis will be offering demos in June. More information to come on the June demos.
Additionally, CRIV is still soliciting feedback on this issue. If you have any concerns or suggestions, please email them to Michelle Cosby, CRIV Chair at mcosby@nccu.edu.
Thank you,
Michelle Cosby, CRIV Chair
