CRL Licensing [1]
CRL negotiates favorable terms [2] for purchase of (or subscription to) major electronic resources by member libraries. This activity is a natural extension of CRL's cooperative development of area studies [3]and other primary source collections. In its licensing activities CRL works closely with the Northeast Research Libraries Consortium (NERL) [4] and the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN) [5].
Priorities
CRL licensing activities focus on digitial data and content in areas of longstanding CRL collection strengths, including news; historical archives; government and NGO-produced information; and other international content not readily available through mainstream channels. While pursuing e-resources identified as priorities by the CRL community, CRL endeavors to avoid items that are offered by other major consortia.
Licensing Process
Targeting
- Staff at CRL and CRL libraries identify new priority resources from publishers’ offerings, and note them in eDesiderata [2], CRL's online platform for information about e-resources of interest.
- CRL invites suggestions throughout the year; members can fill out a "Suggest Resources [6]" form in eDesiderata.
- Proposals can be generated by specialized CRL interest groups, including CIFNAL, [7] GNARP [8], and the World Newspaper Archive Advisory Committee [9].
Assessment and Negotiation
- CRL explores Initial terms: teleconferences and online polls may be held to consult members on particular issues.
- CRL posts reviews in eDesiderata [2], evaluating the database content, interface functions, and licensing terms, soliciting contributions from specialists at CRL libraries.
- Staff at CRL libraries post comments on eDesiderata entries.
Offers
- Offers [2] posted at intervals throughout the year are accessible through member login to eDesiderata [2].
- CRL notes offer status and take-up; members can track updates through meDesiderata. [10]
For more information on CRL's licensing activities, contact Melanie Kowalski [11], Open Knowledge Licensing Coordinator.