SCELC has put in place policies and procedures to streamline the processes for doing business with libraries. Different types of invoices are issued for resources, along with credit memos and statements. Minimal surcharges and transaction fees are also added to resources so that SCELC can fund its operations.
- Policies and Procedures
- Accounts Payable
- Invoices, Credits, and Statements
- Surcharge and Transaction Fees
Last updated 2019-11-25
Policies and Procedures
Licensing Resources
SCELC signs license agreements on behalf of subscribing libraries whenever possible. Libraries may be required to sign an addendum to our main consortial license agreement with a vendor. Subscribing libraries are subject to the terms and conditions of the consortial license and agree to abide by them as a condition of acquiring the resource through SCELC. SCELC’s consortial license agreements are available to Member and Affiliate libraries via ConsortiaManager and/or the SCELC website.
Any Member or Affiliate library in good standing may license electronic resources or other library services through SCELC at discounted rates and favorable terms negotiated by SCELC.
Exceptions (for Affiliate libraries only):
- There may be exceptions where a vendor will require a different charge for certain Affiliate groups, or may not allow SCELC to offer a particular product to certain Affiliate groups. In such instances SCELC must abide by the vendor’s guidelines.
- There may be exceptions where a partnering organization may not allow SCELC to offer a particular product to its members that is in direct competition with a product of its own. In such instances SCELC must abide by the partnering organization’s guidelines.
For your reference and records, a copy of SCELC's current Form W-9 is available for download.
Master Renewal
SCELC’s fiscal year runs July 1–June 30. Each April we send out a Master Renewal to libraries, via our ConsortiaManager system. The Master Renewal is a detailed list of all your institution’s subscriptions through SCELC. The Master Renewal lists your library’s upcoming term dates but current year's pricing, and is followed up by the Master Renewal Invoice (described below), which reflects pricing listed on the Master Renewal.
You are requested to review the Master Renewal: reject titles that your library wishes to cancel at the current term end, and confirm those titles you wish to renew.
The Master Renewal should be completed in ConsortiaManager by our mid-May deadline so that we can begin to process upcoming renewals as soon as possible. If a response is not received by the deadline, all resources will automatically renew.
Notice of Cancellation of a Subscription
Note that requests for the cancellation of resources must be received by SCELC in writing at least 60 days before their term end date. In some cases, a vendor requires written notification at least 90 days prior to the term end date; SCELC notes these exceptions in renewals and on invoices for these particular products.
If a multi-year license agreement is in place, a library may not be able to cancel a resource until the end of the multi-year period.
Accounts Payable Explanation
SCELC has designed an Accounts Payable process that allows SCELC to maintain good standing with its vendors while giving libraries flexibility in their purchasing. To accomplish this task, SCELC sends libraries various types of accounting documents during the year.
Submission of Payments
It is understood that acquisition of electronic resources or services is predicated upon prompt payment of all invoices to SCELC within 30 days of the invoice date, unless other arrangements have been made directly with SCELC. The invoice number must accompany payment. Late payment will result in a penalty being applied, as explained in the following Delinquent Payment Procedures section, below. Failure to remit payment according to stated deadlines may result in cancellation of the service.
Please include the invoice number with all payments to SCELC.
Invoices, Credits, and Statements
The following are the various accounting documents that SCELC emails to your Invoice Contacts as designated via ConsortiaManager. Invoice types (NEW, MRI, QRI, Credit) are noted just below each invoice number on documents, except for Statements:
- Annual Dues Invoices (for Member libraries only)
- New Database Invoices: New
- Master Renewal Invoices: MRI
- Quarterly Reconciliation Invoices: QRI
- Credit Memos: Credit (credits expire 365 days after they are issued)
- Statements: List of all open invoices and credit memos for an institution
Annual Dues Invoices (for Member libraries only)
The Annual Dues Invoice is sent to SCELC Member libraries in the mid-June each year and covers the SCELC fiscal year July 1 through June 30. Dues for the next fiscal year are established during the Annual Meeting of the SCELC Board of Directors, which takes place every fall. Note that your Annual Dues Invoice will be generated as a QRI type invoice in ConsortiaManager.
New Database Invoices (New)
When an institution acquires a new resource through SCELC, an invoice is sent for the amount due for the new acquisition. These invoices may be sent anytime during the fiscal year. In addition to the cost of the resource, administrative surcharges of between 0% and 5% for each product are added to New Database Invoices. Transaction Fees (for Affiliates) will be included on these invoices if applicable.
Master Renewal Invoices (MRI)
SCELC mails the Master Renewal Invoice (MRI) to libraries in mid-June. This invoice is based on the Master Renewal (sent in April), which is a comprehensive list of resources to which your institution is currently subscribing through SCELC. The prices that appear on the MRI are based on the previous year’s pricing. Unless SCELC receives a timely notice of cancellation, a resource appearing on the MRI will be renewed for the next year. The actual renewals and levying of SCELC fees on resources will take place prior to subscription start dates.
Quarterly Reconciliation Invoices (QRI)
Each quarter, resources with renewal dates during that quarter will appear on the Quarterly Reconciliation Invoices (QRIs), with updated annual costs. Since a portion of the amount due for a particular resource was paid on the MRI, a credit appears against the updated annual cost. Administrative surcharges of between 0% and 5% for each product are added to Quarterly Reconciliation Invoices. Transaction Fees (for Affiliates) will be included on these invoices as applicable.
Credit Memos (Credit)
Credit Memos look similar to regular SCELC invoices; however, "Credit" appears along the top of the page and there is Credit number rather than an invoice number. Also, the Total Value listed will be a negative number. As of October 2021, SCELC has initiated a new policy: credits will expire 365 days after they are issued to a library. Email officemanager@scelc.org with any questions.
Credit(s) can be applied to any outstanding SCELC invoice(s) by simply noting the credit memo number to be used on the check stub of your payment and subtracting the amount of the credit memo from your total due. If the credit covers an invoice in full, simply email officemanager@scelc.org with the invoice number to be paid and credit number to be used.
Statements
SCELC funding depends on prompt payment of all invoices. SCELC has a notification system to remind libraries of outstanding invoices and, periodically, a Statement of Accounts will be sent to remind you of your current account status. SCELC also enforces payment guidelines for outstanding invoices, as outlined in the Delinquent Payment Procedures section, below.
Surcharges and Transaction Fees
Administrative Surcharges (all libraries)
A surcharge of between 0% and 5% (depending on the product) is charged to all libraries. Generally, a 5% surcharge is added to database products as well as the unsubscribed titles portion of an electronic journal package. For the subscribed titles portion of an e-journal package, a 1% surcharge is added. A 2% surcharge is added to e-journal packages that do not use a subscribed/unsubscribed titles pricing model.
Affiliate Transaction Fees (for Affiliate libraries only)
The transaction fee is specific to each electronic resource or service to which you subscribe. It will be one of the following figures, depending on the product being purchased or licensed:
- 5% of the purchase price up to a maximum of $50 for products with a set pricing schedule
- $150 for e-journal packages
Delinquent Payment Procedures
It is understood that acquisition of electronic resources or services is predicated upon prompt payment of all invoices to SCELC within 30 days of the invoice date, unless other arrangements have been made directly with SCELC. The invoice number must accompany payment. Late payment will result in a penalty being applied. Failure to remit payment according to stated deadlines may result in cancellation of the service or resource access.
Regulations Governing Delinquent Payments to SCELC:
A SCELC invoice is considered overdue, as classified below, and is subject to penalties and fees per conditions stated below, if SCELC has not received payment for the invoice within the date ranges indicated below:
- Delinquent: More than 45 days past the date of issuance on the invoice
- A Penalty Fee of 3% of the total oustanding amount of the invoice will be assessed by the SCELC Office as of the 46th day overdue, unless a letter of explanation regarding extenuating circumstances has been previously filed by the Library Director with the SCELC Office, and accepted by the Executive Director.
- Seriously Delinquent: More than 90 days past the date of issuance on the invoice
- A Penalty Fee of 5% of the total outstanding amount of the invoice will be assessed by the SCELC Office as of the 91st day overdue, unless a letter of explanation regarding extenuating circumstances has been previously filed by the Library Director with the SCELC Office, and accepted by the Executive Director.
- Critically Delinquent: More than 120 days past the date of issuance on the invoice
- A Penalty Fee of 10% of the total oustanding amount of the invoice will be assessed by the SCELC Office as of the 46th day overdue, unless a letter of explanation regarding extenuating circumstances has been previously filed by the Library Director with the SCELC Office, and accepted by the Executive Director.
In cases of delinquent payments, the SCELC Executive Director may:
- Instruct the content provider to suspend access to the resource(s) represented on the overdue invoice to the institution in question if the invoice is for an exlectronic resource or electronic resources.
- Recommend to the Executive Committee of the SCELC Board of Directors that the institution in question be suspended from doing business with SCELC in accordance with all bylaws and resolutions.
All dates noted above EXCLUDE holidays and holiday periods, e.g. the four-day Thanksgiving weekend and the period between December 24 and January 1, etc.
The designated SCELC contact at an institution will be notified by e-mail when an invoice has reached Delinquent status, and will receive e-mail or telephone reminders from the SCELC Office before an invoice approaches Seriously Delinquent or Critically Delinquent status.
The designated SCELC contact at an institution will be notified by certified letter of the institution’s Critically Delinquent status if the library has not responded satisfactorily to e-mail and telephone reminders from the SCELC Office, as noted above.
If you have not done so, please print, sign, and return the SCELC Library Agreement Form.