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Licensing with SCELC

ON THIS PAGE: 

  • Introduction to Licensing
  • SCELC’S Approach to Negotiation
  • A Single Consortial License
  • Licensing Lifecycle
  • Particpating Institutions & Compliance

 

Introduction to Licensing:

For over twenty years, SCELC has negotiated licenses with vendors on behalf of libraries. SCELC understands the many factors and challenges those libraries face and is an integral part in the implementation of e-resources to students, faculty, and researchers.  The continued mission of SCELC Licensing Services is to bring industry expertise when negotiating license agreements on behalf of its members.  SCELC’s approach to licensing is to negotiate licenses that are favorable to both vendors and libraries.  Using this strong foundation of expertise and trust, SCELC seeks to build on these experiences licensing journals, eBooks, and databases, to prepare for the expansion into new platforms and media.


SCELC’S Approach to Negotiation:

  • The obligation for SCELC is agnostic in nature when it comes to negotiation and seeks to put the best agreement in place that is favorable to both vendors and libraries.  
  • In this manner, license language and defined terms can become more standardized for the library market. 
  • Amendments made to a single Agreement will have the net effect of applying to all subscribing members.  
  • Additional benefits to working with SCELC include consolidated invoices and renewal dates; prompt remittance of payment; and additional avenues for communication with libraries on their interests, issues, and needs.


A Single Consortial License:

  • SCELC can negotiate a centralized license agreement to alleviate the institutional burden of negotiating individual licenses with each institution.  Many of our partnerships require license agreements to incorporate specific terms within.  
  • The purpose of a single consortial license agreement is to further articulate the values and priorities in protecting all parties where the licensing of resources is concerned.  
  • In addition to identifying the core responsibilities of SCELC and the vendor, a consortial license agreement aims to lay out the license’s scope in terms of restricted and permitted use(s) of a licensed resource or product.  
  • The agreement should acknowledge and outline responsibilities for SCELC, the vendor, and libraries.  
  • For more detail, please see SCELCs desired contract points.


Licensing Lifecycle:

  • Initial steps are to set expectations and share goals and timelines.
  • A typical license negotiation should take 1-3 months to complete.
  • SCELC prefers to work with Google Documents to allow for ease of editing and tracking of changes / versions.
  • DOCUSIGN can be leveraged to ensure timely signatures and distribution of fully executed copies. 
  • Licensing Services will also work to edit a vendor’s boilerplate agreement. 


Particpating Institutions & Compliance:

  • When agreed upon terms are created and executed, members become automatically subject to the Terms of the Consortial License Agreement. Consortial License Agreements are made available to Participating Institutions via our acquisition software ConsortiaManager.  
  • When libraries join SCELC, each library understands and agrees that it will become subject to the Terms & Conditions of a Consortial Agreement.  Please see the Library Agreement Form. 
  • SCELC seeks to bring transparency and understanding to the permitted/prohibited uses by the library, as well as faculty and students, so that responsibilities are clearly outlined.