Licensing & Negotiation for Librarians

$250.00

Dates: May 3 - May 30

Credits: 1.5 CEUs or 15 PDHs

Electronic library resources (e.g. databases, ebooks, and online journals) have changed the landscape of library acquisitions, radically reshaping the work of the librarians managing them. In large part, this is because of the introduction of contracts, or license agreements, that can override protections in copyright law about what libraries can do with digital resources.
As license agreements are the beginning of the e-resource lifecycle, it is essential that these documents are effectively reviewed and negotiated to lay the foundation for the best possible user experience.

The course will cover:

  • License agreements – how, why, and when they apply to library e-resources, and best practices for reviewing these documents;
  • Contract language – important permissions for e-resources, and how to analyze different language for suitability in different contexts;
  • Negotiating strategies – guidance on planning for negotiations within the larger picture of the e-resource lifecycle;
  • Licenses & copyright – understanding how U.S. Copyright Law applies to library e-resources that are governed by licenses, and how preserve fair use rights in this context.

By the end of the course students will:

  • Gain a thorough understanding of license clauses and their meanings, as well as how they can impact library operations;
  • Understand what license clauses are most important to include, and what clauses should be removed from a license agreement;
  • Be better equipped to decode the “legalese” of license language, and how to differentiate a good clause from a bad one;
  • Establish strategies for license negotiations, including how to decide what to push for, how to avoid tipping your hand, how to hold your ground on non-negotiable terms, and how to shore up your position in preparation for the next negotiation.

In addition, students will come away with specialized resources that are customized to their institution or organization’s unique needs, and a connection with a community of librarians who are doing work in library e-resource licensing and acquisitions across the world.

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Instructor:

Course Information

Session

Credits

1.5 CEUs or 15 PDHs

Registration dates

We accept registrations through the first week of classes, unless enrollment is full, and unless the class was canceled before it started due to low enrollment.

Course Description

Electronic library resources (e.g. databases, ebooks, and online journals) have changed the landscape of library acquisitions, radically reshaping the work of the librarians managing them. In large part, this is because of the introduction of contracts, or license agreements, that can override protections in copyright law about what libraries can do with digital resources.
As license agreements are the beginning of the e-resource lifecycle, it is essential that these documents are effectively reviewed and negotiated to lay the foundation for the best possible user experience.

The course will cover:

  • License agreements – how, why, and when they apply to library e-resources, and best practices for reviewing these documents;
  • Contract language – important permissions for e-resources, and how to analyze different language for suitability in different contexts;
  • Negotiating strategies – guidance on planning for negotiations within the larger picture of the e-resource lifecycle;
  • Licenses & copyright – understanding how U.S. Copyright Law applies to library e-resources that are governed by licenses, and how preserve fair use rights in this context.

By the end of the course students will:

  • Gain a thorough understanding of license clauses and their meanings, as well as how they can impact library operations;
  • Understand what license clauses are most important to include, and what clauses should be removed from a license agreement;
  • Be better equipped to decode the “legalese” of license language, and how to differentiate a good clause from a bad one;
  • Establish strategies for license negotiations, including how to decide what to push for, how to avoid tipping your hand, how to hold your ground on non-negotiable terms, and how to shore up your position in preparation for the next negotiation.

In addition, students will come away with specialized resources that are customized to their institution or organization’s unique needs, and a connection with a community of librarians who are doing work in library e-resource licensing and acquisitions across the world.

Molly Rainard

Molly Rainard is a digital rights advocate and academic librarian, and the founder of the Denver Organization for Library Licensing (DOLL). Molly spent nearly ten years reviewing and negotiating license agreements at the Auraria Library in downtown Denver, Colorado. Molly founded DOLL as a way to share expertise in the field of library e-resource licensing, to provide resources and community for her fellow librarians who are doing this work, and as a means to advocate for digital library usage rights. In addition to this work, co-leads SPARC's Privacy & Surveillance Contract Language Working Group, participated in the development of the ONEAL Project and Library Partnership Rating, and studies the convergence of professional ethics and library values with laws, policies, and contractual agreements in libraries.

How to Register

To enroll yourself or other participants in a class, use the “Register” button that follows the description of each course. If the “Register” button does not show up, try loading the page in a different web browser. Contact us if you have technical difficulties using our shopping cart system or would like to pay for an enrollment using another method. On the payment page in the shopping cart system, there is a place to add notes, such as the names and email addresses of participants you wish to enroll. We will contact you to request this information in response to your processed payment if you do not include it in the “notes” field. Prior to the start of the workshop, we will send participants their login instructions.

Payment Info

Our shopping cart system allows you to pay with a credit card or with PayPal.

Alternatively, if it is an institutional payment, we can arrange to invoice you. Contact us by email, and we can make arrangements to suit your institution's business processes.

Special Session

Please contact us to arrange a special session of this class for a group of seven or more, with a negotiable discount, or to be notified when it is next scheduled.

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