aserl-accessibilityig Mailing List: TRLN E-Resources Management Working Group Publishes TRLN Guide to Negotiating Accessibility in E-Resource Licenses

[Beth Ashmore (beashmor]

Apologies for cross-posting

The E-Resources Management Working Group (ERMWG) of the Triangle Research
Libraries Network (TRLN) is pleased to announce the publication of the TRLN
Guide to Negotiating Accessibility in E-Resource Licenses
<http://bit.ly/trln-a11y-eresource-license>. This guide was created to help
TRLN member libraries engage in conversations with vendors around
e-resource accessibility. Recognizing that licensing is key to codifying
the shared understandings and priorities of vendors and libraries, the TRLN
E-Resources Management Working Group sought to create “a reference tool for
library staff involved in licensing and e-resources management as they
advocate for strong accessibility assurances in their formal contracts with
service and content providers.”

While the intended audience for the document is TRLN libraries, ERMWG
believes it makes sense to share beyond the TRLN community as all
librarians are advocates for the needs of their users and regularly
participate in conversations both internally and with vendors on how best
to ensure those needs are met. This is meant to be a dynamic document.
Along with the working group’s more general licensing principles, they
envision updating the guide regularly to reflect the gains we have made in
accessibility as well as the accessibility concerns brought about by new
platforms, resources, and, most of all, user communities. It is their hope
that this guide gives the necessary tools to have consistent and impactful
communication with vendors as libraries strive to make their e-resources
accessible to all users.

There is excitement in the TRLN community for the publication of the guide: “I
am delighted to see the publication of the TRLN Guide to Negotiating
Accessibility in E-Resource Licenses
<http://bit.ly/trln-a11y-eresource-license>, a valuable reference tool on
best practices and advocacy, made available to library staff doing this
critical work.” said Dracine Hodges, Associate University Librarian for
Collections Services at Duke University Libraries. “This guide supports
libraries having a clear alignment of strategies to encourage better design
and outcomes. E-resource accessibility is imperative for a more inclusive
user experience. I commend my TRLN colleagues for creating this needed
contribution to the field.”

Tessa Minchew, Electronic Resources Librarian at North Carolina State
University and chair of ERMWG shared “While we view thoughtful and
practical accessibility standards as a fundamental user right, our content
and service providers may be trying to balance accessibility with specific
business concerns. They may also just be unfamiliar with the work entailed
in making a resource accessible and why it is so important to do so.
Negotiating for accessibility is an advocacy and outreach opportunity.
Thorough preparation for such moments is never wasted. This is why I am so
excited about the release of the TRLN Guide to Negotiating Accessibility in
E-Resource Licenses <http://bit.ly/trln-a11y-eresource-license>. The guide
is a license negotiator’s dream, not only offering sample license language,
but also the background information and rationale that a negotiator will
need to call upon in their quest for the holy grail of all library
licensing … ‘mutually agreeable’.”

Maria Collins, Department Head, Acquisitions & Discovery, North Carolina
State University and longtime ERMWG member appreciates the collaboration
inspired by the guide and used in its creation: “This TRLN Guide provides
practical advice for understanding and negotiating license terms related to
accessibility, an increasing area of emphasis for libraries given the
predominance of electronic resources. What makes this set of guidelines
unique is the support provided for the decision making process. Benefiting
from collaborative effort, this guide goes beyond providing template
language to providing strategies to assist with judgment calls made during
license negotiations as well as ways to assess the context and priorities
for your institution.”

Access the TRLN Guide to Negotiating Accessibility in E-Resource Licenses
at http://bit.ly/trln-a11y-eresource-license. Reach out to info [at] trln.org 
with
any questions.


-- 
Beth Ashmore
Associate Head, Acquisitions and Discovery (Serials)
North Carolina State University Libraries
beashmor [at] ncsu.edu
919-513-3354
(Pronouns: she, her, hers)



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