Norwegian version

Publication No. 24:  Dancing with the Wolves

The report “Dancing with the wolves: the libraries, the publishers and the electronic sources of knowledge” forms a section of the major Library Report. The aim of the report is to provide an overview of the work on consortium licensing agreements, both in a domestic and an international context.

Chapter 1 provides a summary of the work. Chapter 2 opens with a short presentation of the working group, setting out the mandate, and then giving an overview of what are considered to be the most important national policy documents for future work on licensing agreements.

Particular attention is given to the programme “The Norwegian digital library”, and the chapter takes a special look at two of the projects of the programme, one involving a national licensing tool, and another dealing with the archival storage of foreign electronic materials.  There is also a summary of the most important findings of the BRODD report, a work commissioned by The Norwegian Digital Library to evaluate how the work on licensing agreements under the leadership of ABM-utvikling is perceived by the Norwegian library community.

Chapter 3 invites to an excursion into the development of the field of periodicals generally, and in particular to digital publications.  It provides a status report on the conversion to digital sources of information in Norwegian universities and university colleges, and takes a particular look at the publishers’ pricing policies.  Included under this topic is a closer look at the so-called “periodicals crisis”, with special regard to the particular challenges facing the libraries in this area.

Chapter 4 examines what is understood by a consortium, with a special look at the way package deals have formed the backbone of the development of consortiums.  There are both advantages and disadvantages to such package deals, and both these aspects are explored.  The chapter also looks at the different pricing models that are applied.  Among the other problem issues related to the work with consortiums, there is discussion of the iniquities in the Norwegian laws on VAT and the general uncertainties covering the permanent preservation of electronic materials.  There are a series of consortium arrangements in various countries, and the chapter takes a particular look at the different Nordic groupings, with an emphasis on the co-operation in this area within the Nordic countries.  This leads to a look at the situation in Norway and in particular the background for the current organization and the development of licensing agreements under the leadership of ABM-utvikling.  The issues surrounding the negotiations of such agreements are examined separately, and the chapter concludes by setting out in detail the licensing conditions under which ABM-utvikling is operating.

Chapter 5 deals with the different aspects of co-operation between library systems and the challenges related to copyright.  There is a special look at the establishment of the Norwegian Electronic Health Library and a discussion of the parameters that govern the Norwegian school libraries for the establishment of their own licensing agreements.  There is extensive discussion of national licences, with a particular look at the experiences gathered in Iceland and New Zealand.  The status of  Norwegian language materials and non-textual materials is assessed; in terms of the latter there is discussion in particular of aspects involving film, music and photography.

Chapter 6 explores the new model of publication, defined as “Open Access”.  Some major international ventures are investigated, with a look at recent Norwegian initiatives, where the universities in particular are leading the field. The chapter concludes with a short summary of current discussions on the various “Open Access” initiatives.

Chapter 7 ends the report with a conclusion, setting out a summary of the recommendations and proposals for initiatives.

Recommendations and a summary of proposed initiatives

Pricing models

• ABM-utvikling to co-operate with the library community on the ways in which materials should be publicized, thus encouraging their increased use.  ABM-utvikling will organize its own seminar on the topic.
• ABM-utvikling has initiated a process to ensure the greatest possible openness in the work on consortiums and will continue to work for the greatest possible transparency in connection with pricing for the electronic products we are handling.
• ABM-utvikling will continue to work to obtain pricing models adapted to the size of the Norwegian library community, in full agreement and co-operation with all the types of library that are covered by licensing agreements.  ABM-utvikling will set up meetings to discuss payment models. 

Nordic co-operation

• Co-operation at the Nordic level has to date been limited to the special library sector.  ABM-utvikling will continue to co-operate with the Nordic institutions on licensing agreement where appropriate.  In addition, separate meetings will be sought with public libraries in the Nordic countries to explore the possibility of co-operation in this work.

Licensing agreements under the leadership of ABM-utvikling

• ABM-utvikling is of the view that there is a close link between work involving the programme “The Norwegian Digital Library” and work on licensing agreements.  The aim is to provide the libraries with easy access to a wider range of high quality digital materials.
• There has been much general discussion about the new role of the public libraries in relation to education and training.  Clarification is needed, however, about the actual need and the status of the libraries.  ABM-utvikling will initiate the creation of a network project for the public libraries, with a special focus on the use of electronic resources and competence enhancement. 
• ABM-utvikling will continue its strategy for the provision of free access for the public libraries to specialist materials wherever possible.  The extent of the use can be assessed at a later date, as part of projects aiming to raise public awareness of this sector. 
• ABM-utvikling has already been in contact with various special libraries, encouraging them to provide training courses for public librarians in the use of databases.  ABM-utvikling will ensure that more teacher training is provided to the special libraries that are prepared to take on the task of training public librarians and, if appropriate, will set up a programme to cover travel or other expenses for volunteer applicants from the public library sector for specialist training.
• ABM-utvikling will arrange a seminar in early 2006 on available materials in the Norwegian language, aiming to  improve interface and to upgrade statistics functions.

National licences

• An investigation will be initiated with the brief of determining the availability of access to specialist information for smaller research facilities.  What is the extent of the problem of inadequate access to appropriate information?  Which professional groups are affected and how can one achieve the best conditions for the exchange of data for these groups?  Is the establishment of national licences a solution that it is possible to realize in practice?
• A report is being prepared in co-operation with the Norwegian Electronic Health Library which will look at the parameters for and costs of national licences and provide recommendations involving central government funding.

Materials in Norwegian language

• A report is being prepared on the feasibility of cataloguing periodicals from other specialist fields, including Norwegian medical literature, following the Norart model.  Consideration is also given to the provision of links to full text articles.
• Seminars will be held which will include the participation of suppliers of Norwegian materials.
• An approach will be made to the Arts Council Norway with a view to their helping the arrangement of free electronic access to music, literature and film, which are also benefiting from this subsidy scheme.

Non-textual materials

• ABM-utvikling will consider the possible establishment of licensing agreements for non-textual materials such as film, music and photography – in accordance with the desire expressed for such agreements by the institutions.  This will be done related to the order of preference for new resources expressed by the individual institutions and consortiums in the universities and university college sector.  The list will be finalized between January and June.
• ABM-utvikling will approach the Norwegian Film Institute (Filmarkivet) which has already started work on providing access to Norwegian films, for example through Deichman Library, in order to help find the most appropriate solutions on behalf of our institutions.  The Norwegian Film Institute is planning to widen access to several public libraries.  ABM-utvikling will also sound out the Norwegian special libraries to determine the level of interest for this resource.
• ABM-utvikling believes that in view of the experiences gathered by the project “LåtLån” (SoundLoan) there is an interesting potential for this type of project in many libraries, and here it may well be able to negotiate appropriate licensing agreements.There is also the possibility that music receiving the support of Arts Council Norway should be included in a national licensing agreement, providing public access to streamed music in line with the LåtLån project.

Open Access

• ABM-utvikling will support Nordic and international efforts in this field.
• ABM-utvikling will strive to support the intentions behind the signals coming from the project e-Norge 2009 regarding arrangements to secure online access to sources of knowledge, the cultural heritage and sources of experience both for the educational institutions and for the citizens generally.
• ABM-utvikling supports the basic idea behind the project e-Norge 2009 in that everything that has been financed by public funding should also be accessible by the public.  In this connection, ABM-utvikling will actively participate to encourage the continued development of open and free access to online archives of periodicals and publications.