News

The FinELib-Elsevier agreement has generated a lively discussion in Twitter about open access, licensing negotiations and most of all transparency. We would like to tell about our efforts to increase transparency now and in the future as well as the limitations we encounter. We have published Elsevier total prices for agreement terms 1.1.2017-31.12.2017 and 1.1.2018- 31.12.2020 and Elsevier agreement text for the current agreement term.

All Nordic consortia have signed the OA2020 “Expression of Interest in the Large-Scale Implementation of Open Access to Scholarly Journals” and are working for a transition from a subscription-based scholarly journal model to an open access publishing model.

Nordic consortia would hereby like to endorse LIBER’s principles and aim to meet them in publisher negotiations. Nordic countries have different national open access strategies, and, consequently, the relevance of all LIBER’s principles may differ from country to country.

IEEE refuses to negotiate with FinELib 15.12.2017 IEEE, provider of the IEL-database continues to refuse to negotiate with the FinELib-consortium regarding renewal of the IEL-license agreement. FinELib member organizations have repeatedly stated their will to continue subscribing via FinELib. Instead IEEE demands that each library negotiate its own contract, thereby reducing the libraries’ negotiating power.

IEL is an electrical engineering database providing access to IEEE and IET journals and conference proceedings as well as IEEE standards. Currently 19 FinELib-organisations subscribe to the collection.

FinELib and Elsevier have progressed in their negotiations regarding access to Science Direct Freedom Collection and advancing open access.

Elsevier has approached academic institutions and researchers in Finland. The letter states Elsevier’s view on the negotiations between the FinELib consortium and Elsevier. The crucial issues for the negotiations are cost development and open access. The FinELib consortium’s view differs from Elsevier’s on both issues.