[WEB4LIB] RE: Restricting launches to IP-restricted licensed web services

[Dan Lester]

At 06:54 PM 1/6/00 -0600, Margaret Handrow wrote:
>>However, the provision of "off campus" or "out of the
>>building" access is forbidden in some contracts.  Other vendors will 
>>permit such access if you pay an additional fee.  It is 
>>certainly >possible that you're violating some contracts with some vendors.
>
>We did some checking with our vendors, especially those with single 
>user/time licenses.  Their main concern was that non-library patrons, 
>doing remote access, would be able to access their databases.  We have our 
>system set up so that our patrons get a "Database unavailable. Please try 
>later" message when the maximum number of licensed users has been 
>reached.  This arrangement was something everbody could agree on, and so 
>far there have not been any problems, or complaints.

Oh, I have no problem with what you're doing.  None at all.   What you're 
doing would be fine with many vendors, but not with some others.  In fact, 
I'm amazed at what some vendors will permit.  One nearby public library 
requires you to authenticate with the first five digits of your library 
card barcode.   Well, ALL of the cards have the same first five digits, so 
I could let the whole world know what the database and "password" are.  I 
don't even consider that security, but the vendor does, so what the heck.

I was simply trying to suggest that we should all be aware of what the 
contracts really say and that we do our best to either renegotiate 
contracts as necessary, pay the extra bucks if necessary, or follow the 
contract.  I'm certainly not the contract police....someone else does that 
in our library.  And I'm sure that we pay for things that we could easily 
"get away with" without anyone noticing.  That simply isn't how things are 
done here.  And, I appreciate that, having worked at another library long 
ago where things were the opposite, and there were serious problems, which 
fortunately didn't burn me, since I wasn't handling contracts and money.

cheers

dan

--
Good, Fast, and Cheap: Which two of the three would you like?
Dan Lester, 3577 East Pecan, Boise, ID 83716 USA 208-383-0165
dan at 84.com   http://www.84.com/  http://www.postcard.org/