[Publib] Online only library cards

[Mark Arend]

Our libraries often get requests like this and we've instructed them to
deny them.  To get a card someone has to physically walk in the door and
fill out an application.
 
Many online resource vendors charge based on municipal or service
population.  Issuing cards to 'virtual users' could be considered a
violation of your licensing agreement or could result in higher fees the
next time you renew your subscription.  
 
------------------------------

Mark W. Arend, Assistant Director
Winnefox Library System
106 Washington Ave.
Oshkosh, WI  54901
(920) 236-5222           fax: (920) 236-5228


mailto:arend at winnefox.org                 http://www.winnefox.org/

"A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of
acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy."
                         -- James Madison


  

 


________________________________

	From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Rawles-Heiser,
Carolyn
	Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2007 5:44 PM
	To: publib at webjunction.org
	Subject: [Publib] Online only library cards
	
	

	Hello collective wisdom, 

	As we implement more and more online services (esp downloadable
audio and video) we are getting online requests from people in places
like Dubai and Bakersfield for library cards just to download items.
Does any library offer online only cards to people for some kind of
nonresident fee?     Normally we need to verify identity to issue a
card, but with the downloadable items what difference does it make?
The items "expire" on their own without the possibility of overdues, so
we don't need to worry about recovering the items.    

	The downsides I thought of were that it could suck up
availability of the items to our own patrons and our vendors might
believe we were violating licensing agreements which are sometimes based
on population.  I think they look the other way right now with the
minimal number of nonresident users we have but if we got to be big
providers of these items they might not be so happy.  

	Carolyn 

	Carolyn Rawles-Heiser 
	Library Director 
	Corvallis--Benton County Public Library 
	645 NW Monroe Ave. 
	Corvallis, OR  97330 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://lists.webjunction.org/wjlists/publib/attachments/20070615/987875dc/attachment.htm