CRKN National Agreement for Elsevier SciVerse ScienceDirect Assures Broadest Access to Critical Research Content
March 4, 2011
National collaboration among libraries keeps Canada’s universities at the forefront of innovation despite tough economic times
Ottawa, March 4, 2011 – The Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN) has renewed its agreement for the Elsevier SciVerse ScienceDirect Freedom Collection for 2011-2014, providing university researchers and students across Canada with the broadest access to a vast collection of high-impact electronic journals in multiple disciplines. 73 of CRKN’s 75 member institutions are participating in the agreement, including three institutions joining the license for the first time.
Through this large-scale collaboration, university researchers, students, and libraries enjoy advantageous access and terms through CRKN`s model license agreement with predictable pricing over the term of the agreement. These terms build on the success of CRKN’s previous agreements with Elsevier, and allow member universities to continue fostering the cutting-edge work that will make Canada a research leader internationally.
“This was a critical license to renegotiate,” remarks Deb deBruijn, CRKN’s Executive Director. “All of our universities and libraries are facing serious economic pressures and constraints. This made it even more important for CRKN to secure this content at the lowest cost nation-wide, and to retain access to valuable content from Elsevier since our first agreement in 2003. I’m happy to report that our 2011-2014 agreement maintains generous access, usage and content repurposing provisions for bona fide academic uses (e.g. printing, sharing electronically, use in coursepacks, course management systems, and electronic reserves, etc.) – provisions that are important to students and researchers, and do not subject Canada’s universities to additional copyright tariffs.”
“CRKN ‘s Negotiations Resources Team (NRT) obtained feedback from members on their requirements and priorities as the first step before confirming objectives with the Board,” explains Martha Whitehead, NRT Chair. “We had a strong subset of our team in direct discussions with Elsevier who then engaged members systematically during the extensive process. The NRT is grateful for the time that our libraries devoted to the successful renewal of this key agreement.”
“Increasing competition in Canada’s higher education and research landscape has heightened the need to provide students and faculty with the highest quality information resources,” said Kevin Carlsten, Director, Strategy & Business Development, Science & Technology, North America at Elsevier. These resources allow universities to achieve their academic and research goals, and to gain or maintain a competitive edge. We are happy to continue to expand our relationship with CRKN to foster high quality research in Canada with SciVerse ScienceDirect.”
About CRKN
The Canadian Research Knowledge Network is a partnership of Canadian universities, dedicated to expanding digital content for the academic research enterprise in Canada. Through the coordinated leadership of librarians, researchers, and administrators, CRKN undertakes large-scale content acquisition and licensing initiatives in order to build knowledge infrastructure and research capacity in 75 of Canada’s universities.
For more information, please contact:
Dyna Vink
Director of Communications
Canadian Research Knowledge Network
613-907-7034