If you are/were a Rowecom/Faxon client, you should have received a document
requesting signature and return by 3/15.  Both Publishers and Clients
(libraries) were requested the same.  The Kurtzman Law firm in LA is
handling this on behalf of Ebsco.  If you are tracking the Yahoo/Rowecom
discussion group postings, you probably saw the two opinions from publishers
re the benefit or more likely the no-benefit of signing this agreement.
Especially from the publisher's point of view.  The opinion expressed is
that it only benefits Ebsco, and that the publishers would rather work
directly with the individual subscribers/libraries.  One of the respondent
even stated that the publisher's "legal advisor laughed themselves silly
over the language of the "agreement" before telling us it belongs only in
the "round" file.  The legal legal advisor also questioned the validity of
enforcement since publishers receive no true consideration for signing it -
only a very loose possibility of maybe some money, sometime - maybe...but
then again, maybe not".

As an aside, one comment I read stated that there are over 30,000 publishers
involved, but only a little over 100 that, to date, have agreed to
reciprocate.

The way I see it, I will have to have Ebsco agree to manage only the titles
from the publishers that agree to cooperate.  I will have to decide the fate
of the other titles one by one, possibly directly with the publishers
(please bear in mind that these titles are not for the library, but various
departmental orders that the Library manages, and the "pay again" decision
is not mine).  As far as Library journals are concerned, I need to make sure
that Ebsco understands they will manage only the 60% of the Library journals
that WERE renewed by Faxon in early November.

I am thoroughly confused and suffer from "decisionitis"...

Dalia Kleinmuntz, AHIP      [log in to unmask]
Director, Webster Library, Evanston Hospital
Evanston Northwestern Healthcare
847-570-2664                   847-570-2926 FAX

Opinions expressed are my own and do not reflect those of ENH.