The role of Intermediaries & their Services

Gavin Lewis, Business Solutions ManagerSWETS

AGENDA

• Who are the Intermediaries

• Their role and function in the Information Chain

• How have they evolved their Services

• Why are they needed?

• The future?...

How does the Oxford Dictionary define us?....

[Intermediary] – a mediator, acting as mediator

Other descriptions…

Agent, Broker, middle-man, negotiator

The World without Agents

Intermediary

The Role of an Agent

ServicesSearch Titles

OrderClaimRenew

InvoicingReporting

Access ContentLogisticsCheck-in

Who are the Agents?

Swets

Ebsco

Harrassowitz

Prenax

Plus many local agents

But many have fallen by the way side…

Infocandy, Rowecom, Dawson, Everetts, BlackwellPlus many, many more.

Who do Agents Serve?

• Academic Libraries– Incl. regional Purchasing Consortia

• Government Libraries

• Health Libraries (incl. NHS)

• Local Authorities / Public Libraries

• Corporate Libraries (STM and Non STM)

Agent LibraryPublisher

Commission

Service Service

Service charge

How are agents financed?

Lets turn the clock back….

The Traditional Subscription Agent

Traditional Subscription Agent Services - Libraries

• Day to Day Management

• Single customer service contact (local language)

• One invoice source

• Simplified renewals and ordering

• Price analysis and management reporting

• Consolidation service

Traditional Subscription Agent Services - Publishers

• Financial Risk Management– Improve cash flow– Administrative management– From “many to one”

• Proactive renewal management

• Reduced Claims

• Management Information– Financial Information– Renewal Status Reports– Claims Reports

• Increased Visibility– Enhance publishers content to the market place– Active representation – Targetted Marketing

• Advent of e – New Challenges and New Opportunities– Late 1990’s onwards…

• A wealth of scholarly and research content on the web– How do I know what is there?– How do I find it?– Can we control / measure who access it?

Moving into e…..

New Services – New Opportunities – New Players

Online Content Hosts

What are they and Why are they needed?

• Provide a single platform for Publisher’s e-journals: For publishers who prefer or need a third party to provide this technical solution

• Enables (Library) users to search across a large amount of content via a single interface

• Allows administrators to manage their e Journals more efficiently

Examples of Online Content Hosts

• Atypon

• HighWire Press

• IngentaConnect

Plus • SwetsWise Online Content• EBSCONET

Authentication Services

• What are they?

– A technical solution; allowing single sign-on to a range of electronic resources

• Why do we need them?

– Publishers need to monitor who is accessing content– Ensures only the right people/groups are accessing content– Commercial implications – usage based pricing– Reduces administrative burden

Authentication Services - Who are they?

• IP Addresses

• Athens

• UK Access Management Federation– (Shibboleth)

Nb; Log-in prompts are placed on Subscription Agent portals

E-Content Aggregators

What do they do?

• Transform published e-content from various sources to create a new product / dataset available via a single platform

Why are they needed?

• Simplifies purchasing and access administration• Provides added value• An affordable alternative to e-journals• They can be subject focussed

E-Content Aggregators - Examples

• OVID

• Medline / PubMed

• Proquest

• EDINA (A JISC Iniative)

• EBSCO Databases

ERM System Vendors

What are they?

• A technical Solution for libraries– To help with the management of e-content

- Electronic Library Systems- Electronic Cataloguing- Facilitating access to online content

Why do we need them?

• Managing electronic content effectively in the Library• Simplifies and reduces administrative burden

Examples of ERM Vendors

• SirsiDynix

• Ex – Libris - Metalib

• Serials Solutions – 360 Resource Manager

Plus• SwetsWise eSource Manager

• Ebsco ERM Essentials

Link Resolvers

What are they?

• A technical solution using Open URL to ensure that a user will find the content they have rights to access

• They ensure that an Institutions content is made visible

Why do we need them?

• Speeds up access to content• Avoid dead links• Helps libraries get value for money

Open URL Link Resolvers - Examples

• Ex-Libris – SFX

• EBSCO – LinkSource

• SwetWise Linker

• OCLC – World Cat Link Manager

Federated Search Engines

What are they?• They enable the user to search across multiple sources from one

interfaceContent sources

ILS/OPAC

Why are they needed?• Exposure of resources• Saves time for Users• Provides an alternative to Google!!

Subscription Agents have had to move with the times…

Content Negotiators

What are they?

• Provide a front line negotiation service for Library Consortia and global organisations for access to e-Content

Why are they needed?

• To represent institutions, grouped together with similar aims and objectives

• Save time and money• Provide valuable industry advise

Examples of Content Negotiators

• JISC Collections – The JISC Content Procurement Company Ltd

• IReL – Irish Research elibrary

• CHEST (Eduserv)

In other sectors…

• Heal link – Greece• NHS• Global Pharmaceutical Companies

So,,, What are we left with??

Libraries/InstitutionsRegional/National Consortia

Corporate Organisations

Publishers-Journals- Datasets- eBooks Subscription Agents

AuthenticationServices

Link Resolvers

Online Content Hosts

eBook Sellers

Content Negotiators

Content Aggregators

Recent Developments

eBooks

• Intermediaries looking to capture increasing library eBook Budgets

• Still looking to facilitate order / access of eBook content

• Varying Licence models, access models, pricing models– Perpetual access vs Subscription

Intermediaries and Open Access

• Dependency on the traditional Publishing Model

• Intermediaries looking for opportunities to support and facilitate any Open Access marketplace.....any scenario ends with many to many.

• Help to drive for standards and technical compatibility

We are left with Complexity…

• Intermediaries can deliver simplicity

• Can all the technologies employed by the individual vendors be harmonised to work as one???

• Healthy competition is valuable to the customer – As it will mean vendors are forced to work with one another

• Intermediaries are key in quick flow of communication

Thank you for listening……

Any Questions??

Gavin LewisBusiness Solutions Managerglewis@uk.swets.com(#00 44) 1235 857746