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Information for Vendors

This page provides information for vendors with existing agreements with BC ELN and for vendors interested in working with the consortium in the future.

BC ELN is a library consortium serving 34 post-secondary libraries across BC and the Yukon. We work with a range of vendors to offer products and services to partnering libraries. Most notably, BC ELN licenses more than 120 resources on behalf of its partner libraries. These include both index and abstract services as well as full-text databases.

BC ELN is a partnership of the BC Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills and its partner libraries.

BC ELN Partner Libraries

BC ELN licenses databases on behalf of the 25 public post-secondary colleges, institutes, and universities in BC, plus 9 associate members. These libraries are grouped into tiers according to type and size of institution. Visit the Partner Libraries page for more information.

BC ELN Licensing Principles

BC ELN's licensing process is guided by the following principles:

  • Relationships between consortia, publishers, and vendors are partnerships. By nurturing strong, non-adversarial, lasting relationships, BC ELN is able to realize benefits for partner libraries, publishers, and vendors alike.
  • Each partner library is autonomous and makes its own decision regarding its ultimate participation in consortial licenses and services.
  • Partner libraries must always realize a benefit from working with BC ELN to license a resource. Individual prices for libraries, therefore, cannot be better than those offered through BC ELN.
  • BC ELN provides publishers and vendors with an efficient method for negotiating licenses through one office, for billing via one invoice, and for disseminating information on licensed products through an established communication infrastructure.
  • Working through BC ELN, publishers and vendors streamline implementation and troubleshooting.
  • BC ELN does not benefit economically from any discounts proffered by publishers and vendors. All savings are passed on directly to partner libraries.
  • While being sensitive to publishers' and vendors' needs for discretion, BC ELN values open and transparent operations. Final pricing for products licensed through BC ELN will be shared with all partner libraries.
  • Recognizing that each partner library is different, BC ELN maintains there is value in creating a consistent pricing and discount approach for resources under consideration for licensing.

New Product Licensing Process

BC ELN's new product licensing process is driven by the needs of its partner libraries. Partner libraries nominate resources they feel should be considered for licensing by the consortium using the BC ELN Resource Forum, which is open to suggestions for a short period every two to three years. A Ranking Survey is then distributed to partner libraries, inviting them to vote among the resources nominated in the Resource Forum. The results of the Ranking Survey establish BC ELN's acquisition priorities.

The Resource Forum and Ranking Survey are open only to partner libraries. Vendors wishing to have their products licensed by BC ELN should follow these steps:

  • solicit interest in the product from among the partner libraries,
  • ask the libraries to consider nominating the product for consideration in the Resource Forum.

Many vendors find that the best way to reach many BC ELN partner library staff at once is by participating in the BC Library Association annual conference.

The BC ELN new product licensing process benefits everyone as it ensures that there is sufficient interest among partner libraries for a successful offering before we begin negotiations with the vendor.

BC ELN does not seek unsolicited product offers from vendors, nor will it pass on such offers to its libraries.

Licensing and Technical Considerations

Typically BC ELN licenses products on an "opt-in" basis, with two or more partner libraries choosing to subscribe to a license. The pricing model usually reflects BC ELN's tier structure, although alternate pricing models can be considered. BC ELN serves as a central communication point with the vendor, handling the negotiations, communicating with partner libraries, signing the licence, and invoicing libraries. In exchange for the value it brings to the licensing process, BC ELN expects consortial pricing to reflect a significant discount off the "retail price" and that this pricing be an exclusive benefit for our partner libraries. Partner libraries pay the same price that BC ELN is charged for a product; no administration fee or commission is added.

BC ELN works with vendors to achieve a contract, license, or terms of use document acceptable to all parties. The preference is to use the BC ELN Model License. Please contact BC ELN for a MS Word copy.

The standard authentication method for libraries subscribing to a database is through valid IP range recognition by the vendor's servers. Other types of authentication, such as password, are not used.

Multi-Consortial Licensing

BC ELN works regularly with other library consortia to enable more beneficial licensing arrangements. A partial list of current partners includes:

Contact BC ELN

The BC ELN office is located at Simon Fraser University's Burnaby campus. If you have any questions about BC ELN, feel free to contact us.