ACQNET: _Financial Times_ embargo policy

From: Eleanor Cook <cookei_at_appstate.edu> Date: Sun, 13 May 2007 14:00:53 -0400 To: acqnet-l_at_listproc.appstate.edu

Date: Tue, 01 May 2007 11:53:55 -0400
From: Ned Kraft, Ned (U.S. Dept. of State Library ) <KraftNO_at_state.gov>
Subject: _Financial Times_ embargo policy

Recently, the _Financial Times_ decided to institute a 24-hour embargo 
with all
third-party database vendors such as LexisNexis, Factiva, and Proquest.  
I have
registered a protest against that move.  For those of you interested in 
this issue,
perhaps our collective outcry might make some difference in this policy. 
My points to the publisher were:

    * Our customers need to be able to search for today's news on
      specific
      subjects.                                                                                                                   
      Now, when they go into Proquest (or any other database), they'll
      get hits from
      the                                                                                                                 
      _New York Times_, the _Washington Post_, the _Wall Street Journal_
      and other major
      papers,                                                                                                
      but not FT.
    * Our customers can sign up with database providers to get alerts
      for today's news on
      specific                                                                                            
      subjects.  Now they'll get alerts for all the major papers, but
      not FT.
    * Your objective is to force customers to come directly to FT for
      institutional subscriptions. 
      So                                                                                                    
      you're telling customers that instead of doing one search for
      today's news, FT wants you to do two searches. 

Libraries have shrinking budgets, and customers have shrinking time.  We 
need cost-effective ways to 
gain                                                                                    
access to timely information.  We need ways to deliver information 
easily and immediately.  The FT embargo undermines both needs.

If you agree, please consider sending your own protest to FT.

Ned Kraft
Bunche Library
US Department of State
kraftno_at_state.gov

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