[Original posting on this topic is reproduced below; the reply follows it.]
From: Selene Hinojosa <gh14_at_swt.edu>
Greetings,
My University library pays for a Westlaw subscription for our paralegal
program. We do NOT have a law school. We also sign the license
agreement. Now that Westlaw has come out with a strictly paralegal version
of Westlaw, we are considering changing our subscription to it. Right now,
to avoid any "sharing" of pass words, our systems administrator logs in the
passwords to certain computers in the dept. (not the library) microcomputer
lab. Faculty want us to subscribe to the new paralegal product and give
the enrolled students and faculty their own pass word. While we have had
some problems with the way we are allowing them to access it now, we fear
even less control if we give the students their own pass words. The
library pays for the subscription and signs the license agreement. Anyone
have any experience with this?
Selene Hinojosa
Gloria Selene Hinojosa
Collection Development Librarian
Alkek Library
Texas State University, San Marcos
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From: Kevin Hastings-Merriman <khastings-merriman_at_mcneese.edu>
We had been "sharing" passwords with no problem but
we also were coerced into signing onto the new program
by being told that we were in violation of our agreement by doing so.
(By letting mulitple uses log in with a single password, you probably are too!)
The loss of control that you fear would be mitigated by the fact that
(I'm told) that you can administer the passwords and can cancel them
or readminister them at the beginning of each term.
I personally wouldn't worry about password security.
If the password gets passed around,
it only has a limited number of hours per month associated with it,
which you will have already paid for; it won't accrue charges after that!
And, as long as you're not the one passing it out, your liability should be
null,
especially as Westlaw is really pushing this new product
ostensibly to address the needs of paralegal students!
Our concern was one of privacy issues as
Westlaw requests a list of names of all your students
enrolled in paralegal courses so they can issue the passwords
and mail you little cards with the students' names on them!
(Which, of course, you will have to figure out how to distribute...)
We have not yet received the new passwords,
but I would be happy to fill you in with the progress
of our conversion if you like!
Kevin Hastings-Merriman
Collection Management Librarian
McNeese State University Library
P. O. Box 91445
Lake Charles, LA 70609
Received on Thu Sep 16 2004 - 19:39:36 EDT