Benefits of Obtaining Price Quotes Through Our Program

The goal of the Electronic Resources Program is to serve libraries by obtaining the best possible price for electronic resources their patrons need. There are a multitude of reasons why libraries should choose us to broker deals for them:

Discounted Resources

Vendors provide us with considerable discounts on products, based on the large amount of business we provide, and the ease of working with consortia central billing. From January 2014 to February 2015, our subscribers spent nearly 16 million dollars, and saved close to 70 million.

Neutrality

Since the Alliance is a non-profit, we provide an objective evaluation of products and prices to best fit the needs of a particular institution, without the pressure of up-selling a more expensive alternative. We are not a vendor, so we will not try to convince libraries to purchase, renew, cancel, or choose a particular resource.

Negotiation and Advocacy

We strive to negotiate for the lowest price and lowest annual increase that a vendor can provide. Our program has long-standing relationships with vendors that allow us to advocate for our subscribers’ best interests.

Analysis and Transparency

We have records spanning nearly 200 products, covering over a decade of business transactions. We analyze the history of product orders in order to make informed decisions about renewal prices. We are able to calculate savings per resource per library, and make savings and subscription lists available to libraries for their own use.

Mid-Year Additions

We are happy to provide libraries with the opportunity to purchase resources midway through a subscription cycle, and negotiate for a prorated price based on analysis of the order history.

Central Billing

We deal with nearly all purchases centrally, so that libraries don’t have to hassle with vendor business departments, taxes, and threats of discontinued access months before the renewal date. Our business manager offers the option of a deposit account so that libraries don’t have to worry about getting late fees.

Trials and Technical Assistance

We are often able to assist subscribers with access to trials for products immediately upon making quote requests to vendors, and get trial access extended while orders are finalized. In case access is interrupted or libraries have difficulty with their account setup, we can direct them to the appropriate vendor customer service representative or salesperson.

How to Obtain an Alliance Consortial Price Quote

Full Alliance members and enrolled non-members may request price quotes for existing and new electronic resource subscriptions or one-time purchases. Librarians are always welcome to discuss products with vendors. However, requests for Alliance consortia pricing must be mediated by ER program staff. To obtain a quote, the following criteria should be satisfied:

• As of April, 2015, we will no longer be transferring direct subscriptions to the Alliance. We welcome quotes for upgrades and new purchases.
• The person requesting a quote should be the designated primary institutional contact.
• The person requesting a quote should ask:
  • Margarita Wickham, if the product is currently offered through the Alliance, or
    • Joan Thompson, if the product is not currently offered through the Alliance.
  • Those making requests should be advised that orders based on these quotes need to be communicated directly with ER program staff. This price needs to be confirmed before any order request is made, by the institution’s primary contact. At present, we are unable to use Alma Acquisitions in the Network Zone to receive orders or invoice member libraries.
  • The person requesting a quote should provide enough information for staff to understand what the product is. In the case of new products, please provide:
  • The product name
  • A link to a product description on the web
  • The publisher and/or vendor
  • Prices quoted directly from vendors to subscribers are not considered valid for the purposes of Alliance orders.
  • Please allow at least two weeks time for staff to provide a quote. Vendor response times vary for each publisher.

We look forward to fulfilling requests of both members and non-members, and invite subscribers to contact us at any time if you have questions about our policies and procedures. We are here to help you, first and foremost.