This program consisted of a poster session accompanied by a nine-page handout and the opportunity to question the presenter. It focused on the procedural steps for obtaining license agreements for electronic serials and non-print monographic orders, reviewing the license, negotiating a revised contract, following-up with the publisher, and procedures relating to the final signed contract. The display and handout provided a sequence of events describing who was responsible for what. The various steps and personnel involved implied that license agreements render the acquisition of electronic resources more complicated and time-consuming than that of print materials, and not nearly as routine.

The process outlined included referral to the institution’s legal counsel for approval and potential amendments, which may be required at some libraries, but is not the case for all. According to Ficken, legal counsel input may delay order processing by up to two months and result in an average of four or five changes to the agreement. Further, changes by university lawyers may not always be understood by publishers. Over a dozen helpful generic guidelines that may be added to or used to modify license agreements are included in the handout, as well as a definition of authorized users and approved access. Although library staff positions responsible for steps outlined on the posters and handouts will vary among institutions, the procedures are quite clear and provide a convenient checklist for other institutions dealing with the complex activities associated with license agreements for electronic resources.

Carol Ficken’s poster session may have been the first of this type at an OVGTSL Conference. This form of conveying information has proven quite popular at ALA and ACRL Conferences, and has the advantages of allowing the audience to receive detailed, specific information from experienced practitioners, as well as to discuss and exchange ideas on the topic with the presenter and others who attend the session.