Committees and Work Groups

Core

KYVL has historically licensed a core set of databases that are available to all members. Members pay for access to these databases according to the KYVL funding formula. Core database costs are subsidized by the Council on Postsecondary Education with support from the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.

Two additional acquisitions models are currently being considered. These would augment, not replace, the core model currently in place.

Opt-in

Under the opt-in model, KYVL would work with vendors to coordinate group discounts for KYVL members for databases not available with the core collection. Participation would be optional, and costs would be passed through to participating libraries without KYVL subsidy.

Pledge model

Under the pledge model, libraries are invited to pledge toward shared acquisition of a resource for all KYVL member libraries. Under this model, some contribute and all benefit. KYVL borrows this model from the OhioLINK consortium, where it is known as the NPR model.

To implement the pledge model, KYVL would:

• Identify a database already licensed by or of interest to a substantial number of KYVL members.
• Determine the cost for statewide access.
• Poll members regarding what they would be willing to pay for access for their institution. Such polling might be followed by further negotiation of individual institutional costs.
• Solicit a firm commitment from pledging institutions for the agreed upon amount.

If the pledged funding were within range of the statewide cost, KYVL would pursue a statewide deal to add the databases to KYVL's resources for the year in question. If pledges were not in range, the database could be considered for acquisition under the opt-in model.

Members would have the option to alter their pledges from year to year, and statewide access be available only when pledges are sufficient.