Update on IngentaConnect renewals and gracing

This time last year, we wrote this article outlining the problems faced by librarians during the annual renewals process, and the policies Ingenta has formulated to try and ensure minimum disruption to electronic access at this time. However, despite our guidelines, some publishers did not provide us with the necessary subscription data to ensure smooth 2004–05 renewals for their library customers.

Therefore, we have further refined our gracing policy this year and made it more granular, to ensure all our publishers are fully aware of each step of the process, the importance of timeliness in their provision of data to us, and the global benefits of implementing a comprehensive and flexible strategy. We are pleased to report that our seven-step plan, detailed below, is progressing well:

1. Towards the end of 2005, we set up gracing licences which immediately enabled access to 2006 content.
2. During January and February, publishers supply us with updated subscription files – and we advise them to continue using existing subscriber numbers . A reminder email was sent to publishers during January; most publishers have already supplied us with their 2006 renewals data.
3. We will shortly be sending a final reminder to publishers, which will include a list of unrenewed libraries . We will be asking publishers to provide updated files as soon as possible.
4. We will then email all "unrenewed" subscribers, noting that we have yet to receive your renewal details from the relevant publishers, asking that you also contact the publisher to ensure that these details are passed to us in the appropriate fashion, and informing you that your gracing runs out in one month's time.
5. Towards the end of March, we will send out our last notice to publishers .
6. We will then send a second email to all unrenewed subscribers , with a similar message, to let you know that your access is graced until the end of March, but that unless we receive renewals details from the publisher, we will be obliged to terminate graced access (to 2006 content) at that point.
7. At the end of March, we will inform you of any titles to which your access has not been renewed and to which your graced access has now been terminated.

We hope that this more detailed plan, and our continued communication of it to publishers, will ensure a smooth renewals process for you in 2006. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our customer service team, help@ingentaconnect.com.