What is CARE ? At the end of 2005 CRUI (Conference of Rectors of

Italian Universities) assembly approved a 3 year project called CARE

CARE (Coordinamento per l’accesso alle risorse elettroniche) is a coordination group based on the experience of the 3 italian consortia to allow access to electronic resources

Board composition 12 members 1 representative for each consortia 2 representatives for each consortia users

organisation 3 people designated by CRUI (Conference

of Rectors of Italian Universities). The Care President is chosen from among them

Main objectives

Care was created to find a solution to two important needs of academic institutions

Buying electronic research and knowledge tools

Developing common initiatives for the universities, saving money by obtaining the best conditions from the publishers

Activities 1 In order to achieve its goals Care considers the following activities

important

Improving access and e-resources related services at national level

Promoting national deals

Negotiating best license clauses

Devising cost sharing models, proposing business models

Optimizing activities management concerning negotiations, acquisitions and agreements, thereby reducing the costs for institutions

Activities 2

Spreading information avoiding duplication, developing at the same time speed, degree and quality of knowledge

Acting on government VAT issues or other issues penalizing e-resources and their dissemination

Promoting national solutions for long term digital preservation

Maintaining contacts with national and international organisations acting in this area

Working groups and communication

CARE’s activities require working groups and the maximization of internal and external communication

Working groups based on member’s competences focused on common issues

Negotiation groups (direct or indirect negotiation of agreements)

Secretary’s office

Working groups and communication Working groups

Examples of working groups on common issues based on member’s competences

Downloads and subscriptions data harvesting working groupThis group collects and organizes the data regarding statistics on e-resourcesuse. The aim is to improve knowledge about real situation and university collection growth

policies

Contracts analysis working groupThis group evaluates foreign contracts. The goal is to identify the most fitting contract

models

Care’s website planning and developing working groupThe objective is to develop a site useful for CARE’s members (data and information storage)

and able to provide information about institutions documentation, best practices, studies for best e-resources accessing and managing as well

Working groups and communicationNegotiation groups

Different teams are in charge to negotiate directly with each publisher, reporting to the steering group during meetings or through related discussion lists

In the case of the Elsevier agreement we have chosen to rely on an external negotiator (Content Complete and a local consultant). The Italian mediator has been useful to keep CC up to date and aware about the situation in Italy

CARE Results Negotiations

Closed deals

Elsevier 2008-2012 (first italian national deal, through external negotiators)

Springer 2008-2011 (in house negotiators)Portico 2008-2013 (in house negotiators)

Newly started negotiationsBlackwell-Wiley (in house negotiators)

CARE results Non contractual activities

Producing documents like: E-resources financial and accounting treatment

recommendations Portico and Lockss digital preservation systems

analyses and reportsand Lobbying activities for e-resources VAT

reduction

Other CARE’s activities

CARE has outlined other high priority activities

Evaluation of the most recent EU norms concerning e-resources acquisition procedures

Suggesting guidelines to interpret the VAT norms concerning non EU acquisitions

Preparing a document on licensing principles