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 (such as JISC Collections) to consider the terms and costs of broader licence agreements; and possible sources of funding.

7.44. Two specific proposals have emerged from our discussions. The first would address the needs of those small companies and other organisations that are research-intensive and have close relationships with universities, including spin-out companies. Under the current licences negotiated under the NESLi2 initiative, the staff of such companies are not eligible for desktop access to content licensed by the university with which they have a relationship. But it is unlikely that the companies can afford large licence packages themselves, or the high cost of PPV. The proposal is that on the basis of an agreed definition of small businesses engaged in research and development, and in return for a relatively small extra fee, publishers might allow a university to provide access to researchers in such enterprises. The university itself could then decide how it would seek to recoup from the companies concerned the additional costs involved in the licence. Such a move would be in line with the recommendations of the Wilson Review on ways to improve collaboration between universities and business.

7.45. The advantages of such an approach would be that the staff in such enterprises would benefit from efficient and low-cost access; universities would strengthen their partnership with those enterprises; both would strengthen their contribution to research, innovation and economic growth; and the publishers would secure a small increase in revenue, with the potential for greater increases as the businesses grew.

Public libraries

7.46. The second proposal is that the major subscription-based publishers should license public libraries throughout the UK—and perhaps in addition those learned society libraries that are open to the public—to provide access to peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings at no charge, for ‘walk-in’ users on library premises. Provision through public libraries in this way would enhance the walk-in access already available via university libraries and would enable anyone to have access to peer-reviewed research literature at their local public library. At a time when public libraries are under severe pressure such a move will help to strengthen their position in the communities they serve, and lead to increased usage and value. It would have an immediate effect in extending access to the great majority of journals for the benefit of everyone in the country. Hence the proposal has been warmly welcomed by representatives of the public library sector.