MarketPerpetual access
Company Profile

Perpetual access

Perpetual access is the stated continuous access of licensed electronic material after it is no longer accessible through an active paid subscription either through the library or publisher action. In many cases, the two parties involved in the license agree that it is necessary for the license to retain access to these materials after the license has lapsed. Other terms for perpetual access or similar trains of thought are 'post-cancellation access' and 'continuing access.'

Concerns
With license agreements for perpetual access, communication between publishers and libraries is a large part of this process, as agreement terms and policy understanding are not always clear. Licensing agreements do not always include perpetual access. In addition to this, because of the complexity involving perpetual access, libraries may find the choice to use electronic material with no understanding of how it may be used when access is gone, as it may be the only option available. Link rot, negligence or denial of domain renewal, or closing of information source are some examples of technical issues that directly effect the ability to maintain perpetual access. Issues like these for both perpetual access and with digital preservation have garnered some more recent attention through single discipline efforts or government level. One example is the Keepers Registry, which equips libraries with resources to help them navigate perpetual access and digital preservation topics as a whole. Despite the cost effectiveness of utilizing electronic material in place of print, the cost of maintaining that electronic material is a hindrance on the other end of the spectrum for a library's ability to opt for and maintain perpetual access, both in terms of time and staffing limitations. This in turn creates a barrier in the need for continuous efforts by libraries to maintain and monitor the materials if perpetual access beyond the sole act of perpetual access being granted. == Related initiatives ==
Related initiatives
Several initiatives have developed methods in which to retain electronic documents and retain perpetual access. The most notable of these are the LOCKSS program, the CLOCKSS (Controlled LOCKSS), and the Ithaka Portico program. == See also ==
tickerdossier.comtickerdossier.substack.com