What is CARE ?

1. 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

2. 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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Working groups and communicationWorking groups Examples of working groups on common issues based on member’s competences • Downloads and subscriptions data harvesting working group This group collects and organizes the data regarding statistics on e-resources use. The aim is to improve knowledge about real situation and university collection growth policies • Contracts analysis working group This group evaluates foreign contracts. The goal is to identify the most fitting contract models • Care’s website planning and developing working group The 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

8. 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

9. 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 negotiations • Blackwell-Wiley (in house negotiators)

10. CARE results Non contractual activities Producing documents like: • E-resources financial and accounting treatment recommendations • Portico and Lockss digital preservation systems analyses and reports and • Lobbying activities for e-resources VAT reduction

11. 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