FAQs

As Alma is an Electronic Resources Management system, SUNY Library Services (SLS) encourages everyone to add the financial infrastructure to assess cost per use, even if the product is part of SUNYConnect.

There are a few options:

• Use EBSCO or Proquest (AVON) as the vendor and create an account for SUNY Connect
• Use SUNY as the vendor, and create an account for SUNY Connect for the account.
  • This method could probably include some other accounts for other items.

Reasons you might want to do one vs. the other?

SUNY as vendor:
If you buy a lot of SUNY negotiated things, such as StatRef! or other packages, you may want to calculate the total SUNY spend. This may be a good strategy for institutions where you have to closely review your recharge statements.

You could then compare SUNY connect charges and other data points from vendor to vendor.

EBSCO or Proquest as vendor: 
This would be a good way not to make SUNYConnect different than other resources, as the vendor would be the one providing the subscription/access, etc.

SLS suggests looking at how you're handling other consortial deals, and make SUNYConnect sync up with how you're handling those. SUNYConnect is just a consortial package deal, so why treat it differently?

Whatever you do, SLS suggests making sure you know what your local timelines are for recharge reconciliation, etc. SLS suggests that campuses connect "SUNYConnect" to the negotiated SUNYConnect databases, and realize that there are other e-resource packages, journals, ebook packages, and perpetual content that is not SUNYConnect, but is a group purchase in SUNY. And, those would need to be managed in a way that is consistent with how you're managing other resources.