Nylink Closure FAQ
Last Updated: August 23, 2010
General and Membership
Why is Nylink ceasing to operate?
Steep declines in Nylink’s revenue as a result of fundamental changes in its business environment seriously degraded Nylink’s ability to remain fully self-supporting. Although Nylink is a part of the State University of New York System, it must be fully self-supporting from fees and revenues derived from services it delivers to members.
When is Nylink ceasing to operate?
Nylink will phase out its operations through June 2011. During this period, Nylink staff will be working to assure a smooth transition of its key services to other organizations that can support members’ needs.
Please click on “Read more” for the rest of the FAQ
I am used to calling Nylink staff when I have a problem or question—who do I call now?
Nylink members can continue to call Nylink us; we will be communicating with our members about who to contact for specific services after the transition.
What will happen to Nylink’s staff? I’ve worked with some of them for years.
Staff of Nylink will continue to serve members during the coming months. As SUNY employees, they will be provided with outplacement support during that period as well.
Is my library obligated to pay the balance on our Nylink bill?
Yes, you must pay for services already received, as well as for services you will continue to receive through the applicable subscription term(s).
Is Nylink in a deficit?
No, we are supplementing our revenue with reserve funds to maintain operation during this transitional period.
My library is a Nylink member and has paid membership dues through June 30, 2010. Will our membership be refunded?
No, the membership dues you paid for 2009-2010 supported the services Nylink provided through June 30, 2010.
Will I be charged membership dues for 2010-2011?
We have ceased charging member dues as of June 30, 2010.
Is another organization taking over Nylink?
No organization can “take over” Nylink, which is part of the State University of New York System and not an independent organization like many other networks throughout the U.S. While some regional networks have merged or otherwise changed their structure, Nylink was not free to do so. However, we will be working with our members and with other organizations capable of providing similar services to absorb some of our functions.
Should we switch our library’s OCLC billing over to OCLC directly at this time?
That is an option, however, we are also looking at other options that could provide a smooth transition for you. In the meantime, we will continue to provide billing services for our member libraries.
Databases and Services
My library has paid for subscriptions from various vendors through Nylink already—will we lose access?
No; your access will continue through your existing subscription term.
If I want to switch my subscriptions from Nylink to another provider, do I have to let Nylink know?
Yes, nothing has changed with that process. Please do one of the following: Send an email message to services (at) nylink.org, use the question feature of the My Nylink Electronic Resources renewal portal to send us a message, or indicate this when you submit your renewals or cancellations via My Nylink. We want to hear from *you* if you are making changes, not from a third party, so that we can make sure we have clear and accurate information about what you want.
My library gets OCLC services through Nylink—will we lose access?
No; your access will continue through your existing subscription term. In addition, Nylink will continue to provide OCLC billing services through June 30, 2011. This includes billing for all OCLC services, including Cataloging and Resource Sharing. There are no additional fees or surcharges assessed by Nylink for any OCLC services. Libraries have the next year to consider all of their options to be billed for these services in the future.
My library has bought (Springer, NetLibrary, Oxford, etc.) eBooks through Nylink. Will my library still have access to them?
Yes. Terms and Conditions, Subscriber Agreements, and Licenses are between your library and the vendor or aggregator providing service. Nylink’s pending closure does not affect your agreements.
My library is a True Serials customer. What is the transition plan?
True Serials team Lauren Pinsley and Luke Williams will continue to provide their trademark high level of in-depth service and support as the new co-proprietors of independent start-up TrueSerials.com. The team met with the New York Public Integrity Commission and Nylink leadership before taking this step. Thanks to their efforts, True Serials is now running on its own servers, and has a dedicated website at http://trueserials.com.
What will happen to the Nylink Reciprocal ILL Agreement (ZERO) after June 2011?
The Nylink Reciprocal ILL Agreement has been in existence for 20 years and includes over 215 participants. We know that this reciprocal group is valued by its participants, so we are working to find another library organization to administer ZERO.
LAND
My library uses the LAND delivery service—will it continue to operate?
LAND service will continue to be available to current users through the expiration of Nylink’s current contract with its courier on 12/31/2010. We will work to find an appropriate organization that may operate a service like LAND for New York libraries.
Educational Services and Events
How long will you continue to offer training classes and consulting?
Nylink will continue to offer training classes (scheduled and on-demand, both online and face-to-face), based on staff availability. Consulting services will continue to be offered based on staff availability.
Where can I go for training on cataloging, resource sharing, digitization, etc.?
There are be many options including through New York’s 3R’s organizations, and other library service organizations around the country. Nylink will continue to offer training classes (scheduled and on-demand, both online and face-to-face) , based on staff availability.
I’ve registered for an upcoming Nylink class. Will that class still be held?
Yes, where enrollment meets our normal required levels just as in previous cases.
Related post: Nylink to Wind Down Operations Over Next 12 Months
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Nylink To Close Its Doors in a Year « — May 17, 2010 @ 8:59 pm
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By Sally Murray, May 18, 2010 @ 4:08 am
I appreciate Nylink and have only begun working with you recently – True Serials is wonderful and I hope it finds a suitable home. I am VERY sorry that you will be closing. You have been doing an extraordinary service to your members.
By Clare Cohn, June 23, 2010 @ 11:48 am
Will NYLINK’s website continue to exist, particularly for past newsletters and such? Your site as well as your strong staff who’ve trained us all these years, are such a wealth of information, it is hard to imagine going forth without you.
By Jen, June 23, 2010 @ 12:45 pm
Clare, thanks for your comment. While Nylink’s website may outlast us for a little while (we’re looking into the logistics of that), it will most likely not continue to be available for long after we close. If there is content you might like to have continued access to, we encourage you to download it now. The FAQ will be updated once we have a firm answer on the fate of our server.