Jason,
LEXIS already has an option called the "cost" feature, which allows
anyone on a transactional commercial account to type in ".co" and to see
an estimate of their on-line costs for the search. When I came to an
academic library from a firm library, I discovered that this feature was
not available to students I was teaching. When I inquired of our LEXIS
representative as to whether the feature could be activated, I was told
"no", and that academic law librarians across the country had indicated to
their company that they did not want this feature (I am quite sure they
didn't ask anyone here!). I continue to ask for it.
Mary Cornaby mcornaby@umabnet.ab.umd.edu
Research Librarian
Thurgood Marshall Law Library
University of Maryland School of Law
20 N. Paca St.
Baltimore, MD. 21201
On Wed, 16 Aug 1995,
JASON LEVINE wrote:
> William Grady:
>
> > Westlaw is sure easing law students into fiscal responsibility
> > slowly, in spite of Nick Trifin's comments. 25 hours per student at my
> > company's Westlaw rates would cost us over $5000 per month. 100,000
> > lines of print would set us back over $2000. And this, remember, is per
> > student at a school that may have 300-1000 students. Are you sure that
> > wasn't 25 hours per year?
> >
> > Beginning to limit law student usage is long overdue. Maybe Lexis
> > will follow suit and make an effective limitation. I sure hope so.
>
> As one who teaches CALR in addition to being a librarian, I'm very
> much in agreement with these comments. Not having seen the new
> terms, however, I cannot agree with the changes unless there is some
> mechanism to allow students who need greater access, such as those
> working on law reviews or on research projects for faculty, a means
> of exceeding the budget. Even more effective than Westlaw's action,
> however, would be implementation of what Professor David Sorkin at
> our law school has proposed: Electronically presenting the student
> with a "bill" showing what the Westlaw or Lexis session would have
> cost on a commerical account when the student signs off. It seems to
> me that such a system should not be to difficult for Westlaw and
> Lexis to implement.
>
> Jason Levine Internet: 8levine@jmls.edu
> Reference Librarian
> John Marshall Law School Library,
> 315 S. Plymouth Ct., Chicago, IL 60604
> (312) 427-2737
>
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