This is posted to both Law-Lib and TEKNOIDS. Sorry for the
duplication.
Ohio State University Law Library is considering imposing
limits on the amount of Lexis and Westlaw printing by our
students. We have two WestLaser Printers (one for faculty and one
for students) and one Lexis Laser Printer (shared by faculty and
students). Currently, the law students have unlimited printing
privileges. 200-300 page print requests are not uncommon.
I spoke at length with our Westlaw and Lexis academic
representatives about the kinds of printing limitations that are
available. Strangely enough, after I spoke with the reps word got
out to the student body that printing limits were being
considered. :-> The library director and the associate dean have
both been visited by students opposed to printing limits. A
student petition may even be circulating through the law school.
I want to know how other law school libraries are dealing
with Lexis and Westlaw printing. If you reply to me directly I
will summarize for the list.
Below I have listed some of the printing options that I
discussed with our Westlaw and Lexis academic representatives.
OSU Law Library intends to impose as similar a printing
limitation as possible on both systems.
1. Line limits
Westlaw can impose a per day line limit on student
passwords. Once students reach that limit they are
unable to print again until the next day. We are
considering limiting students to 100 pages per day. Has
this worked well for anyone?
Mead cannot (or at least says that they cannot)
impose a similar line limit. I seem to remember that a
few years ago Mead did set line limits for print
requests. Can anyone confirm this for me?
2. TERM Mode and KWIC Mode printing
I suggested limiting students to printing only in TERM
and KWIC mode. Mead and West were quick to assure me
that this would require expensive reconfiguration of
Westlaw and Lexis. If you compare the expense of
reconfiguring the systems with the amount of money that
West and Mead have already and are continuing to pour
into providing, maintaining, and supplying law students
with laser printers and full text printing, I wonder
which of the two options is truly more expensive. Any
thoughts on this?
3. Attached printers v. Laser printers
Both Westlaw and Mead can eliminate the laser printers
from the offline print directory options screen.
Students would print only to the attached HP deskjet
printers, but would continue to have a full-text
printing option. Is anyone doing this? Is it working
well?
4. Screen print only
The last and least attractive of all options. Has
anyone tried this? Successfully????
Thanks for you help. I will be on vacation next week (just
in time to escape student wrath) but will summarize replies for
the list when I return April 26.
Cory Skurdal
Ohio State University Law Library
1659 North High Street
Columbus, OH 43210
(614-292-6691)
INTERNET ADDRESS: Cory+@osu.edu
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