Perceived knowledge of contract terms in library license agreements: A study of academic libraries in Hong Kong

In license agreements, library-related terms such as the provision of perpetual access, the definition of authorized users and permitted uses are things librarians commonly look at. Yet, do librarians know what other legal obligations they are actually signing up for? Many clauses may seem standard components to a business contract, but are devils in the details? To understand how librarians review license agreements and to identify knowledge gaps on non-library-specific contract terms in librarians' mental process, a survey was conducted with personnel in academic libraries in Hong Kong who had job responsibilities in licensing. The findings revealed that participants generally do not have an adequate understanding of the contract terms concerned. All institutions do not have regular access to legal advice. All participants did not have training in contracts or licensing. Based on this result, the author advocates more attention and training to be placed in business law, contract formation and licensing. Alternatively, established regular access to legal services would be essential to avoid potential disputes or liabilities.