FAQ

The WALDO Board of Directors has voted to discontinue its operations as a 501c3 organization as a discrete entity and will gradually conclude operations during fiscal year 2023. Lyrasis, a nonprofit membership organization and WALDO’s fiscal and administrative partner, will integrate most of WALDO’s content licenses into its own substantial group licensing program. Following are answers to many Frequently Asked Questions. 

Update: November 28, 2022

The WALDO Board would like to address several questions it has received during the past few months regarding its relationship with Library Lever and ProConsort.

In 2000, WALDO, a 501(c)(3) library consortium based in New York, contracted with a company, ProConsort, to conduct business operations of the consortium.

In 2021, the WALDO Executive Board voted to discontinue its operational contract with ProConsort, which ended on July 31, 2022. WALDO signed a new agreement with Lyrasis, another 501(c)(3) library membership organization. Lyrasis transitioned WALDO’s licensed content portfolio and conducted business operations with WALDO members on behalf of the WALDO Board in 2021-22. WALDO communicated these changes to its constituents via email as well as through a series of meetings during the fall of 2021.

In mid-2022, the WALDO Executive Board voted to dissolve the WALDO organization and wind down operations. Lyrasis and the WALDO Board signed an agreement stating the terms of their continuing relationship through June 30, 2023, with a goal of providing WALDO members with a smooth and efficient way to participate in Lyrasis product groups in the years ahead.

In early 2022, a former employee of ProConsort established a new library services program, Library Lever: LibraryLever.com.

In late 2022, the ProConsort company announced that it is also continuing a library services program: ProConsort.com.

All contracts and member agreements for WALDO services were between WALDO and the vendors and libraries. We want to clarify that neither WALDO nor Lyrasis has any formal relationship with either Library Lever or ProConsort.

Should you have any questions about WALDO organizational matters, please contact the WALDO Executive Board President at waldopresident@gmail.com.

If you have questions regarding current licensed products, please contact Lyrasis Member Services at membersupport@lyrasis.org.

Susanne Markgren

Manhattan College

WALDO Executive Board President

How do I let you know if my library will or will not be joining Lyrasis?

If your library plans on joining Lyrasis, all you need to do is fill out our online membership application. We do not require libraries to sign an agreement to join. We will invoice your library for membership dues after July 1. If you would like your membership invoice sooner, please contact Teddy Gray (teddy.gray@lyrasis.org)

If your library does not plan on joining Lyrasis, please contact Teddy Gray (teddy.gray@lyrasis.org) with your decision.

Will renewal notices come from Lyrasis now?

Yes. All subscription renewals with terms beginning January 1, 2022, or later, will be managed by Lyrasis. Lyrasis will send notices approximately 90 days prior to subscription end, depending on when vendor pricing is received. 

Will invoices come from Lyrasis now?

Yes. Lyrasis will issue invoices for your WALDO subscriptions renewing January 1, 2022 and later. 

Is there a different address for making payments?

Yes. Please pay special attention to the remittance address on our invoices. There is a different Payee – LYRASIS - and bank account information for sending payments. 

My business office needs to set up Lyrasis as a vendor in our system. Where can I get a W-9?

Click here for the Lyrasis W-9

Our business office sometimes takes several months to pay for invoices. What are Lyrasis’ payment terms?

Lyrasis’ payment terms are net 30. As a courtesy, Lyrasis sends out monthly statements to alert members of outstanding invoices. If you receive a statement, please know that it is simply a reminder that you have invoice(s) outstanding.  We do not charge late fees. 

Is my institution now a Lyrasis member because of the change in WALDO administrators?

Current WALDO libraries will have a one-year trial membership to participate in the Lyrasis group licensing program through June 30, 2023. After that date, WALDO libraries who are not current Lyrasis members will need to pay membership fees in order to continue participation in the group licensing program. Lyrasis membership conveys a wide array of benefits that extend beyond the e-resource negotiation and administration. 

Will libraries need to become Lyrasis members to have access to the WALDO agreements?

The current WALDO agreements/contracts are between the WALDO Board and the vendors. Lyrasis staff will be working throughout the fall 2022 and spring 2023, prior to June 30, 2023, to integrate the contracts with current Lyrasis agreements. Current WALDO libraries will have a one-year trial membership to participate in the Lyrasis group licensing program through June 30, 2023. After that date, WALDO libraries who are not current Lyrasis members will need to pay membership fees in order to continue participation in the group licensing program. 

Who will we work with under the new arrangement? 

  • Please contact Member Support at membersupport@lyrasis.org with any questions. 
  • Chat service is also available at with a link at the bottom right of every page at waldo.lyrasis.org or https://lyrasis.org. 

Can my library take advantage of product offers in the Lyrasis portfolio without being a Lyrasis member? 

Through June 30, 2023, WALDO members may order products through Lyrasis in the same manner as a Lyrasis member. Beginning July 1, 2023, Lyrasis membership dues are required in order to continue participating. 

How do I report lost access to an electronic resource? 

Please send an email to membersupport@lyrasis.org with a description of the error or issue and a screen shot if possible. We will send an urgent message to the vendor for help and track progress until resolved. 

Will "WALDO" the organization continue to exist? 

The WALDO Board of Directors has voted to discontinue its operations as a 501c3 organization and will bring operations to an end during fiscal year 2023 or shortly thereafter. 

Why did WALDO decide to make these administrative changes? 

Members were notified of the WALDO administrative changes in July. Click here for the announcement explaining the changes. 

Will every WALDO library need to pay Lyrasis membership dues? What is the amount based on, and what can we expect to pay? Is the annual membership due based on a sliding scale? 

All libraries participating in Lyrasis group licenses must become Lyrasis members no later than July 1, 2023. Annual membership dues are calculated based on the library’s operating budget. Standard membership dues have remained flat for the past ten years and range from $460 to $1,725. Learn more about membership dues.  

Is the "Member Operating Budget" for the library specifically for the institution that we are a part of as a whole? Does the operating budget include salaries and benefits? 

Lyrasis membership tiers are based on the member’s operating budget. “Member” generally refers only to the library—not to the entire college or parent institution. “Operating budgets” should include salaries and benefits. Learn how to calculate your operating budget.  

We are a member of another consortium. Is Lyrasis redundant to that? 

Lyrasis works at a larger scale than many other consortia and provides a distinctive set of services and benefits, including open source communities, technology hosting services, and more. Every consortium provides distinctive benefits, and we know that every library needs to make decisions about its consortial memberships based on what is right for that library. If we can support your decision-making in any way, please contact membersupport@lyrasis.org.  

We are already part of a multiyear deal for licensed content, before WALDO announced its decision to cease operations. Will Lyrasis honor this deal? 

Yes. If your library entered into a multiyear license agreement before the fall of 2022, Lyrasis will honor that arrangement. Only multiyear deals with a start date on or after January 1, 2023, will require participating libraries to commit to Lyrasis membership. 

My library has been offered a multiyear agreement via Lyrasis starting in January 2023. When do I need to decide about becoming a Lyrasis member? 

To participate in any multiyear deal beginning in January 2023, libraries should notify membersupport@lyrasis.org before January 1, 2023, of their intention to become a Lyrasis member. Note that this guidance applies only to new multiyear deals. Annual renewals and existing multiyear agreements do NOT require a membership commitment by January 1, 2023. 

Does my library have a designated contact person at Lyrasis? 

Lyrasis staff are physically located across North America and support our members in all geographic regions of the U.S. and Canada. Please contact membersupport@lyrasis.org for assistance. 

If we work out deals directly with a vendor, can you help us with invoicing only? Or does every deal have to be available to all members? 

Lyrasis does not do invoicing only; if you choose to subscribe directly through the vendor, then invoicing would need to be handled between your institution and the vendor.

Do the membership rates stay mostly flat from year to year or are there annual increases? 

We have held membership dues flat for the past ten years without increase. 

Is there any option for a group purchase only “track” at no or reduced membership cost? 

To participate in group purchases after July 1, 2023, libraries must become a Lyrasis members. Lyrasis does not offer membership tiers or affiliate status for purchasing only. 

Many of us have serious concerns that transformative agreements often result, long term, in less access for schools where research is not a huge priority. Of course, I realize this is an issue the whole field is debating. But how do we join your conversations? 

We are keenly aware of uncertainties and concerns around open access, particularly for institutions where research is not necessarily the top priority. We will strive for cost-neutral, sustainable, and equitable deals that add value for all types of institutions. Because Lyrasis and WALDO membership includes many smaller and more teaching-oriented institutions, we believe that Lyrasis can be a critical proving ground for models that incorporate open access in ways that are appropriate for diverse institutions. We are exploring ways to engage more closely with member libraries around these questions. For example, we will host meetings and webinars for subscribers to journal deals that offer Open models to help us evaluate those opportunities. We encourage you to contact membersupport@lyrasis.org with questions, ideas, or feedback. 

Is there an agreement that needs to be executed to become a Lyrasis member? 

No, Lyrasis does not require libraries to sign an agreement to join. 

Would membership affect our ArchivesSpace hosting? 

Member institutions receive a 5-10% discount off ArchivesSpace hosting by Lyrasis. 

What are the dates of your fiscal year? 

Lyrasis's fiscal year runs July 1 through June 30. 

Can we pay multiple vendors and multiple invoices on a single PO through Lyrasis? 

Yes, Lyrasis is happy to invoice your institution under a single PO for multiple vendors or invoices. Please contact membersupport@lyrasis.org for assistance. 

My library is part of a large university system or consortium. Can we join Lyrasis as a group? 

Potentially—please contact membersupport@lyrasis.org to discuss your needs. 

Could you please explain your administrative fees? 

Administrative fees are the amount of money Lyrasis retains as part of a transaction to support its operations. We have a variety of approaches we use to calculate administrative fees, and we do not favor one approach over another. Most often, we work with whichever method fits the best within a vendor’s customary administrative process. Regardless of the ways in which administrative costs are covered, there is no difference in how we work with our members to build groups around products in our portfolio. Our membership dues have not been raised in more than 10 years, and we remain a sustainable non-profit organization by funding ourselves through a combination of membership dues and administrative fees. 

My library subscribes to a journal package through Lyrasis. Can I pay through a billing agent such as Harrassowitz or EBSCO?

If your library paid through an agent last year, you may do so again this year. However, if you have not previously paid through an agent or if you are joining a new journal deal for 2023, Lyrasis will invoice your library directly. In keeping with longstanding WALDO practices, this agent billing policy helps streamline our internal workflows and strengthens our ability to negotiate better publisher deals on your behalf.

Does Lyrasis have central license agreements for all the group deals?

We have central license agreements for many but not all our group deals, and we are working to add more. If there is a central license agreement, we will typically ask your library to accept its terms via email at time of renewal. 

What listservs do you host for communication about your content licensing program and how do I subscribe?

The following three lists may be of interest to WALDO libraries. All three are low-traffic and not discussion lists.

  • WALDO: This list is exclusively reserved for WALDO libraries. Lyrasis uses it to post WALDO-specific news, such as messages about upcoming webinars and vendor updates. To subscribe, please contact Jill Grogg directly at jill.grogg@lyrasis.org.
  • Lyroffers: This list is open to Lyrasis members and is used to share information on all Lyrasis scholarly content activities, including news and announcements about Lyrasis group licensing, featured offers, and new programs, including Open Access initiatives. You can subscribe to this list at this link: http://lyralists.lyrasis.org/mailman/listinfo/lyroffers#sthash.N36ZKSmd.dpuf. If your library decides not to become a Lyrasis member, you will be removed from this list after June 30, 2023.
  • Lyropen: This list is open to all worldwide and is used to share updates and information about Lyrasis activities in support of open content, open source software, and related services. You can subscribe at this link: http://lyralists.lyrasis.org/mailman/listinfo/lyropen

Will Lyrasis continue relationships with all WALDO vendors and publishers?

Many vendors from the WALDO portfolio were not previously a part of the Lyrasis portfolio. After a period of evaluation, we have determined that the following unique-to-WALDO vendors will not be incorporated into the Lyrasis portfolio:

  • Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD)
  • CountryWatch
  • ExamMaster
  • DataAxle (formerly Infogroup)
  • Information Today
  • MA Healthcare
  • Mango
  • NewsBank
  • Psychotherapy.net
  • SBRNet
  • TeachingBooks
  • Third Iron

This means that, in lieu of ordering their products through Lyrasis, WALDO libraries will be contacted by the vendor to order directly through them. For the majority of these vendors, the change is effective immediately. For two of these vendors – CountryWatch and Psychotherapy.net – Lyrasis will process their renewals for January 2023 only, after which users will order directly from the vendors.  All vendors have been informed of this change and are prepared to handle WALDO-related orders accordingly.

As we have moved to combine the WALDO and Lyrasis licensing portfolios, we have been evaluating each vendor unique to WALDO to see if we can sustainably incorporate their services/products into our own system. There are several reasons why we may not have been able to incorporate a vendor into our portfolio, including, but not limited to: an inability to provide a distinct financial advantage to our members, an inability to sustainably cover our costs to administer an offer, or an inability to agree with a vendor on terms that align with our Content and Scholarly Communications Initiatives (CSCI) team stated values.

Sustainability is a major concern for our organization. We do not receive local, state, or federal subsidies in order to exist, and therefore every partnership that we enter into must exist and fund itself independently. For us, this is a matter of equity – we do not want some organizations paying more for certain products for other products to be included in our portfolio. Each offer should provide value to our institutions, regardless of size.