Dear All:

We’ve instituted a new streamed media policy here at Harvard that precludes delivering titles that are available via platforms such as Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix, etc.  The idea is that the vast majority of our students already subscribe, and in the case of rentals, the cost is low enough to be manageable for them.

I have at least one faculty member asking whether enterprise/institutional accounts are a possibility.  I can’t quickly find an indication that these exist for licensing, but also remember hearing something about a university going down this road.  We have Kanopy, but the Libraries have had to restrict access to a “by request only” basis in the last six months.

So, three questions:

1. Are any of your institutions licensing Netflix, Amazon Prime, or other commercial streaming service, and
2. If so, how does it work for the end user, and
3. What are the costs involved?

I think more and more of our institutions will be dealing with this issue of leased streaming content.  It’d be helpful, perhaps, to share perspectives.

Best, and thanks in advance!

a.

Andrew F. Ross, PhD

Director of the Language Center

Harvard University

Science Center B06.40

1 Oxford Street

Cambridge, MA 02138

(617) 496-0607

Pronouns: he, him, his