Please why doesn't one of these giants (AHA Journals, Ovid, LWW, Highwire) figure out an established policy for getting online access to the AHA Journals through Highwire!!! Once they do that, then they should inform all of their customer service reps. so that you don't have to get transferred multiple times to some soul that you hope might have the correct information.

I just spoke with a librarian at another medical library. Her library has paid access to the AHA journals through Ovid. The problem is that Ovid (who is owned by the LWW) is not giving the subscribers access to the pre-published articles. HOWEVER, if you had online access to the AHA journals through Highwire you get the pre-published articles. This library was told that they would have to pay TWICE so they could get access to the AHA journals through Highwire, just so they could get the pre-published articles.

First problem: Customer Service doesn't know!
When I have spoken to anybody in customer service at AHA Journals, Ovid, LWW, or Highwire, not one person has given me correct or reliable answers. Plus each person has told me to contact the other's customer service department.

Second problem: Unequal Access!
You pay big bucks to have online access to the AHA journals through Ovid. You are told this will include everything, IN FACT if you go to Ovid's site there is no mention of pre-published materials for the AHA journals. It lists them as 1993-Present! But, you don't get the pre-published material that your users want. However, when if have access to the AHA journals through the AHA site you get access to the pre-published material. OVID GET WITH IT! GET THE PRE-PUBLISHED MATERIAL! This is not a new phenomenon or a sudden news flash that you are missing the pre-published material.

Why would a library pay for access to the AHA journals through Ovid, when they can pay to have access through Highwire?!?! Personally, it isn't worth having the AHA Journals through Ovid. Users hate browsing for journal articles on Ovid (from my experience) and the material (the pre-published articles) isn't available.

Really this kind of service reflects poorly on the AHA and Ovid. However, our users (physicians) who are interested in publishing are going to notice this more as a reflection of poor service from AHA. Our physicians know the AHA better than they know Ovid, after all they submit their articles to the AHA not Ovid.

I invite somebody to please settle this problem. I would love for somebody from Ovid or the AHA to comment or contact me regarding this issue. Ever since LWW decided to move their publications to Ovid for institutional access, there has been nothing but problems.