Westlaw has decided to discontinue providing free printers and associated supplies (paper, ink) to law school libraries in Puerto Rico. Westlaw provides these to other law schools on the U.S. mainland, and did provide them to the four Puerto Rican law schools until the end of last academic year.
Why? Supposedly because the usage levels at law schools in Puerto Rico were too high (i.e., too costly to Westlaw). Westlaw has refused to negotiate with librarians at University of Puerto Rico Law School, who are willing to accept the per student caps on paper and ink usage that are in force at other schools.
Some law professors in Puerto Rico have vowed to stop using Thomson Reuters texts unless the company immediately changes its policy and agrees to provide services to Puerto Rico law schools on terms similar to those offered to U.S.-mainland schools.
Law professors who assign this publisher’s texts or write for this company may be interested in this development.
-Bridget Crawford
