The following message was sent to to ETAS Contacts at HathiTrust member libraries to share with our library community.
When we launched the Emergency Temporary Access Service (ETAS) two months ago, we did so rapidly and with the intent to support lawful access to as much of the HathiTrust corpus as possible. Since its launch, we’ve observed steady use of ETAS items across the membership and heard of its many benefits to member communities as they continue to teach, learn, and research. As we have written recently, we have committed to provide this support for you while these temporary emergency conditions affect your normal provision of collection access. As we evaluate usage of the service and new information becomes available, we may periodically need to alter functionality and terms of service.
We are now writing to inform you that, effective earlier today, an ETAS library user no longer has the option to download pages while using a temporary access title. This change is consistent with our policy of not enabling download of entire temporary access works. Nothing else has changed about the service, and your logged-in users may continue to view and read temporary access titles available via ETAS. Logged-in users continue to have the ability to download public domain and Creative Commons-licensed materials as usual. We encourage you to remove references to the ability to download ETAS pages in any materials you may have created.
Some users with print disabilities may have been downloading PDF pages in order to convert the pages to a more accessible format. We’d like to remind you that designated disabilities services officers on your campus are eligible for lawful access, including download, to any item in the HathiTrust collection on behalf of users with print disabilities.
HathiTrust provides the Accessible Text Request Service, which is designed specifically to permit access to copyrighted items for users with print disabilities. Your library may already use this service. If you are not set up to provide this service at your institution or would like more information, you may contact HathiTrust at feedback@nullissues.hathitrust.org.
HathiTrust is fervently committed to serving our members during this extended emergency, and we intend to continue providing lawful access to the HathiTrust corpus in as many ways as possible.
Thank you for your continued support of HathiTrust. We wish everyone in your community all the best during these challenging times.
Sandra McIntyre
Director of Services and Operations
HathiTrust