You should always ask the vendor for their boilerplate license agreement. Some of the things you should look for in the agreement are...
- Do you own the content in perpetuity? Read the language very carefully.
- What are the rights or responsibilities of the library or library consortium if the contract is not renewed? Don’t assume that the right to use forever the content you have purchased prior to the expiration of the current contract is sufficient. There may be lots of systems knowledge and software support that is needed to make that content usable if you discontinue your relationship with that particular vendor.
- Are the acceptable uses of the content by both the library and the end-user clearly stated?
- Which legal entities (individual or corporate entities) will be liable for legal or civil action if your end-users abuse the service in some way.
- What options are available to the library if it has to terminate the relationship prior to the conclusion of the contract period?
- What will happen if the vendor goes bankrupt or is no longer able to provide the downloadable digital audio service for any reason?