Subscribe to EPIC resources
Find out about the EPIC subscription process and how it works for new and existing EPIC members. Learn about pricing, invoicing and the sub-licence agreements.
Change to EPIC subscription year
EPIC will be realigning the EPIC subscription year. This is to align the EPIC subscription year with all other National Library services.
From 2022, the EPIC subscription year will change:
- from 1 April–31 March
- to 1 July–30 June.
This means that in 2021-2022 there will be an extended 15-month subscription period — 1 April 2021–30 June 2022.
Subscribing for new EPIC members
New to EPIC and keen to subscribe? Start by deciding which EPIC resources you are interested in, and then email us with your choices. We will:
- send you a quote in New Zealand dollars, so that you know exactly what you will be paying for
- the quote will include the standard 5% administration fee
- pro-rate the quote if you are joining during the subscription year — see below for more about the subscription periods
- send you a sub-licence template to look at to review the terms and conditions.
If you are happy with the quote send us an email to tell us that you'd like to go ahead with subscribing to the resource.
We will then:
- arrange for the vendor to contact you and organise access to the resource
- send you an invoice in New Zealand dollars. The invoice will be from the Department of Internal Affair, not the vendor of the resource you have subscribed to.
- send you a sub-licence agreement to sign.
You need to sign the sub-licence agreement and email it to us. Keep a copy for yourself.
Subscription year timeframes
2021-2022 — the subscription year will run 1 April–30 June (15 months).
From 1 July 2022 — the subscription year will run 1 July–30 June (12 months).
Subscribing for existing EPIC members
Previously if you are an existing EPIC member you were required to complete an EPIC subscription confirmation form before each new subscription year. This may not be necessary for some members for the period 1 April 2021 to 30 June 2022.
As part of the fee waiver component of the New Zealand Libraries Partnership Programme EPIC member subscription fees have been waived for the period 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2022, except for some State sector organisations.
The State sector organisations not covered by the fee waiver are:
- Public Service departments and departmental agencies
- Non-Public Service departments in the State Services and in the wider State Sector
- Offices of Parliament.
These specified State sector organisations will continue to pay their subscription fees as usual.
New Zealand’s State sector organisations — State Services Commission list of organisations of the State sector.
When to complete an EPIC subscription confirmation form
In 2021, members will be required to complete an EPIC subscription confirmation form in the following situations.
State sector organisation
If you are a State sector organisation NOT covered by the fee waiver and you want to:
- renew 2020-2021 EPIC subscription options
- add new subscription options for 2021-2022.
Other EPIC members
If you are a current EPIC member library benefiting from the NZLPP fee waiver and you want to:
- add new subscription options for 2021-2022
- renew current EPIC subscriptions that are NOT covered by the NZLPP fee waiver
- cancel current EPIC subscriptions that they no longer want to continue in 2021-2022.
EPIC subscription pricing options (listed by vendor) and the EPIC subscription confirmation form for your sector can be accessed by logging in to your EPIC account.
Log in to your EPIC account
Create an EPIC account
EPIC subscription confirmation form
The EPIC subscription confirmation form will list all the subscription options available to your library sector.
You can subscribe to new resources. If you subscribe to a new resource the vendor will contact you to set up access to the new resource.
You can also choose to stop an EPIC subscription. On the confirmation form, add the resource you want to stop in the cancellation list. If you stop an EPIC subscription you need to remove links to the resources by 1 April.
Timeframe for sending EPIC subscription confirmation form
You need to send us the EPIC subscription confirmation form by the end of February. This is so that:
- The vendors have enough notice to implement all the subscription changes and updates by 1 April, which is the beginning of the new subscription year.
- We have binding commitments to the subscriptions selected by each member so that EPIC has an assurance of recovering the full subscription costs for the year from the membership when invoicing in May.
EPIC subscription is cancelled if no confirmation form sent
Some EPIC members are still be required to send us a confirmation form. If these organisations don't complete and return the confirmation form for the new subscription year their library’s EPIC membership and all subscriptions through EPIC will be cancelled for the new subscription year.
If you are not sure if you are required to send us a confirmation form get in touch to check.
When you cancel a subscription option, you’ll be required to remove links to these resources by 1 April.
Email EPIC — epic@epic.org.nz
Subscribing to an EPIC resource during the subscription year
It's easy for members to subscribe to resources during the EPIC subscription year, see below for information about the subscription year timeframes. You will only pay for the time you have subscribed to the EPIC resource (the pro-rated period).
Choose the EPIC resource you are interested in and then email us with your subscription request.
We will:
- Send you a quote in New Zealand dollars, excluding GST, for the pro-rated period.
- The quote will include the standard 5% administration fee.
If you are happy with the quote, email us to tell us that you'd like to go ahead with subscribing to the resource.
The vendor of your chosen subscription will then contact you directly to set up access to the new resource.
We will send you an invoice for the resource. The invoice will be from the Department of Internal Affairs not the vendor of the resource you have subscribed to. You will only be charged for the time you have subscribed to the resource.
Subscription year timeframes
2021-2022 — the subscription year will run 1 April–30 June (15 months).
From 1 July 2022 — the subscription year will run 1 July–30 June (12 months).
Email EPIC — epic@epic.org.nz
Sub-licence agreement for pro-rated subscriptions
The paperwork for a pro-rated subscription is different for existing and new members:
- Existing member — we will send you a product amendment to your existing sub-licence agreement to reflect the subscription addition.
- New member — we will send you a sub-licence agreement for you to sign and return to us (keep a copy for yourself).
EPIC pricing
You can email EPIC for a quote or have a look at the EPIC pricing. You need an EPIC account to see EPIC pricing and sub-licence agreements.
Create an EPIC account
EPIC pricing and sub-licence agreements
If you require clarification about the pricing options that are applicable to your library, email EPIC.
Email EPIC — epic@epic.org.nz.
Invoice and pricing in foreign currency
The subscription pricing information from vendors may be provided in foreign currency. If this is the case EPIC pays the consolidated invoices based on the foreign currency prices shown in the pricing information.
When you get the invoice, you will be charged in New Zealand dollars (plus GST), based on the exchange rate that applied at the time EPIC paid the consolidated invoice.
EPIC invoice
In May of the EPIC subscription year, we will send you a sub-licence agreement and invoice. The cost includes a standard 5% administration fee (in NZD plus GST). You need to:
- sign the sub-licence agreement,
- and email the signed sub-licence agreement to us (keep a copy for yourself).
The invoice you receive will be from the Department of Internal Affairs not the vendor of the resource you have subscribed to.
The final amount charged to you in New Zealand dollars is determined by exchange rates at the time the Department pays the foreign currency invoices.
EPIC members covered by the New Zealand Libraries Partnership fee waiver will NOT receive an invoice for the subscriptions covered by the fee waiver. They will receive a sub-licence renewal letter for signing.
Email EPIC — epic@epic.org.nz
Sub-licence agreements
All new EPIC member libraries are required to sign a sub-licence agreement with the Department of Internal Affairs for the supply of the electronic resource content provided in their EPIC subscription.
Schedule 2 of the sub-licence agreement includes the standard terms and conditions of use for resources available through EPIC. Some vendors have different terms and conditions and these are called 'Agreed Deviations from the Standard Terms and Conditions' (agreed deviation).
Check the agreed deviations to make sure you are clear about the terms and conditions for the resource you are subscribing to.
Agreed variations are listed on the EPIC pricing and sub-licence agreements page. You need an EPIC account to log in to this information.
EPIC pricing and sub-licence agreements
Create an EPIC account