ACQNET v1n078 (May 20, 1991) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/serials/stacks/acqnet/acq-v1n078 ACQNET, Vol 1, No. 78, May 20, 1991 =================================== (1) FROM: Christian SUBJECT: Who's new on ACQNET today (15 lines) (2) FROM: Marylou Hale SUBJECT: ACQNET, paraprofessional's information needs (27 lines) (3) FROM: David James SUBJECT: Acquisitions profession, library profession (36 lines) (4) FROM: Carol Hawks SUBJECT: CD-ROM product licensing agreements (17 lines) (5) FROM: Carol Hawks SUBJECT: Expert systems for acquisitions (10 lines) (6) FROM: Joyce Ogburn SUBJECT: Library profiles (12 lines) (1) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: May 20, 1991 From: Christian Subject: Who's new on ACQNET today Our 202nd member, that's who: Caroline Killens Head, Acquisitions Department University of Georgia Library E-mail: CKILLENS@UGA.BITNET I missed the 200th. It was either Gail Kennedy or Kathryn Soupiset. Anyway, there's a lot more of us than I though there would be by this time when we started five short months ago. I'll do another profile of our membership when we are 6 months-old. (2) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 20 May 91 09:20:55 -0700 From: Marylou Hale Subject: ACQNET My name is Marylou Hale and I am the order supervisor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). It is a paraprofessional position, and as such, I don't get to very many conferences. I am new at this e-mail stuff and Christian asked me to write about the problems of being new at that game. My reasons for joining the ACQNET are both professional and personal. Being in Las Vegas, and not having a good attendance record at conferences, makes me somewhat isolated in the profession. ACQNET was a hopeful attempt at becoming more in touch with the reality of Acquisitions. My personal reason for joining concerns my future plans. Sometime within the next five years, I would like to attend library school and rumor has it that some schools are closing or for some other reason, won't be around. Recently, I conducted a study at UNLV for ALA regarding the perceptions of the paraprofessionals on the staff. One theme was expressed quite often. This theme was stated by those working in all aspects of the library and was the lack of training for paraprofessionals. It made me realize that I, too, was living in my own blissful world. I wasn't as "in touch" with my chosen profession as I thought I was, I didn't know critical issues of Acquisitions, and I had no idea of what problems existed outside UNLV (although reading some of the ACQNET colums on gifts, collection development and price increases enforced the idea that some are universal). I felt my job performance might be enhanced by being on the ACQNET. My tunnel vision has been significantly reduced since I started reading ACQNET. And that is good. (3) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 19 May 91 14:05:21 EST From: David James Subject: Acquisitions Professionalism As I read my colleagues' thoughts on the profession of acquisitions librarian- ship and on the tensions between Collection Development and Acquisitions, a current kept running through my mind - there is a connecting issue here. I think I know what it is, although my stating it may stir up a hornet's nest. First, I will offer my opinion that the problem between CD and Acquisitions is the perception by CD people that they are doing the "intellectual" work and Acquisitions people are bureaucrats. Acquisitions people, on the other hand, tend to regard many CD people as impractical, unrealistic, and (unreasonably?) demanding. I'm stating extremes here to make the point clear. Underlying this tension and underlying the problem acquisitions librarians have in getting the respect they feel they need generally from the profession is an even more basic problem - the paranoia resulting from the fact that librarian- ship itself is a profession which is struggling for recognition as a profes- sion. Whereas we believe that we are professionals, there are a lot of people who would disagree and we are keenly aware of that. Those of us in academia are well aware of the lack of respect accorded librarianship by faculty. While this isn't universal, very few consider us really equals. Allen Veaner deals with this very well in _ACADEMIC LIBRARIANSHIP IN A TRANSFORMATIONAL AGE_. My point is that every type of librarianship - academic, public, school, or special - has its own battle for recognition and that struggle colors to a greater or lesser extent the outlook of the members of the profession. There is an insecurity about status that makes us seek status over other members of the profession to justify our own professional image. I'm not saying that all librarians are paranoid or that we're engaged in a continual pecking order fight, but I firmly believe that the insecurity of the profession itself has a lot to do with both these problems which we have discussed so much. Now, I'll sit back and wait for the howls of outrage. (4) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 19 May 91 16:43 EDT From: "Carol P. Hawks" To: Christian Subject: Boilerplate license agreements We are currently working with our Contracts Office concerning a number of licenses for CD-ROM products which we are running on a network inside the main library and through the campus network. I have heard that some libraries have developed "boilerplate" licenses that are pre-approved by their campuses and can be sent to the vendor in lieu of the vendor's license. Do any of you have any such thing? And if so, can I get a copy? My address is: 1858 Neil Avenue Mall, Columbus, OH 43210-1286. Thanks. (5) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 19 May 91 16:59 EDT From: "Carol P. Hawks" Subject: Expert systems for acquisitions Just to follow up on one of Joyce Ogburn's comments that "computers are not yet advanced enough to handle expert systems for acquisitions decisions." Pam Zager at Iowa State has been developing an expert system to facilitate vendor selection for monograph orders. She will present her research at Feather River later this month with subsequent publication in _Library Acquisitions: Practice & Theory_. (6) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 20 May 91 12:11:57 U From: "Joyce Ogburn" Subject: Library profiles At one time I had queried readers about contributing to a column in _Against the Grain_ called Library Profile. This column gives us an opportunity to share more about our collection development and acquisitions organizations. Only one volunteer responded to this query. If you would like to contribute or have any comments about the value of such a column to you, please contact me on e-mail. I need to know whether it is worth continuing as it is. Thanks. ***** END OF FILE ***** END OF FILE ***** END OF FILE ***** END OF FILE *****