ACQNET v2n014 (February 4, 1992) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/serials/stacks/acqnet/acq-v2n014 ISSN: 1057-5308 *************** ACQNET, Vol. 2, No. 14, February 4, 1992 ======================================== (1) FROM: Christian SUBJECT: Who's new on ACQNET today (23 lines) (2) FROM: Richard Ring SUBJECT: Serials to monographs ratio (40 lines) (3) FROM: Terry Allison SUBJECT: Firm order returns (12 lines) (4) FROM: Thelma Diercks SUBJECT: Pepper National Music Network, music scores (11 lines) (5) FROM: Doug Duchin SUBJECT: Broussac (7 lines) (6) FROM: Mary McLaren SUBJECT: Security strips (16 lines) (7) FROM: Deborah Fetch SUBJECT: American Book Company, Washington, DC (9 lines) (8) FROM: October Ivins SUBJECT: _Serials Review_ contents (31 lines) (1) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: February 4, 1992 From: Christian Subject: Who's new on ACQNET today Patricia Gallant History, Social Sciences and Theology Cataloguer Acadia University Library E-mail: CAT2@ADMIN.ACADIAU.CA Ken Barksdale Coordinator of Collection Development Eastern Kentucky University Library E-mail: LIBBARKS@EKU.BITNET Jian Liu Student Indiana Univ. School of Library & Info. Science E-mail: JILIU@IUBACS.BITNET John P. Mulvaney Collection Development Librarian Mary Washington College E-mail: JMULVANE@S850.MWC.EDU (2) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 03 Feb 92 13:10:30 CST From: Rich Ring Subject: Books vs. Serials Several years ago I gave a paper (subsequently published) on the question of the serials percentages in the library materials budget. I believe (still) that the notion "that books and serials have a certain percentage of the budget...is a kind of administrative shorthand. It assumes that there is, or should be, some normal or rational percentage for serial expenditures, and that allowing serial expenditures to increase beyond that normal point is a 'bad' thing." I argue that "there is no such normal point. The notion has no real meaning except in the context of a particular library, and that even in that context it is not a fixed or fixable figure, but always the sum of many individual, subject-specific decisions." Many reasons for favoring serials over books exist in libraries, despite the fact that book prices have risen almost as rapidly as serial prices (at until last year's double-digit serials increases). 1. It is much easier and much less visible to not select a book than to cancel a serial. 2. Books, especially in the humanities, are a long term investment. If librarians pay attention to use and user statistics too much they will tend to emphasize the more immediate impact of serials. 3. Often serial-dependent science faculty have more clout on campus (they tend to bring in larger grants) or at least they make more noise when the library threatens to cancel serials. 4. Librarians as generally accepted inflation in book prices as "normal". I think that we should concentrate on the balance of our collections in each subject area. Funding will follow since allocation of funds and selection go hand-in-hand (or should). If we budget and select by subject, and not by format or by vendor type, we will achieve better the real goal of the library - a balanced collection serving the needs of present and future users. The goal is not, and should not stated in such a way that it appears to be, "balancing" the budget. This approach makes the idea of a "correct" serials percentage mute even as a goal. It also obviates other emerging issues such as how to allocate for information in electronic formats. I am not arguing that it is not sometimes useful to know the percentage of the budget spent on serials, monographs, continuations, CD-ROMs, etc., or with particular vendors. But such statistics not become guides to budget or selection policy. Policy should allow for acquisition of the "best" materials in whatever format for a particular subject area and for the appropriate levels of funding to do this. (My article is in: _Acquisitions '90: Conference on Acquisitions, Budgets and Collections_. St. Louis, MO., 1990. Ed. David C. Genaway.) (3) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 3 Feb 92 12:30:17 From: Terry Allison Subject: Firm order returns In response to Margaret Axtman's question about firm order returns, I agree that they should be exceptional rather than routine as she first suggests. As we, at CSU San Marcos, are receiving many materials pre-processed, it is especially difficult for us to justify returning material when the vendor is not at fault. A library's rate of return of firm order material should be one consideration if the library is considering ordering material pre-processed. (4) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 3 Feb 1992 15:21:26 HST From: Thelma Diercks Subject: Music Vendors A service offered by European American Retail Music is the Pepper National Music Network, "A data network for musicians and music librarians". The network provides dial-in access to EARM's inventory file, including publishers and prices. Searching is a bit cumbersome for the biggest names (i.e. the 3 B's, et al), but not impossible. Also, there is the option to place orders online. Contact Charles Slater at EARM (215) 648-0504. We at the U. of Hawaii have used the free service successfully. (5) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 04 Feb 92 12:25:15 EST From: Douglas Duchin Subject: Broussac Has anyone had any experience with a French vendor called Broussac? How are they for discount, prices, turn-around time, response to claims, etc.? Any experiences, good or bad, would be of interest. (6) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 04 Feb 92 15:25:41 EST From: Mary McLaren Subject: Security strips Our Acquisitions Department applies its security strips to material after they have been received on-line, but before they are forwarded to Cataloging. This way, any materials which need to be returned to the vendor (wrong item, defective material, etc.) are caught by the Receiving staff before the strips are applied. Another reason we do it at this point is because not all of our materials get stripped. (Some of the branch libraries do not have security systems, one uses a different brand, and materials earmarked for Special Collections don't get stripped.) The end "location" of each piece is not known to the person unpacking the boxes until its individual order record is brought up in the Receiving process. (7) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 4 Feb 1992 16:01 EST From: Deborah Fetch Subject: American Book Company, Washington, DC Does anyone use the American Book Company (Washington, D.C.) to supply U.S. government documents? According to their flyer, they are an authorized GPO discount wholesaler and offer a 10% discount off GPO prices. What type service and fulfillment rates have you experienced? To generalize the question, how do libraries obtain non-depository government publications? (8) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 03 Feb 92 16:32:56 CST From: October Ivins Subject: _Serials Review_ contents _SERIALS REVIEW_, v. 17 no. 4 1991 Grant Burns, "'A Dream Unfolding': A Guide to Selected Journals, Magazines, and Newsletters on Peace, Disarmament, and Arms Control." p. 7 Margaret S. Ferguson and Christina A. Peterson, "Creating a Subject Guide to Periodical Indexes with Innovacq." p. 25 Glenda Ann Thornton, "Physical Access to Periodical Literature: The Dilemma Revisited and a Brief Look at the Future." p. 33 Karen Nadeski, ed., "Cumulative Indexes," (reviews of indexes to 17 journals) p. 43 Jim Cole, ed. "The Case in Point," (answers to serials cataloging questions) p. 49 Yvonne Schofer and Barbara Richards, "Little Magazine Interview Index," (an annual index to interviews of artists, etc. 523 individuals are included) p. 51 October Ivins, ed. "Serials Prices: Column 14," p. 69 Gail McMillan, guest ed., "The Balance Point: Electronic Journals: Considera- tions for the Present and the Future," p. 77 Douglas A. DeLong, "Serials Review Index," (annual index to reviews of serials in 150 publications) p. 87 ******* END OF FILE ****** ACQNET, Vol. 2, No. 14 ****** END OF FILE *******