Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2000 12:09:05 -0500
From: Helen P. Mack (Lehigh U.) <hpm0_at_lehigh.edu>
Subject: [Fwd: ACQNET: Internet site as consortial vendor?]
As promised, here's a summary of the responses to my query of 11/8/00.
Actually there were more requests for me to share my findings than
actual responses.
Many noted the use of Amazon, etc. for rush orders and for finding
materials reported as out-of-stock or out-of-print by regular book
vendors. One library noted that Amazon can set up deposit accounts:
create an account with the first order, then pay it with a larger lump
sum. As long as you use the same account, you draw on those funds.
When the account is depleted, presumably you overpay again to replenish
it. EDITORIAL COMMENT: I'm not sure that our Accounts Payable folks
would approve of this, because they want to know what they're paying
for.
Another library noted that they had sent Amazon an RFP when soliciting
vendors for their approval plan. The idea was to give Amazon a small
slice of their profile, such as a narrow, publisher-based subject area.
There was no response to the RFP, however, probably because approvals
are a foreign concept to such vendors. The writer remains convinced
that an Amazon-like company would get a lot of business if they catered
to libraries.
Someone at a third library vented about their problems with credit cards
-- shipping and finance charges, return policies, and cryptic
invoicing. She expressed doubts as to the availability of (a)
consortial-based reports, other than those associated with "My Account,"
and (b) a group flat discount. EDITORIAL COMMENT: credit card practices
must vary from one institution to another. We incur no finance charges
and have had no problems with returns. We have an occasional problem
with the application of state sales tax (e.g. half.com assesses it
automatically with no apparent provision for removing it). Yes, the
invoicing can be cryptic sometimes, particularly with foreign countries,
but I actually find the reconciliation process sort of fun. I think
that setting up a consortial account is conceivable (with a number of
parallel users, each with its own shipping address), but I would be
reluctant to reduce my options by centering on one internet vendor.
A fourth library noted that they have set up an account with a local
walk-in Barnes & Noble bookstore, which provides a corporate discount.
They can phone or fax their orders to this store, which orders either
from their warehouse or from publishers. The items can be either
drop-shipped or set aside for customer pick-up. Problems with this
method include the need to pay shipping charges and the length of time
to receive the invoicing for drop-shipped items. The library goes this
route, however, because the discount + shipping is less than their
traditional vendor's surcharge (for rush handling) + free shipping.
EDITORIAL COMMENT: at a certain point, getting the item becomes more
important to me than how much we pay for it. Our ordering is centered
on one vendor, whom we use for both approvals and firm orders. For
items which this vendor cannot supply for whatever reason, I embark on a
journey, often labor-intensive, sometimes costly, but usually
successful, and that makes the journey worthwhile.
In my own experience, I have learned that ALibris, a network of OP
sources, can deal with libraries on a P.O. basis, providing invoices,
rather than requiring the use of a credit card for every transaction. I
think 21 North Main can work this way also, so this is not unique. This
is less labor-intensive than using a credit card, because it avoids the
mass of paper receipts involved with the reconciliation process.
Oddly enough, a few days after I floated my query to ACQNET, I was
visited by Kevin Coyle, our Blackwell's rep. I noted that I had used
Blackwell's Online Bookshop in the U.K. for several items. He explained
that in Jan. 2001, Blackwell's Online Bookshop will be customized for
the North American library and academic community with convenient
payment options and a range of title coverage unparalleled by any other
online bookshop. Wow! Right now, my own opinion is that the broadest
title coverage is at Barnes & Noble (with Borders a close second and
Amazon third), so this will be something to watch. In summary, while
the respondents expressed interest in this area, hopeful that online
bookstores will target libraries in the future, no one has yet succeeded
in contracting with any of them.
--
Helen P. Mack, Acquisitions Librarian
Lehigh University Information Resources
Linderman Library, 30 Library Drive
Bethlehem, PA 18015-3067 USA
Phone 610 758-3035 * Fax 610 758-5605
E-mail hpm0_at_lehigh.edu
Received on Tue Jan 02 2001 - 21:55:43 EST