ACQNET v1n062 (April 21, 1991) URL = http://www.infomotions.com/serials/acqnet/acq-v1n062 ACQNET, Vol 1, No. 62, April 21, 1991 ===================================== (1) FROM: Marsha Clark SUBJECT: Combined monograph/serial acquisitions departments (30 lines) (2) FROM: Marsha Clark SUBJECT: _Book Industry Trends_ (7 lines) (3) FROM: Marsha Clark SUBJECT: Single source publishers (21 lines) (4) FROM: Christian SUBJECT: ACQNET membership survey (93 lines) (1) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 14 Apr 91 15:35 EST From: Marsha Clark Subject: Combined technical services units I hope I did not give the impression that *I* was against combined units. I head a monographs, serials, serials binding department. All invoices are processed through one accounting process. Serials staff and monographs do their own materials but within monographs, receivers often do searchers work and we train people to perform different tasks as required by workflow. Searchers actually create orders and serials records orders, claims, receipts, and approve invoices. I was merely reporting comments. I was subjected to an internal audit last fall. NYU is a private institution, my materials budget is only for materials, but I don't get questions if I prepay serials subscriptions, etc. However, I was very happy that the invoices they pulled for my dept. showed approval by 3 different people and all the number were right. I was questioned for several hours by the auditor about all of our procedures from checking a received shipment to the final step of my signature--yes I still sign each of the 6000 invoices each year. If a combined department improves efficiency, makes staff work more interest- ing, facilitates any part of our mission, I think it is great. In my case, I only wish there was another librarian working with me even though my "parapro- fessional" supervisors are good ... because I'd like the experience of working here with another librarian. As for combined acquisitions/cataloging units, we've talked about it but none of us is ready to tackle the union issues since our catalogers (copy catalog- ers) are a grade higher than our acquisitions staff. Someday, though, we'll probably do it. (2) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 16 Apr 91 14:11 EDT From: Marsha Clark Subject: _Book Industry Trends_ Do any librarians use _Book Industry Trends_ published by the Book Industry Study Group? I'm sure that book sellers use the information, and it looks interesting, but I'm not sure what I should do with it. (3) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 16 Apr 91 14:23 EDT From: Marsha Clark Subject: Sole source publishers and Direct marketing by publishers It seems to me that publishers are becoming increasingly aggressive in their efforts to obtain library orders directly, by-passing vendors and agents. In addition, some publishers are making groups of their titles available only on a direct order basis. Examples: --1. ACQNET correspondents have mentioned Macmillan representatives trying to sell all publications directly to libraries and taking some titles away from vendors, making them direct purchase only. --2. Several recent comments on SERIALST indicate that Haworth Press has sent out a "consolidated invoice" to libraries listing all Haworth subscriptions for the library. When contacted, the publisher said that they wanted to give the library the option of paying directly. --3. Our library frequently receives calls from Moody's representatives indicating that a title is due for renewal. We carefully tell them that we have the title with a subcription agent. The time someone said "yes, we want to renew that" we ended up with two copies, one directly from Moodys and one via our agent. --4. I've received calls in the past few months from directory publishers telling me I can get it more cheaply if I'd just order from them.... I feel that this is a growing problem. An article in the _New York Times_ discussed the new interest publishers have in the library market. I am trying to educate these publishers and have asked our bibliographers to let the representatives they speak with know that direct purchase is NOT always best for the library. I'd welcome your help in this education process! (4) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: April 21, 1991 From: Christian Subject: ACQNET membership survey To those of you who joined ACQNET before March 17th and have responded to the questionnaire in Vol. 1, No. 44, read no further. This is for those who have joined since then, or have yet to respond to the first questionnaire. So far I have received 44 responses from members (about 1 in 3) and 5 from other readers (people to whom ACQNET is distributed by members who are listed in the ACQNET). Either ACQNET is not read my many non-members (arguable given the fact that we know a lot of members re-distribute it) or people don't want to respond, for whatever reasons. It is not too late to respond, and I urge you to do so. We all are involved in something new in the way professional information is acquired and distributed and we need to understand what it means and how to control it. Before that, however, we need to know how it travels. If you haven't yet responded, especially if you are a reader who is not a member, this is where you can help. Here is the questionnaire again: ACQNET Readership Survey Here is a diagram which represents the distribution pattern of ACQNET. I have drawn it so that, if you set your screen right, it will all fit one on screen. ----------- | Editor | ----------- |------------------- ///------ | | | ----------- ----------- ----------- LEVEL 1 | Member 1 | | Member 2 | | Member n | ----------- ----------- ----------- --------------|------------------- /// ----- | | | | ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- LEVEL 2 | Reader 1 | | Reader 1A | | Reader 1B | | Reader 1n | ----------- ----------- ----------- ----------- |----------------------------- | | | ----------- ----------- ----------- LEVEL 3 | Reader 2 | | Reader 2A | | Reader 2n | ----------- ----------- ----------- | | ----------- LEVEL n | Reader n | ----------- I send ACQNET to its members (Member 1, Member 2, Member n). Some members (Member 1 here) distribute it to readers (readers 1, 1A, 1B, 1n) who, in turns, distribute it to other readers (readers 2, 2A, 2n) who, in turns .... You get the picture. Question 1: Are you a member [ ] or reader [ ]? Question 2: If a reader, using the chart above as a sample, do you know at what level? yes [ ] or no [ ] Question 3: If yes, which level? 1 [ ] 2 [ ] 3 [ ] or other (can you tell which?) __________ Question 4: If a reader, do you get ACQNET electronically [ ] or on paper [ ]? Question 5: How many people do you send ACQNET to? At your institution __________ elsewhere? __________ Question 6: Do you print ACQNET? Yes [ ] No [ ] Question 7: If yes, why? a. For yourself [ ] b. For people who don't have e-mail [ ] c. Other _____________________________________________ Question 8: I assume you heard of ACQNET from someone else who is a member or reads it, the _Serials Pricing Newsletter_, or a meeting at ALA Midwinter. If not, how did your hear about it? _________________ __________________________________________________________________ Question 9: If you are a reader rather than a member, why have you not asked for membership? ________________________________________________ Question 10:Please give your title here ____________________________________ If you wrote "Acquisitions Librarian", or some other title can could be ambiguous, please tell me if you deal with monographs [ ], serials [ ], or both [ ]. That's it. To respond, you can: - Write your answers directly on this issue and forward it to me (CRI@ CORNELLC.BITNET). - Send me an e-mail message simply listing the question numbers and your answers. - Do the same using the US Mail. Send to: Christian Boissonnas, Acquisitions Department, Cornell University Library, 110A Olin Library, Ithaca, NY 14853-5301 Please feel free to add any comments you want. I will tally any responses which I get until May 5th. ***** END OF FILE ***** END OF FILE ***** END OF FILE ***** END OF FILE *****