ACQNET v1n139 (December 18, 1991) URL = http://www.infomotions.com/serials/acqnet/acq-v1n139 ISSN: 1057-5308 *************** ACQNET, Vol. 1, No. 139, December 18, 1991 ========================================== (1) FROM: Christian SUBJECT: Who's new on ACQNET today (8 lines) (2) FROM: Wayne Perryman SUBJECT: Oxford University Press recall (19 lines) (3) FROM: Jim Mumm SUBJECT: Oxford University Press recall (18 lines) (4) FROM: Ann O'Neill SUBJECT: The Challenge (25 lines) (5) FROM: Ann Palomo SUBJECT: Vietnamese booksellers (14 lines) (6) FROM: Doina Farkas SUBJECT: Polygram Classics (19 lines) (1) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: December 18, 1991 From: Christian Subject: Who's new on ACQNET today Jean M. Eisenhauer Acquisitions Librarian Washington and Lee University Law Library E-mail: JME@FS.LAW.WLU.EDU (2) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DATE: Wednesday, 18 December 91 07:43:59 CST FROM: Wayne Perryman Subject: Oxford University Press Recall Re the query concerning the recall by Oxford University Press of _The Shaping of the First Amendment_ by Paul Murphy, I received a call last week from a faculty member here at the University of Texas at Austin who indicated that this title was being withdrawn since it purportedly plagarized his earlier work. He also stated that OUP had claimed to have sent a letter out to all major customers requesting that the book be returned, but I have not seen or heard of any such letter. Needless to say, our faculty member was concerned that this title had gone into circulation and was planning to follow up with Oxford, which I presume led to the OCLC log-on message which Miriam Palm referred to. We are in the process of retrieving our copy of the work and will leave it to the Director of General Libraries to make the final decision concerning its disposition. I would be inclined to send it back to the publisher per their request, but I guess other arguments can be made that it is still a valid work even if it contains some uncredited passages. I would be interested in hearing more about what other institutions are intending to do in this situation. (3) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1991 11:38 CST From: Jim Mumm <9724MUMMJ@VMS.CSD.MU.EDU> Subject: Oxford UP Recall I called Mr. Capithorne and was told the same thing as the Yankee vendor: that the title is being recalled due to "copyright problems." I asked him to be more specific, as we have a hard time pulling titles from our stacks simply because the publisher wants them back. He declined to comment further over the phone. The question I have, and the discussion I wish to open, is: When does a library have a responsibility to return material? If there is indeed a serious "copyright problem," must we return the material? What does ALA say? I'm curious to know what policies exist for this type of concern and what people plan to do with this book. (4) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 18 Dec 91 12:38 From: Ann O'Neill Subject: The Challenge I'm forwarding part of a message I got from Sydney Pierce who is on the faculty at the University of Oklahoma Library School. I sent her the "challenge" and replies. This is what I got back from her: ---------------- It's an interesting question, and the response representing ourselves as more of a business was something I violently both agreed with and disagreed with at the same time, since I think we need to impress society as a whole with the complexity and importance of our work, but at the same time remember internally that when we become "business-like" it usually involves being "cost-effective", which for us all too often is doing whatever costs less, choosing to ignore the fact that businesses can't do this without considering the impact on service and possible loss of customers. Which isn't something that ever seems to concern us much when making administrative decisions. I'm not sure what I'd really want to change most, though. I really think the change that would do us the most good is to raise salaries in the field by about 50%. Bet that would solve the image problem, attract better people to both practice and teaching (yes, I do think change is needed in library education), and get us a whole lot more respect right away. But it's not a very attractive answer, or one I'm very happy with. Even if I think it's true. What I'd really like to change is society as a whole, of course. I'd like to see our position change through greater respect for learning and scholarship, culture, the arts.... To present us as a business (or raise our salaries) is to get respect on someone else's terms--I'd like to see us respected on our own terms, for the kinds of things we are here to promote. Well, I guess learning and scholarship and culture and the arts may be leaving out a lot of whatever information is. (5) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 18 Dec 91 09:01:00 EST From: Ann Palomo Subject: Vietnamese book vendor Our Vietnamese book vendor is: Pan Asian Publications 29564 Union City Blvd. Union City, CA 94587 Phone: 415-475-1185 Fax: 415-475-1489 We've been satisfied with their service and reliability. (6) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 18 Dec 91 12:38:27 EST From: Doina Farkas Subject: Polygram Classics The University of Florida Libraries sent a trial order of 12 titles to Polygram Classics last April. To date none of the orders has been filled. We claimed them twice via NOTIS and a 3rd time by phone. As a result of the 3rd claim we received a fax requesting prepayment. Because we are trying to reduce the number of transactions requiring prepayment, I called Polygram to inquire about their sales policy to libraries. I am sorry to report that I was transferred to 10!! different people (including to somebody in their Indiana warehouse) who did not even understand the nature of the questions. The 11th person was somebody in Accounting who was able to answer my question. Their policy requires prepayment or the establishement of a line of credit through a bank. Their prices are indeed considerably lower but, in our experience, the delay, prepayment policy and nonresponsiveness to our claims have increased the cost of acquiring these titles beyond the higher prices charged by B&T, BOSE or other CD vendors. We decided to stop any future dealings with Polydor until we have evidence of positive experiences by other libraries. ******* END OF FILE ****** ACQNET, Vol. 1, No. 139 ****** END OF FILE *******