ACQNET v2n045 (March 30, 1992) URL = http://www.infomotions.com/serials/acqnet/acq-v2n045 ISSN: 1057-5308 *************** ACQNET, Vol. 2, No. 45, March 30, 1992 ====================================== (1) FROM: Christian SUBJECT: Who's new on ACQNET today (18 lines) (2) FROM: Christian SUBJECT: E-mail address correction, Harrassowitz (12 lines) (3) FROM: Sharon Gasser SUBJECT: Budget formulae (11 lines) (4) FROM: Julie Gammon SUBJECT: Accounting interfaces, VTLS (20 lines) (5) FROM: Gaele Gillespie SUBJECT: Acquisitions education (50 lines) (6) FROM: Jeanne Brown SUBJECT: Pre-publication orders (12 lines) (7) FROM: Kathy Wachel SUBJECT: Publishers' catalogs (29 lines) (1) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: March 30, 1992 From: Christian Subject: Who's new on ACQNET today Lawrence D. Tester Acquisitions Assistant Appalachian State University E-mail: TESTERLD@APPSTATE.BITNET Maggie Ruth Drown Library Specialist III (Acquisitions & ILL) Hartness Library E-mail: DROWNM@VSCNET.BITNET Judith L. Gottwald Head, Monographic Processing Services Indiana University at South Bend Library E-mail: LGOTTWAL@IUBACS.BITNET (2) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 30 Mar 92 20:17:07 EST From: Christian Subject: E-mail address correction, Harrassowitz In ACQNET 2:32(2) I gave you an incorrect e-mail address for Otto Harrassowitz. This is the correct address for Jane Maddox: 70571.1214@COMPUSERVE.COM I apologize for the error which has resulted in some of you being unable to communicate with Harrassowitz through the e-mail. I would appreciate your correcting your records. (3) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 27 Mar 1992 09:01 EST From: Sharon Gasser Subject: Allocation formulae We are also wanting to change our current allocation formula at James Madison University. Has anyone who uses a materials fund allocation formula made recent changes that reflect the impact of electronic access? We are not yet ready to give up the allocation process, but we must create a new one that enables us to respond to the need to divide our materials budget between serials, monographs, and electronic access costs. Any discussion on this topic would be helpful. Thanks! (4) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 27 Mar 92 10:27:24 EST From: Julie Gammon Subject: Accounting interfaces, VTLS As a general response to Gene Branham's request for information on accounting interfaces with acquisitions systems: The Automated Acquisitions/In-Process Control Systems Discussion Group had at ALA Midwinter several individuals discussing their interfaces with their university accounting systems. The discussion leaders were: -- Rosann Bazirjian and Randy Ericson (Syracuse) NOTIS -- Will Jarvis (Washington State University) WLN and Geac -- Joe Barker (UC) and Jeri Van Goethem (Duke) Innovacq. Perhaps these experts can help him out. As a user of the VTLS acquisitions system myself, I can vouch for the lack of fiscal control built in the system design and seriously wonder how that might impact an interface with an accounting system. My life is complicated enough already with this system to even want more potential for lack of fiscal control! (5) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 27 Mar 92 09:52:55 CST From: Gaele Gillespie Subject: Acquisitions education In reply to Mitzi Russell Williams' questions about acquisitions education and the separate/non-separate "Acquisitions" course in library school: The courses that I took in library school did not have such discernable course titles as "Acquisitions". Rather, they were entitled: "Current Trends in Technical Services", "Government Documents", "Systems Analysis", and "Special Library Administration", etc. Each of them was a beneficial blend of theory and practice. All of them dealt in some way with budgets (materials, equip- ment, personnel, etc.), vendor selection, materials selection, work flow, automated & non-automated records, and physical space allocation. These courses were not devised to follow each other in any pre-arranged pattern -- given what courses were offered in library school, it fell to the students (at least, that is the way I viewed it) to take the variety of courses that would best meet their future professional goals and needs. I had to straddle three areas (Public, Special, and Academic Librarianship) in order to obtain the broadest educational base available in the short period of time allotted to the MLS (one calendar year), and I opted for additional course work rather than writing a thesis in order to obtain more breadth. One of those courses was a practicum, or independent study, where I went to a different campus and worked in their library (in serials cataloging) and completed a project upon which I based a paper and procedural manual, as well as gained additional experience. In retrospect, no, I didn't get everything I wanted or felt I needed (for example, the "Systems Analysis & Serials" course was dropped because only 5 students signed up for it), but I received adequate exposure in most areas of "acquisitions" and in-depth exposure in others. Many things just cannot be taught in a course; they must be experienced (how to hire, train, and evaluate employees -- and the budget process is different in each institution). Most beneficial was the blend of theoretical *and* practical aspects of my library school education (through labs and realistic projects), as well as courses taught by practicing librarians. Of course, it would have been optimal to have had specific courses in both serials and monographic acquisitions, but then I am also a proponent of a two-year MLS program! In addition, since I wanted to work during library school but didn't want to be a graduate teaching assistant, I obtained an assistantship working in the library -- in the Government Documents Dept., a department that wanted and welcomed library school students (not all departments within that library were as favorably disposed to library school students, unfortunately). This also added to the breadth and scope of my educational experience, in the areas of both technical and public services. So, yes, I would be a proponent of hiring library school students (not just "acquisitions" students) while they were working toward their MLS. P.S. I'm currently a serials librarian; past positions have included serials, government documents/microforms, bibliographic instruction, and reference. (6) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 27 Mar 92 15:28:34 -0800 From: Jeanne Brown Subject: Ordering NYP Books My perspective is that of a bibliographer with a limited budget, and a need to comply with accrediting requirements for a minimum number of volumes. Not only does encumbering mean I can't order something else, but if encumbered items aren't received (and paid for ) this fiscal year, I get money taken from next year's budget. I prefer not ordering NYP titles! (Actually I can think of one title I'd make an exception -- but that's it). (7) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 28 Mar 92 15:15 CST From: Kathy Wachel Subject: Publishers' catalogs Several weeks ago the question of how to deal with the daily plethora of publishers' catalogs was raised on ACQNET. It came on the heels of our decision at the University of Iowa Libraries that it was no longer practical to maintain files of publishers' catalogs in Acquisitions. The following memo was sent to our Collection Management Librarians: "In Monographic Acquisitions we plan to dispose of our files of publi- sher's catalogs. Maintaining such files no longer seems practical for the following reasons: 1) For the last several years few people (including searchers) have been using our catalog files. 2) There are better sources of information, e.g., RLIN; OCLC; Blackwell North America's NTO service which will soon be available via Internet. 3) Many publishers target special subject interests with subject-specific lists and catalogs; we send these directly to the appropriate selector/s. 4) With increasing demands on our time, maintaining catalog files has ceased to be a priority. We understand that there are cases in which only a publisher's catalog can provide the information needed, but we think these cases are too infre- quent to justify the labor-intensive task of file maintenance." With over thirty librarians on our staff involved in selection we expected a few cries of alarm. However, no one expressed concern, and we subsequently disposed of the catalog files. ******* END OF FILE ****** ACQNET, Vol. 2, No. 45 ****** END OF FILE *******