ACQNET v3n074 (September 19, 1993) URL = http://www.infomotions.com/serials/acqnet/acqnet-v3n074 ISSN: 1057-5308 *************** ACQNET, Vol. 3, No. 74, September 19, 1993 ========================================== (1) FROM: Mary Wesche SUBJECT: Firm order returns, ethics (32 lines) (2) FROM: Robbie Varney SUBJECT: Latin American textbook vendors (17 lines) (3) FROM: Katina Strauch SUBJECT: Foreign approval plans (21 lines) (4) FROM: Nancy Knipe SUBJECT: Technical services organization (16 lines) (5) FROM: Katina Strauch SUBJECT: _Against the Grain_ contents (63 lines) (1)------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Mary Wesche (Cornell University) Subject: Returns/Ethics Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 08:21:17 -0400 As Christian said earlier (ACQNET 3:71.4), at Cornell we return without asking prior permission books received on firm orders which are "damaged, mis-represented in the vendor's announcements, or sent in error by the vendor". We also return books which are ordered in error, which are duplicates, or which are undesirable for our collection for one reason or another. However, for these books we ask permission, and we only ask permission if the price of the book is over $30.00. The only exceptions to asking for permission to return books falling into the later category is with our major U.S. vendors. As per prior agreement, these vendors tag books on the invoices for which return is questionable. If a return is not questionable we are allowed to return the book without asking prior permission. This saves both the vendor and us extra correspondence costs and paperwork. One more ethics point. In reference to the book received from a vendor which cost $1125.00 (ACQNET 3:72.2) over the price on the order record it was not stated whether this price went out on the purchase order to the vendor or not. If it did, shouldn't the vendor have confirmed the price before shipping the book? Our major vendors are required to confirm the price before shipping when (1) we do not quote a price on the purchase order and the price of the book is over $100.00 or (2) we do quote a price on the purchase order and the cost of the book is 100% or more over the price quoted. Although this is not always ideal, it works, at least it gives receivers a guide to go by. What guidelines do others use for questionable pricing? (2)------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Robbie Varney (Seattle Public Library) Subject: Re: Latin American textbook vendors Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 09:42:26 -800 (PDT) In ACQNET 3:72.6, Judith Wann asks about a vendor for Latin American textbooks. Seattle Public Library has used Lectorum Publications, 137 West 14th St., New York, New York 10011, 1-800-345-5946 for a number of years. However, recently, we have had good success with the following vendor who will attempt to supply any Spanish language book in print: Libros Sin Fronteres P.O. Box 2085 Olympia, WA 98507-2085 (206) 357-4332 (3)------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Katina Strauch (College of Charleston) Subject: Foreign approval plans Date: Thu, 16 Sep 1993 16:22:53 -0400 For the past two years, the College of Charleston has used Harrassowitz for German and Aux Amateurs de Livres for French approval plans. We have spent approximately $2000 per year with each vendor. We ask them to select what they consider the main publications in all areas -- humanities, social sciences, literature, but not really in science. When we get the materials, we put them up for two weeks for faculty review (much as we do with our Blackwell North America regular English-language approval plan). We can return what we do not want to keep. So far, we have returned very little (usually for reasons other than subject coverage). Our Language Department faculty are very pleased. Just last year, we began to use Puvil for Spanish language materials. This seems to work well except that we select materials from slips and the books which they send us are not on approval. Still, it is working well. We have been pleased with this approach because we have trouble getting Language Department faculty to select materials for purchase. (4)------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Nancy Knipe (Colorado College) Subject: Distributed ordering Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1993 12:27:48 -0400 We are exploring the possibility of distributed ordering activities (and possibly receiving) throughout the library rather than maintaining a centralized acquisitions department. An integrated library system accessible by all staff has led to discussions of how we might reorganize functions along a team approach, perhaps by divisional areas (social sciences, natural sciences, humanities), working toward a model which would include acquisitions, cataloging, ILL, BI, reference within these separate teams, but with common service goals. Are there any libraries out there which have experimented with or implemented decentralized technical services and/or ordering? What problems did you encounter, and what advice might you have? (5)------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Katina Strauch (College of Charleston) Subject: Table of Contents of September Against the Grain Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1993 10:26:59 -0400 Here is the Table of Contents for the September 1993 _Against the Grain_ which will be mailed to subscribers on Thursday, September 23. For those who have information or articles to contribute to the November (Charleston Conference) issue of _Against the Grain_, the deadline is October 6. Thanks. Katina Strauch, Editor _Against the Grain_ -- September, 1993 issue Table of Contents Issues, News, and Goings On 1 Rumors 4 From Your Editor 4 Deadlines 6 Letters to the Editor Publishing 7 Publisher Bestsellers/Cornell University Press (Julie Gammon and Michael Kehoe) 29 Innovations Affecting Us/Multimedia (Judy Luther) 31 Legally Speaking/The Pub and the Pendulum (Fair Use) (Glen Secor) 57 Publisher's Profile/American Psychological Association Bookselling and Vending 13 Issues in Vendor-Library Relations/To Prepay or Not to Prepay (Judy Webster) 14 Book Pricing Update/The Year in Book Pricing and Publishing (Celia Wagner) 27 And We Weren't There/The Trade Paperback Phenomenon (Nat Bodian) 38 Book Reviews (Barry Fast and Ellen Duranceau) 39 Short Takes on the ALA (Mark Sexton) 42 Interview with Harry Moore, Managing Director, Collets 43 Mourning Serial/From Whom Should You Order? (Phil Greene) 53 Group Therapy/ BIP Prices (Rosann Bazirjian and others) 62 Advertisers' Index Features, Etc. 6 Plus ca Change/Bibliographical Birth Control (Karen Schmidt) 8 Biz of Acq/Managing Organizational Change through Collection Restructure (Jack Montgomery) 11 Media Minder/ Selection and Acquisition of Audio and Video Materials (Linda Crismond) 16 Lightning Visits/ Becky Lenzini, President, CARL Systems, Inc. 19 And They Were There/Meeting Reports (Sever Bordeianu and Julia Gelfand and many others) 26 Chaos/X12 Match Points Between Library and Agent (Sandy Paul and Ed Riding) 32 An Interview with Paul K. Sybrowsky, President, Dynix, Inc. 36 Library Profile/Virginia Commonwealth University (Barbara Dean and Diane Hollyfield) 41 Are All Your EDB's in Order/License Agreements (Bill Hannay) 45 Bet You Missed It/ Press Clippings from the News (Rosann Bazirjian and many others) 51 Drinking from the Firehose/Furry Little Animals and Comic Creatures (Eleanor I. Cook) 55 Common Cause/ ALA and the Association of American Publishers (Nicholas Veliotes) 56 You Gotta Go to School for That? (Jerry Seay) ****** END OF FILE ****** ACQNET, Vol. 3, No. 74 ****** END OF FILE ******