ACQNET v3n082 (October 10, 1993) URL = http://www.infomotions.com/serials/acqnet/acqnet-v3n082 ISSN: 1057-5308 *************** ACQNET, Vol. 3, No. 82, October 10, 1993 ======================================== (1) FROM: Peter Scott SUBJECT: Publishers catalog available through gopher (51 lines) (2) FROM: Margaret Sylvia SUBJECT: Networking _BIP Plus_ (27 lines) (3) FROM: Jana Stevens SUBJECT: Networking _BIP Plus_ (14 lines) (4) FROM: Peter Stevens SUBJECT: Networking _BIP Plus_ (15 lines) (5) FROM: Peter Stevens SUBJECT: Edwin Mellen Press (19 lines) (6) FROM: Barbara Dean SUBJECT: Acquisitions in public libraries (20 lines) (1)------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Peter Scott (University of Saskatchewan) Subject: Publishers' Catalogues now on Gopher Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 09:01:08 -0400 I have set up a directory in the Gopher for accessing catalogues from various publishers. I will add new sites on a continuing basis. At your local prompt enter: gopher gopher.usask.ca then follow this trail: 5. Library/ 7. Useful Non-U of S Library Information/ 14. Publishers' Catalogues/ Publishers' Catalogues 1. Services to Libraries and Publishers (Library of Congress)/ 2. (Canada) Harbour Publishing Co. Ltd. 1993/94 Online Catalogue/ 3. (Canada) University of British Columbia Press/ 4. (UK) Edinburgh University Press 5. (USA) Addison-Wesley/ 6. (USA) Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation/ 7. (USA) Harvard University Press 8. (USA) Johns Hopkins University Press/ 9. (USA) Lehigh University Press/ 10. (USA) MIT Press/ 11. (USA) Meckler Publishing Company/ 12. (USA) O'Reilly & Associates (computer book publisher)/ 13. (USA) Prentice-Hall/ 14. (USA) Princeton University Press/ 15. (USA) Rutgers University Press/ 16. (USA) SUNY Press/ 17. (USA) University of Arizona Press/ 18. (USA) University of Chicago Press/ --> 19. (USA) University of Illinois Press/ 20. (USA) University of Minnesota Press/ 21. (USA) University of Nebraska Press 22. About this directory. Bookmark link: Name=Publishers' Catalogues Type=1 Port=70 Path=1/Library/Useful Non-U of S Library Information/Publishers' Catalogues Host=gopher.usask.ca ........................ If you know of any other Publisher services accessible via gopher or telnet please let me know. (2)------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Margaret Sylvia (St. Mary's University) Subject: _BIP Plus_ networking Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 11:58:46 -0400 Regarding the question on networking _BIP Plus_ (ACQNET 3:81.2,) we have networked it here at St. Mary's and it is available to staff as well as to the public. The only comparable product that I know of is a database put out on CD-ROM by Baker & Taylor which is meant to compete with _BIP_. I don't find the interface to either product to be especially simple to work with though I don't use the B&T product on a regular basis (we have had it in the library as a demo for a month). Once you learn the commands for _BIP_, it works well though the commands are certainly not intuitively obvious to the uninitiated. The public seems to be able to use the product successfully with the "cheat sheets" we make available for each product we have on our network. The main problem seems to be that the exit command is so difficult to find. Networking and running the software is not easy, however. We were one of the first to network this particular item and we learned a lot through trial and error. Perhaps they have better instructions now. If you do decide to do this, please feel free to contact me for instructions on how we got it to work. Also, be aware that _BIP_ requires lots of conventional memory to run and that it is fairly slow on less advanced workstations. These problems have caused us some difficulty in using _BIP_ on the network. (3)------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Jana Stevens (Hofstra University) Subject: _Books in Print Plus_ Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 15:10:10 -0400 This is in response to Richard Jasper's question on networked _BIP Plus_. We plan to place _BIP Plus_ on our local area network this month. There is an unfortunate pricing policy by Reed which makes networking of _BIP Plus_ an expensive proposition. Reed considers each building on campus as a separate site. Questions regarding networking of _BIP Plus_ should be addressed to a Reed electronic publishing representative. The representative covering the Midwestern/Eastern region is Ronna Archbold (800)522-5023. (4)------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Peter Stevens (University of Washington) Subject: _Books In Print Plus_ Date: Thu, 7 Oct 1993 16:53:26 -0400 Here at the University of Washington, we're going to network _BIP_ but not by loading _BIP Plus_ on a server: we've loaded _BIP_ tapes on the campus network so that all faculty, staff and students will be able to access _BIP_ and the _BIP_ publishers file anywhere on campus, via our BRS system (which includes our online catalog plus numerous databases). We've cancelled _BIP Plus_ and plan to cancel a lot of our printed _BIP_ subscriptions. With the tapeload version of _BIP_, you lose the reviews option that is available for an extra fee on the CD-ROM version. We hope to bring up this service in December. Dartmouth is already providing this access, I believe. (5)------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Peter Stevens (University of Washington) Subject: Edwin Mellen Press Date: Fri, 8 Oct 1993 13:32:06 -0400 I think some of us, who read the article in _Lingua Franca_ that James Baldwin notes in ACQNET 3.79, did not react as unflappably as he did. The article does not reflect favorably on our stewardship of monograph budget monies, representing as it does the exploitation of a loophole in our selection and acquisitions operations. Old-timers among us remember similar situations with the Gilles and with Flumiani--and the resulting ALA list of publishers to avoid. Some of us have just blacklisted this publisher (and Mellen Research University Press), cancelled outstanding firm and approval selection forms orders and contacted our approval vendors to delete these two publishers from book and forms coverage. While there may be individual titles from these presses that have merit, it may also be wise to avoid subscribing to any of the many series. These actions may be late but I don't think they are excessive, given the charges levied in the article. (6)------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Barbara Dean (Fairfax County, VA, Library) Subject: Acquisitions in public libraries Date: October 8, 1993 We are currently working with our County purchasing department on our method for ordering library materials. We would like information from other public libraries concerning how they purchase materials. Specifically, do you have to ask for bid? What kinds of contracts do you have for library materials? Must you have a contract with all vendors or just with those with whom you do a specified level of business? Are there certain categories of materials for which a contract is not needed? Do you use the same contract for all vendors, or do you have separate contracts with separate vendors? Are the contracts only for purchasing library materials or do they include special services such as pre-processing specifications? How are shipping charges handled? May we have a copy of a sample contract? Thanks in advance for your help. ****** END OF FILE ****** ACQNET, Vol. 3, No. 82 ****** END OF FILE ******