ACQNET v4n007 (January 26, 1994) URL = http://www.infomotions.com/serials/acqnet/acqnet-v4n007 ISSN: 1057-5308 *************** ACQNET, Vol. 4, No. 7, January 26, 1994 ======================================= (1) FROM: Elisabeth Dolby SUBJECT: Purchase requests (33 lines) (2) FROM: Penny Swanson SUBJECT: Purchase requests (35 lines) (3) FROM: Arlene Moore Seevers SUBJECT: Purchase requests (39 lines) (4) FROM: Helen Mack SUBJECT: OP dealers (17 lines) (5) FROM: Josephine Williamson SUBJECT: Paying for books from China (16 lines) (1)------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Elisabeth Dolby (Queensland Univ. of Technology) Subject: Purchase requests Date: Mon, 24 Jan 1994 21:45:52 -0500 This is in reply to a request from Mary Ellen Kenreich concerning receiving purchase requests. At the Queensland University of Technology, we did a review of the way we received purchase requests when we moved from a manual system to an automated one eight years ago and have regularly reviewed our practice. We accept orders from - print-outs from In-print sources (e.g. BIP+) - vendor supplied advance information - printed publisher catalogues - vendor blurbs and fliers These need to be annotated with the fund code, location, requestor's name and number of copies (if more than one) - light cards measuring 13cm by 16cm. This larger size files in larger drawers but allows for more information to be added to the card. Our academics love marking catalogues and always resented having to copy the information onto cards. The catalogues are also easier to read and usually have an ISBN and price. We do not accept orders taken from the accessions lists of other libraries as the information is rarely complete or current. Cataloguing does not have a slip shelf-list. Our shelf-list is the automated catalogue. We also order print-outs when necessary. (2)------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Penny Swanson (Douglas College) Subject: Purchase requests Date: Wed, 26 Jan 1994 01:18:19 -0500 About 10 years ago, in order to save staff time (we were losing a staff position), we decided to stop writing out purchase request cards for orders by librarians. Instead, librarians initial reviews, flyers, bibliographies, etc., indicating the title wanted and the subject area it is being purchased for. This certainly does help with accuracy. The acquisitions person inputting the order has the printed page to read from which is much better than most people's hand writing. However, there is no easy way to batch such requests. If one request in a journal is to be queried, the rest of the items must be input, the journal set aside, the query made, then the journal opened again and the problem item found and input. A similar process must be gone through for items that have not yet been published (we stopped ordering pre-pub items 2 years ago). Since review journals are pressed for space the type face is small and the space surrounding reviews very minimal. When notes have to be written ("new edition , withdraw old", etc.) the page gets pretty messy. Bibliographies are very difficult as space is even more of a problem. (We accept bibliographies from instructors as well). However, once you have stopped writing out those cards, it is impossible to convince administration that such a task should be given to even the lowest level clerical (at least that is my experience). I do not have a final recommendation. There are obviously pros and cons. I'll be interested to hear what others are doing. (3)------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Arlene Moore Sievers (Case Western Reserve U.) Subject: Purchase requests Date: Wed, 26 Jan 1994 08:17:17 -0500 We have not used "formal" order forms here at Case Western Reserve University Library for several years. Collection managers and their assistants submit working copy, ie. faculty memos, publisher catalogs, vendor slips, brochures, _Chronicle of Higher Education_ book lists, some OCLC copy, scrawls on wrapping paper - anything, and we process the orders as long as there is a collection manager's initials or ok, a fund and location designated. We migrated over a year ago from GEAC to Innovative Interfaces and now skeletal order records are FTPed with OCLC copy into the III acquisitions module. However, notes, selector names, course numbers for reserve and other order record information cannot be FTPed so now the order copy comes with the OCLC number highlighted to alert us the order is FTPed and awaiting, or that there is no OCLC, and we key in a brief record. We prefer informal order requests over forms because it greatly speeds up the process, and we prefer the original information that brought the title to the faculty member or collection manager's attention. It contains useful and often essential ordering information such as sale prices and dates, editions and ordering options and editions available and the current name and location of the publisher, for ourselves or our vendor. We have excellent collection management assistants who annotate the bits and pieces with collection managers names, notify information, and other notes. They indicate how many orders are in each batch and number the orders. so we don't miss something on a closely typed catalog page. OCLC numbers FTPed are indicated clearly, often in red ink. We also have perceptive acquisitions staff who are familiar with collection managers' ordering practices and eccentricities. Close cooperation between acquisitions staff, and collection managers, and others involved is a must. The payoff is more accurate and rapid ordering, and therefore quicker receipt of materials. (4)------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Helen Mack (Lehigh University) Subject: OP dealers on the coasts Date: Tue, 25 Jan 1994 13:42:15 -0500 In response to Cynthia Coulter's query from 1/11/94, for the last few years we have used C. Dickens in Atlanta with great success. Their search service covers domestic and foreign materials. C. Dickens Out-of-Print & Collectible Books Lenox Square 3393 Peachtree Rd, N.E. Atlanta, GA 30326 phone (800) 548-0376 fax (404) 364-0713 (5)------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: Josephine Williamson (University of Delaware) Subject: Paying for books from China Date: Wed, 26 Jan 1994 09:17:59 -0500 I have an interesting situation here with which I could use some assistance. We have had the great good fortune to find an individual in Beijing who will shop for us at the bookstores there and send us books of interest to our Oriental languages selector (his cousin, actually). Our first shipment is here, along with an invoice containing all the items that make our auditor happy. When we processed the invoice for payment, Citibank refused, citing UN sanctions. Is anyone making payments to China? If so, how? ****** END OF FILE ****** ACQNET, Vol. 4, No. 7 ****** END OF FILE ******