ACQNET v7n002 (January 9, 1997) URL = http://www.infomotions.com/serials/acqnet/acqnet-v7n002.txt ISSN: 1057-5308 *************** ACQNET, Vol. 7, No. 2, January 9, 1997 ======================================== (1) FROM: Eleanor Cook, ACQNET Editor SUBJECT: Summary of the Hawaii Public Library Outsourcing Contract with Baker & Taylor (253 lines) (1)---------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 6-JAN-1997 21:16:59.64 From: Eleanor Cook (Appalachian State U.) Subject: Baker & Taylor's Outsourcing Contract with the Hawaii Public Library System: a Summary ACQNET subscribers, I ask you to think about what is reported below because it affects the future of acquisitions and everything in technical services, really. Will your library consider such a contract in the future? And, if in this issue I have misrepresented any facts, it is unintentional, and I apologize ahead of time. It is the ACQNET editorial board's opinion that this situation needs wide publicity and discussion, but ACQNET's aim is to keep it objective. With emotions obviously running high, that may be difficult to do. All points of view are welcome. BACKGROUND: On November 26, 1996, ACQNET posted an ACQflash concerning an outsourcing contract for book selection, acquisition and cataloging that the Hawaii Public Library System has arranged with Baker & Taylor. Below, we reprint it: +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Tue, 26 Nov 1996 12:03:47 -0500 (EST) From: Kimberly Taylor (Baker & Taylor) Subject: Baker & Taylor and Hawaii Outsourcing Project Outsourcing of library support services is not a new concept or practice. However, recent marketplace factors including restrictive budgets, increased focus on operating efficiencies, patron demand for higher levels of service and, in some cases, local legislative mandates have ignited interest in outsourcing. Interest in turn has sparked a philosophical debate regarding the role played by commercial vendors who assume nontraditional support responsibilities including, and in particular, collection development and acquisition functions. In March 1996, Baker & Taylor signed an historic partnership agreement with the Hawaii State Public Library System to select, acquire, catalog, process and distribute books, videos, music and spoken-word audio materials for Hawaii's 49 branch libraries. Hawaii's innovative approach to library management has raised the outsourcing debate to a higher level with industry response to the agreement ranging from praise to strong criticism. While Baker & Taylor and HPLS agree that adjustments have been required during the initial start-up phases, the partners both believe that through close collaboration the necessary modifications can be made, so the long run benefits of the partnership will be realized. Interested parties are invited to review Baker & Taylor's Home Page to learn more about the outsourcing debate and examine the details of the Hawaii model. Access the Home Page on the Internet at http://www.baker-taylor.com. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ On that same day, ACQNET received from Earl Lee (Collection Development Librarian, Pittsburg State Univ., Pittsburg, KS) a compilation of postings from various sources, including letters to the editor in the and a number of private e-mails. Also forwarded to me have been postings from other lists. This mass of material included the following statements: (I am summarizing here for brevity's sake; the postings contained actual quotes and included specific citations, which I can provide to anyone interested.) * That Baker & Taylor plans to supply over 60,000 books for $1.2 million to the public libraries of Hawaii during the first year of the contract; that contract is currently well into the first year * That there have been a number of start-up concerns -- duplication of materials, inappropriate or poor quality materials, lack of local/regional materials, reference titles, etc. * That an employee of Baker & Taylor admitted that they should have had a "deeper level of profiles up front" according to a piece in (November 4, 1996) * That the contract is set up to charge a flat rate of $20.94 for all books regardless of the list price * That returns are not allowed * That gift books sit in a backlog since only books cataloged and processed by B & T can go to the shelves and also that there are no longer enough catalogers to handle non-contract materials * That a Selection Advisory Committee was set up, but only after the contract had already begun On December 30, 1996 and several times thereafter, ACQNET has been contacted by Patricia Wallace, a teacher and librarian from Dallas, Texas, who is serving as Chair of the "Hawaii Working Group," which is affiliated with ALA AIP/SRRT. See below for their recent announcement: +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Mon, 06 Jan 1997 01:26:51 -0500 From: Pat Wallace Subject: ANNOUNCEMENT FROM ALA/SRRT/AIP: Hawaii Working Group FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Monday, January 6, 1997 Peggy D'Adamo and Charles Willett, co-chairs, ALA/SRRT/AIP ALA GROUP TO PUBLISH A BOOK AND PRESENT A PROGRAM CRITICIZING THE HAWAII STATE LIBRARY SYSTEM'S OUTSOURCING CONTRACT WITH BAKER & TAYLOR. The Alternatives in Print Task Force (AIP) of the American Library Association's Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) has formed a nucleus, the Hawaii Working Group, to gather facts and opinions from all points of view about the five-year, outsourcing contract signed in 1996 by the Hawaii State Library System and Baker & Taylor, Inc. Early in 1997 the group plans to publish a book of readings from the contract and from news reports, Internet discussions, and other sources in order to acquaint librarians and the public with the many issues raised by this controversial agreement, which privatizes collection development and cataloging for the entire Hawaii public library system. On Sunday, June 29th at the ALA annual conference in San Francisco, the group will present a two-hour panel discussion on the Hawaii Public Libraries' outsourcing agreement with Baker & Taylor. Other ALA units and related organizations are invited to co-sponsor this program. The Hawaii Working Group is led by Patricia (Pat) Wallace, a teacher in one of the two Montessori Magnet Schools in the Dallas Public Schools and an MLIS graduate student at Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas. She holds Master's degrees in both Sociology and Education and has taught continuously at the college and elementary school levels over the past 30 years. Pat is chair of the Hawaii Working Group. Other members of the group include Sanford Berman, Peggy D'Adamo, Chris Dodge, Yvonne Farley, Earl Lee, Laurel Indalecio, Carol Reid, Jan DeSirey, and Charles Willett. The Hawaii Working Group welcomes information and comment about the HSLS/B&T contract. Contact Pat Wallace at 532 Shennandoah Drive, DeSoto, TX 75115; e-mail: DENWALL@aol.com. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ There are literally volumes of anecdotal information related to management issues, criticisms of the contract, and people's reactions to all of the above. A number of other electronic lists have had long discussions on the topic. There is a tremendous amount of anger and frustration being vented. For example, I repost one example from a librarian in Hawaii to illustrate (with her permission). In doing so, I want to make it clear that ACQNET is not attempting to criticize ALA or HPLS, but we do wonder what the role of our primary professional organization should be in such a controversy. In an ACQNET issue to come out soon, several of our editorial board members will explore these questions in more depth. And subscribers, you need to reply also with your thoughts. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Tue, 31 Dec 1996 16:11:32 -0500 From: Pat Wallace Subject: HAWAII LIBRARIAN APPEALS FOR ALA SUPPORT A librarian in Hawaii appeals to the ALA and _American Libraries_ to be advocates for them and their patrons in their struggle to free themselves of the constraints of the state library system's 5 1/2 yr outsourcing contract with Baker & Taylor. - +Message forwarded by Pat Wallace/denwall@aol.com+- [QUOTED WITH PERMISSION FROM STEPHANIE STRICKLAND] Date: Sun, 22 Dec 1996 Subject: Hawaii State Library Outsourcing From: Stephanie Strickland To: publib@nysernet.org I have been a card carrying ALA member since 1980. While others in my profession see little reason to support a professional organization, I believe in supporting and participating in ALA. I now wonder why nothing has been written [on the PUBLIB listserv] about the problems associated with the outsourcing in Hawaii. [ED.NOTE: SINCE THIS WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED, THERE HAS BEEN MUCH DISCUSSION] I also find it hard to believe that not one single person in ALA headquarters hasn't followed this news item with a certain amount of interest. Yet -- nothing has shown up in It is rather ironic that ALA President Mary Somerville says "Kids can't wait." In Hawaii, they can. ALA is hot on the issue of advocacy these days. Good. I'm all for it. I just wish ALA would be an advocate for the librarians in Hawaii. I would just briefly like to summarize what this outsourcing has done to the librarians and libraries of this state. One hundred percent of our materials' budget was handed over to Baker & Taylor for a period of 5 1/2 years. Librarians are no longer able to select materials for their communities. B&T has received adequate press for inadequate selection. They blame it on the lack of profiles (given to them in early May) and lack of access to our database. After six months experience with their selection, I feel they are either employing selectors who don't know what they are doing or B&T is unloading less than desirable inventory on the Hawaiian market. Nothing else can explain the quality of the items that we have received from B&T. It may be that a librarian must live and work in a community in order to acquire materials for that library. Wow -- what a novel thought. All of our technical services were disbanded with the outsourcing. If B&T doesn't catalog it and put it in the database, we simply cannot have it. The "voice of the libraries" will say that we can always use friends' money or the money that we recently received through a partnership with Hawaiian Electric Co. to purchase things for our libraries. What good is any of this is we can't get the item cataloged? We have 5 former catalogers working to get some items in to the catalog. They catalog in addition to performing their primary duties in public service. Things are not that heavenly in paradise. I would like to have ALA as an advocate of the librarians and libraries in Hawaii. If our professional organization does not support the work we do and the institution we represent, who will? In Hawaii, we can't wait. Stephanie Strickland/ Waikiki-Kapahulu Public Library ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A number of people responded to this message on PUBLIB, and the main question was, "What do you want ALA to do?" Since then, there has been correspondence with ALA Councilors and others at ALA, and the Hawaii Working Group plans to bring a resolution to ALA Council at Midwinter, I believe. Pat Wallace has also contacted Ron Ray to see about having the topic discussed at the Feather River Conference. Katina Strauch is also aware of the situation and has and will continue to publish information on the topic. There was a short article in in the November 1996 issue and there have been several references in over the last 6 months. If I've missed any other printed sources that have covered this, let ACQNET know. Most of the conversation has been via e-mail. In contacting my academic colleagues in Hawaii, they thought it unwise to make public comment in any way and agreed that the situation was indeed a "hot potato." Apparently the Hawaii legislature is going to be looking into the complaints in their upcoming session. On December 31, 1996, I received a call from a woman with the HPLS, having been referred to me by someone at ALA. This person (I would name her, but I only scribbled down the name and it may not be correct) is a representative of the library administration at HPLS, and was trying to find out what was being planned at ALA. I have requested that HPLS send something to ACQNET to summarize the situation from their standpoint, and I hope to have this soon (and I will send them a copy of this issue of ACQNET). In the meantime, I will post an ACQflash with further resources you may access if you want more information. This information will also be available through AcqWeb: http://www.library.vanderbilt.edu/law/acqs/acqs.html Look in the "hot topics" section ****** END OF FILE ****** ACQNET, Vol. 7, No. 2 ****** END OF FILE ******