ACQNET v7n020 (May 14, 1997) URL = http://www.infomotions.com/serials/acqnet/acqnet-v7n020 ISSN: 1057-5308 *************** ACQNET, Vol. 7, No. 20, May 14, 1997 ======================================== (1) FROM: G. Gunatilleke SUBJECT: OCLC Selection Services (27 lines) (2) FROM: P. Matthews SUBJECT: RE: OS-Cancelled Books (36 lines) (3) FROM: R. Anderson SUBJECT: Response to C.Urr (RE: ACQNET 7:18) (30 lines) (4) FROM: M. Whipple SUBJECT: Out-of-print Books (23 lines) (1)--------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 15:35:00 +1200 From: Gita Gunatilleke (Victoria Univ. of Wellington) Subject: OCLC Selection Service I am interested in finding out more about the OCLC selection service. According to the OCLC home page information dated July 1996 this service now available. The service had been evaluated in trials at Loyola University in Chicago, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I wonder whether these libraries are using this service and if they find it works well. I would like to hear from anyone who has been involved in the trials or who have used this selection service since it became available. Please reply directly to me. Thank you Gita Gunatilleke E-Mail: Gita.Gunatillele@vuw.ac.nz Head of Collection Management Phone : +64 4 472 1000 ext 8280 Victoria University of Wellington Library Fax : +64 4 471 2070 Te Whare Wananga o te Upoko o te Ika a Maui P O Box 3438 Wellington NEW ZEALAND (2)--------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 01 May 1997 12:31:01 -0400 (EDT) From: Pamela Matthews (Univ. of Md-Baltimore Co.) Subject: RE: OS-Cancelled books Hi all, I received several responses to my inquiry about orders that come back from our vendor as "Out of Stock - Cancelled." (*Thank you* to everyone who responded!!!) The general consensus was to not give up on these orders -- chances are the books actually are available *somewhere*. Several libraries contact the publisher directly if they receive an OS - Cancelled from their vendor. Other libraries will automatically reorder from a different vendor. Apparently, the fill rate is pretty good the second time around, whether one goes direct or with another vendor. Only one respondent mentioned returning the OS - Cancelled to the requestor and asking if they still want the item before trying again. So...what we will probably end up doing, based on the responses I received, is to reorder the books from our main vendor and ask them to try again. (We have an exclusive contract so we can't try a second vendor, and we don't have the staff time to try to order directly from the publisher.) Thanks again to everyone who helped out. I hope this information helps some other people out there in ACQNET land, too! Pam Matthews Acquisitions/Technical Services Librarian Albin O. Kuhn Library & Gallery University of Maryland Baltimore County 1000 Hilltop Circle Baltimore, MD 21250 410-455-6754 (phone) 410-455-1061 (fax) (3)---------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 02 May 1997 08:09:22 -0400 From: Rick Anderson (Yankee Book Peddler) Subject: Response to Cliff Urr (RE: ACQNET 7:18) I agree wholeheartedly with Cliff's (and the SRRT's) assertion that only local librarians can have an intimate knowledge of their library patrons' specialized needs. And I see that as an argument in favor of approval plans. When vendors provide appropriate books from major publishers on an automatic (and returnable) basis, library selectors are freed up to concentrate on more specialized collection needs. If a Women's Studies selector has to spend her time poring over catalogs from Beacon Press and Routledge (publishers whose output can be covered very easily by a vendor), then she'll have less time to spend seeking out the hard-to-find materials that her patrons also need. Furthermore, the approval plan doesn't take away any of the selector's responsibilities -- she still decides which materials get added to the collection; with an approval plan, however, she gets to decide with the book in hand instead of having to rely on publisher blurbs. Thanks, Rick ***************************** Rick Anderson Bibliographer Collection Management Services Yankee Book Peddler, Inc. (800) 258-3774 ext. 240 (4)---------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 05 May 1997 08:53:23 -0700 (PDT) From: Marcia Whipple Subject: Out-of-print Books I have a two part question about out-of-print books and I hope this hasn't been discussed recently with me paying no attention. We haven't been tasked to locate and out-of-print book before. 1. Who would you contact to purchase an out-of-print book in the science/technology fields, specifically laser beams? 2. Is it true the firms ask for money up front? Is it true this is a long, drawn out process? This could prove difficult as we are a federal library. Any information, tips, hints will be gratefully received. Thank you kindly, Marcia Whipple NCCOSC RDTE DIV San Diego, CA 619-553-4889 ****** END OF FILE ****** ACQNET, Vol. 7, No. 20 ****** END OF FILE ******