ACQNET v8n010 (March 8, 1998) URL = http://www.infomotions.com/serials/serials/acqnet/acqnet-v8n010.txt ISSN: 1057-5308 *************** ACQNET, Vol. 8, No. 10, March 8, 1998 ======================================== (1) FROM: E. Karsten SUBJECT: Nursing materials (6 lines) (2) FROM: C. Johnson SUBJECT: Library of English Literature (4 lines) (3) FROM: G. Smith SUBJECT: Public library book selection research project (37 lines) (4) FROM: M. Kenreich SUBJECT: Canadian vendor recommendation (3 lines) (5) FROM: C. Coulter, J. Mumm (2 postings) SUBJECT: RE: Electronic resources (79 lines) (6) FROM: M. Trauernicht SUBJECT: RE: Archival Resource Company (11 lines) (1)-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 25 Feb 1998 08:09:08 +0000 From: Eileen Karsten (North Park University) Subject: Nursing materials Our library is interested in average spent for materials for graduate nursing programs. North Park has a MSN and APN programs and we budget about $10,000 per materials for these programs. The Nursing Division and the Library think it should be more. We need information from other schools on about how much they spend on materials. North Park is a small liberal arts university with about 2,000 students. Thank you for any help. Eileen Karsten Head of Technical Services North Park University 3225 W. Foster Ave. Chicago, IL 60625-4987 (773)244-5585 ekarsten@northpark.edu (2)----------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 25 Feb 1998 09:25:31 +0000 From: Carole Johnson (University of Texas, Permian Basin) Subject: Library of English Literature We've recently discovered that our microform collection of the Library of English Literature is missing numbers 12257 - 20000. Does anyone know of a vendor handling this resource? It's my understanding that Library Resources is out of business. Carole Johnson Technical Services Librarian J. Conrad Dunagan Library Univ. of Tex., Permian Basin Odessa, Texas 79762 johnson_c@utpb.edu 915-552-2407 voice http://pblib.utpb.edu 915-552-2374 fax (3)------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Tue, 03 Mar 1998 20:17:23 +0000 (GMT) From: Geoffrey Smith (Capital Planning Information) Subject: Public library book selection research project ACQNET members may be able to help with some research in progress in the UK on the information used in book selection in public libraries. It is being funded by the British National Bibliography Research Fund. It has a Library Association and National Acquisitions Group and a British National Bibliography Research Fund Steering Group. I am leading the research for Capital Planning Information, a UK research company. We are investigating the factors that are taken into account in selection decisions, including the background information and knowledge of the selectors, the sources of information they use in selection, the advantages and disadvantages of the sources, and how these information sources might present information to the selectors more helpfully. We are also looking at the information that is presented to see how far it meets their needs in making effective choices. The research covers the selection of new adult and junior titles, both hardback and softback. We are investigating the different information used in selecting books in advance of publication, when they are published and also later - for example, when libraries are revising their stocks or deciding on replacements. We are analysing responses to a questionnaire to UK public libraries to establish information sources used and the information they convey, and we are interviewing some selectors. The outcome will be a published report. We hope it will help in the understanding of the selection process and be useful to the organisations who provide the informations sources as they try to make them more helpful to the selectors. We would be interested to hear of any other work in this field so that we can put UK practice into an international perspective. Geoffry Smith (4)------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Thu, 26 Feb 1998 13:02:11 -0800 (PST) From: Mary Ellen Kenreich (Portland State University) Subject: Canadian vendor recommendation [Ed. note: Two Canadian vendors recommended by Peter Stevens are Aubrey Books International (aubrey@access.digex.com) and Macneill Library Service (macneill@literascape.com)] Can anyone recommend a good vendor for Canadiana? Preferably one in Canada, but if you're happy with a U.S. vendor for materials published in Canada, I'd like to hear about it also. Thanks. Mary Ellen Kenreich Acquisitions Librarian Portland State Univ. (503) 725-5780 kenreich@godzilla.lib.pdx.edu (5)------------------------------------------------------------------------ [Posting 1 of 2] Date: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 09:51:38 -0600 From: Cynthia Coulter (University of Northern Iowa) Subject: RE: Electronic resources (ACQNET 8:8) Several years ago, our Controller's Office had to work with us to come up with a figure for the value of our library collection as our University had decided to become self-insured. The Controller's Office had to come up with a way to reflect the depreciation of the value of our collection over the years. In the course of those discussions, we had to determine which library materials were capitalized (able to be inventoried -- counted, thereby implying a physical piece) and which were non-capitalized (not added to the collection, such as: paper copies of newspapers since we archive a microfilm copy; titles we don't bind; updating services; and leased titles). We also needed to show how much we spent on binding (comes from our library materials budget) and on Special Collections purchases (we made the case that this collection appreciates in value while the rest depreciate in value). Our non-capitalized expenditures also include services which provide access: access to information (remote databases or resources available via the Internet); and access for our patrons to our catalog and its records (including the maintenance charges for our Innovative Interfaces online catalog, OCLC charges, and Marcive charges). Our order records show into which category of capitalized or non-capitalized expenditure each order falls (5 categories: non-capitalized information resources; books and one-time purchases regardless of format; subscriptions; special collections; and microfiche services/binding). Previously, the charges for these access services (OCLC, III, Marcive) were paid from our Supplies and Services budget in an "automation" line. Unfortunately, our Supplies and Services budget has been historically more anemic than our library materials budget. As a part of these discussions, we made a permanent transfer of those automation funds from Supplies and Services to our library materials budget. As Head of Acquisitions, I now have responsibility for paying those bills. I maintain several spreadsheets on which we analyze those expenditures and have been able, over the last two years, to make changes in our procedures to reduce those charges. So how does it work in a typical fiscal year? At the start of each year, we look at the previous year's expenditures for OCLC, Innovative Interfaces, and Marcive services, and determine how much we reasonably expect to spend that year on those services. We also look at the electronic resources and what we expect to spend on those. I then prepare a budget transfer form that moves the funds for those expected non-capitalized expenditures into a separate non-capitalized sub-account of our library materials budget. The rest remains in one account until the end of the fiscal year and all invoices (except for the expected non-capitalized expenditures) are paid from that account. Since we can't know the exact amount we will spend in each category of expenditure at the start of the year, new electronic resources added or canceled during a year, decision made not to bind a title any more, we decided we didn't want to play the game of "transfer money here, transfer money there," throughout the fiscal year. Instead, at the end of each fiscal year, we provide our Controller's Office with a report of the amount spent in each category. That report comes out of our III system's statistical report module. The Controller's Office then does a "journal entry" to show the transfer of funds into the appropriate category. We have been very pleased with the way the capitalized/non-capitalized situation has worked out here at UNI. Our Head Controller has a reputation (deservedly so) as a man who looks to achieving the results needed and trying to facilitate those within the restrictions placed on him by accounting regulations and rules. It also helped that he is mightily impressed with the excellent auditing trail provided by the III system and that the III system can produce that report of our expenditures by category each year. Cynthia M. Coulter Head, Acquisitions Department Rod Library University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA 50613-3675 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ [Posting 2 of 2} Date: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 08:56:30 -0600 From: Jim Mumm (Marquette University Law Library) Subject: Re: ACQNET 8:8 : Electronic Resources By definition a capital expenditure is viewed as an improvement to facilities (e.g. purchase of a desk, a computer or a card catalog would be a capital expenditure), unlike books, which I would consider to be an intellectual property expense or maybe a materials expense. In terms of the budget, I would be more inclined to lump electronic resources with books for the library, rather than with desks for a couple of reasons. 1. They, like books and periodicals, are sources of information. 2. Costs for electronic resources are frequently regular, ongoing and often times inflating expenses. They become regular budget items (unlike capital expenditures which usually are one time, long term, purchases with depreciating value, like a car or desk). 3. Electronic resources can be distinguished by subject or generally by subject areas. I would also keep in mind, however, that a Vice President for Business Affairs may not view the purchases made in a library in the same way a librarian would. The VP may very well look at purchases of books as capital expenditures, because his/her definition may be broader than the librarian's. The long and short of what I'm saying is that I would be inclined to budget electronic purchases into similar categories as books and periodicals, rather than with furniture and office supplies. Jim Mumm Acquisitions / Serials Librarian Marquette University Law Library Sensenbrenner Hall (414) 288-5351 P.O. Box 3137 FAX: (414) 288-5914 Milwaukee, WI 53201-3137 mummj@vms.csd.mu.edu (6)---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 12:02:52 -0500 (EST) From: Marcia Trauernicht (RIT) Subject: RE: Archival Resource Company Nearly a month ago I posted an inquiry about the Archival Resource Company (specializing in purchasing collections, backruns and loose issues). I received a few responses, but not many (excluding requests for the company's address): two people sent the company lists of materials for purchase, and after several months have not yet received a response. When telephoned, the reply was that the business was swamped with work and was not able to review the information yet. Another person set up an appointment with the company to pick up some materials, and in turn received payment promptly. I would still be interested in hearing from anyone who has dealings with this company in the future. Thanks to all who responded! Marcia Trauernicht, RIT mstwml@rit.edu ****** END OF FILE ****** ACQNET, Vol.8, No. 10 ****** END OF FILE ******