[Responses to the following posting appear below. There appears
to be some uncertainty whether the posting is about books or
journal issues. ja]
Original posting:
From: "George, Mary Ellen" <georgem_at_ohiodominican.edu
Can anyone advise me on whether "free professional copies" of
publications are considered appropriate or inappropriate to catalog for
your collection. A professor has "donated" a professional copy of a
publication and my thinking is that professional and examination copies are
NOT appropriate to catalog for our official collection. However, what is
the rationale behind this? Feedback appreciated.
Thanks.
Mary Ellen George
"New" Collection Services Librarian
Ohio Dominican University
georgem_at_ohiodominican.edu
Responses:
+++++++++++
From: H Robert Malinowsky <hrm_at_uic.edu
Subject: Re: CDL-PROFESSIONAL COPIES
We do add professional copies, review copies, free copies, etc. to our
collection if they are appropriate for the subjects in which we are
collecting. We are making someone's work more visible and therefore are
benefiting the author or publisher. Many of the books are textbooks that
have been recommended to the professor. Since we are not gaining anything
monetarily from these gifts other than adding a number to our book count,
we feel that it is within the collection guidelines. Many publishers do
not mark their books with any indication that it is a review copy. When
we receive large gift collections, it is impossible to determine which, if
any, were review copies.
H. Robert Malinowsky
Professor and Manager of
Collections Development and Reference
University of Illinois at Chicago Library
+++
From: "Janellyn P Kleiner" <jkleiner_at_lsu.edu
Subject: Re: CDL-PROFESSIONAL COPIES
We haven't cataloged those "free" copies for some time now. For a while,
they were cataloged and, in addition to the cost of cataloging, that leads
to ongoing questions about single issues. We have found that it is not
worth the expense of cataloging since we have no intention of subscribing
to them in most cases.
Jane Kleiner
Associate Dean of Libraries for Collection Services
The LSU Libraries
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Phone: 225-578-2217
Fax: 225-578-6825
E-Mail: jkleiner_at_lsu.edu
+++
From: "Waldman, Glenys A." <GAWaldman_at_pagrandlodge.org
Subject: RE: CDL-PROFESSIONAL COPIES
Dear Ms. George,
For our collection (special library - Pa Headquarters of the Freemasons),
not. Best, Glenys Waldman, Librarian, The Masonic Library and Museum of
Pennsylvania
+++
From: ROBERT P HOLLEY <aa3805_at_wayne.edu
Subject: Re: CDL-PROFESSIONAL COPIES
I believe that this issue was discussed several years ago on
this discussion list with the conclusion, that I concur with,
that, as long as the donor holds title to the item without
restrictions about its use, it is appropriate for the library
to add the item to the collection. I used to edit a journal
and routinely donated review copies that were outside the
scope of my publication. I am also aware of another journal
that sold review copies.
If there are any ethical issues, they reside with the donor's
ability to take a tax credit for an item that he or she didn't pay for.
+++
From: "Tygett, Mary" <tygett_at_umsl.edu
Subject: RE: CDL-PROFESSIONAL COPIES
Being a former college textbook sales representative and sending out
hundreds of copies of texts, I had no problem with this. It's much better
than the more common practice of professors SELLING these free copies to
book wholesalers (like Barnes & Noble, Missouri Book). In that situation,
the prof is making money off something that was GIVEN to him/her and the
textbook publishers sell fewer copies of the new textbooks. This is turn
contributes to the high cost of textbooks. (Yes, I know they're
outrageous, don't bitch at me.)
Mary Tygett
Reference Librarian
Thomas Jefferson Library
University of Missouri--St. Louis
8001 Natural Bridge Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63121
(314) 516-7459
tygett_at_umsl.edu
+++
From: "Linwood DeLong" <linwood.delong_at_uwinnipeg.ca
Subject: Re: CDL-PROFESSIONAL COPIES
We certainly don't give tax receipts for them. If they are books and are
clearly marked as "desk copies" or something like that, we usually check
with the publisher. Many times, the publisher does not object.
In the case of journals, we would not accept a donation of a journal, if
there is a different rate for an individual subscription than for an
institutional subscription, because accepting the donation of the
individual subscription would be, in effect, doing an end-run around the
publisher's desire to make affordable copies available to individuals by
charging more to an institutional subscriber.
Linwood DeLong
Collections Coordinator
University of Winnipeg Library
515 Portage Ave.
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
R3B 2E9
Ph. (204) 786-9124
FAX (204) 786-1824
+++
From: Judith Kammerer <judithjoy1_at_cox.net
Subject: Re: CDL-PROFESSIONAL COPIES
Hello Mary Ellen,
I'd be very interested to read the replies you get to this question. I'm a
library assistant at a medical library (for just the past 4 weeks). I
think what we'll do is to label the donated journals and place them
in the doctors lounge without cataloging them.
+++
From: John Abbott abbottjp_at_appstate.edu
The source for the donation doesn't seem relevant to its gift letter
eligibility. The donor chooses to donate something of presumed value
to the library, the library accepts, and that it was gratis to the donor
isn't relevant. If they inherited a Raymond Chandler first edition
from their Aunt Minnie and donated it to the library, it cost them
nothing, but they would likely get a tax letter. The donor could
toss the review copy in the hallway to be scavenged by graduate
students, but instead sends it to the library. Giving them
acknowledgement of the gift pointing them to (US) IRS Publ. 561 and
sending them on their way seems civil; I'd like them to
send the next review book they receive to the library, too. If
the gift is donations of sample journals issues, I usually tell them
we can't add and do not accept the gift, therefore no gift letter is
triggered.
John Abbott
Coordinator, Collection Development
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC
Received on Tue Nov 12 2002 - 10:36:32 EST