CDL: (Responses 1-5 ) Publishers catalogs

From: John P. Abbott <AbbottJP_at_appstate.edu>
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2005 09:04:42 -0500
To: Colldv-l <colldv-l_at_usc.edu>
[The original post followed by responses.]

We have been keeping a selection of our publisher catalogs shelved by 
discipline for awhile now. At the same time we have been keeping track 
of publisher web sites.

A reconfiguration of our workspace is being planned. So the inevitable 
question: pitch or keep?

Kathy E. Tezla, Head                             email: 
ktezla_at_carleton.edu
Collection Development                           voice: (507)646-5447
Carleton College                                 fax: (507)646-4087
Laurence McKinley Gould Library
One North College Street
Northfield, MN 55057
www.library.carleton.edu

====================


Responses

==#1==

From: Laurie Mahaffey <mahaffey_at_ctls.net>

Having been in collection development for 20+ years, here's my take on
publishers' catalogs: if you normally order from reviews, keep only 
those that don't get reviewed and/or fill a specific niche. I serve 
public libraries in Texas, so my shelf of publishers' catalogs has 
Texana & the West, professional library publications (Neal-Schuman, 
ALA, etc.) and hard-to-find books that fill a specific need (Nolo, 
John Deere, ESL, literacy, etc.).

Hope this helps.
Laurie

Laurie Mahaffey
Adult Services Specialist
Central Texas Library System
P. O. Box 2287
Austin TX 78768-2287
512-974-3612
mahaffey_at_ctls.net

==#2==

From: Sara Williams <swilli16_at_utk.edu>

We gave up keeping publishers catalogs about a year ago. Given the 
amount of information now available on the web, a collection of 
printed catalogs no longer seemed worth the staff time needed to 
maintain it.

Sara R. Williams
Collection Management Coordinator
University of Tennessee Libraries
Knoxville TN 37996-1000
(865) 974-6949
swilli16_at_utk.edu
saraw_at_email.lib.utk.edu

The University of Tennessee reserves the right to preserve or inspect 
electronic mail communications. Employee mail may be a public record 
and may be open to public inspection.


==#3==

From: Linwood DeLong <linwood.delong_at_uwinnipeg.ca>

My instinct is to "pitch".   Almost all of the publishers have put 
their catalogs up on the Internet.   If the item isn't there, you 
probably can't order it either, except from a used book dealer.

Linwood DeLong
Reference Coordinator
University of Winnipeg Library
515 Portage Ave.
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
R3B 2E9
Ph. (204) 786-9124
FAX (204) 786-1824
e-mail:  linwood.delong_at_uwinnipeg.ca

==#4==

From: Thomas Izbicki <izbicki_at_jhu.edu>

I would recommend pitching most catalog, but keeping any marked up 
with university holdings of major print or microform sets.  They are 
useful in dealing with vendor's agents.

Tom Izbicki

Thomas Izbicki
Collection Development Coordinator
Eisenhower Library
Johns Hopkins
Baltimore, MD 21218

==#5==

From:  Frank Galoof  <frogdr_at_hotmail.com>

Publishers catalogs are invaluable, but keeping them
on file is not necessary.  Use the paper for awareness of forthcoming
books, for ordering, for the blurbs on the books and authors, and for 
the art and photographs.  Only the smallest presses do not have web
sites of their list.  No sense in keep a paper copy on file.
Received on Tue Jan 11 2005 - 09:21:32 EST