Regional study of vendor performance for in-print monographs

A regional study conducted by 16 libraries sought to develop a vendor evaluation instrument for acquisitions and collection development librarians to establish acceptable ranges of vendor performance in the North Texas area. Criteria studied included fulfillment, turnaround time, discount, shipping charges, number of reports, cancellations by vendors and problems with vendors. One hundred items were ordered by each library between September 18 and October 13 with the study ending on December 15, 1989. Orders were submitted both electronically and by mail to seven domestic vendors. Fulfillment ranged from 56% to 99%; average turnaround time was 42 days for mailed orders versus 36 days for electronically transmitted orders; and average discount was 4.4% for all orders, ranging from 4.2% to 20.3%. Results provided the participants with data against which they could compare their own vendor's performance.     

The evolving approval plan: how academic librarians evaluate services for vendor selection and performance

A survey of 291 academic librarians addressed the question of how libraries choose approval plan vendors, specifically how much emphasis is placed on various approval plan services and product features in choosing between competing approval plan vendors and how vendor performance is rated in those areas. Traditional services, including expertise in managing approval plans, e.g., profiling, and acquisitions services, customer service, and discount rate, along with corporate reputation and business practices, retained their core status. Electronic financial transactions was found to be very important to the libraries already using these services. Outsourcing services, e.g., cataloging or physical processing, with approval plan vendors, although newer, appear established and of considerable interest to some segments. Vendor performance was rated highest in corporate reputation, approval plan management, and in electronic financial transactions. Libraries with approval budgets under $100,000 expressed a degree of satisfaction with approval plan vendors on a level similar to larger libraries.     

An approval plan vendor review: The organization and process

A review of five domestic approval plan vendors was organized and conducted during 1986 and 1987 to meet several objectives. These objectives were: (1) to respond to some staff dissatisfaction with the vendor's service; (2) to determine if the budget was being utilized effectively; and (3) to decide if another vendor could provide better service. After completing a literature review, the Collection Development Resource Allocation Subcommittee developed a checklist which was sent to vendors to guide their onsite presentations. Members of the Acquisitions Department, the Humanities and Social Sciences Department, the Science and Technology Department and the subcommittee completed an evaluation form following each vendor's presentation. Staff also had the opportunity to provide an open-ended written response after all vendor visits were completed. The evaluation forms were tabulated and telephone evaluations were conducted with other libraries currently using one or more of the vendors. The Subcommittee and three department heads used the information obtained through these steps to recommend a change in vendors.     

Academic library beta testing of vendor system design and upgrade: Legal aspects and checklists of best practice

Working relationships between vendors and academic libraries have extended from a traditional one of customer and bookseller to the testing of vendor-developed software. This extension has occurred since 1980, the last quarter century. What has changed since 2000 is the addition of tests of vendor/client interface informed by enterprise software that completely alters methodologies for accommodating library requirements for book supply, MARC record supply, and electronic invoices and purchase orders. This paper will examine the technical, administrative, and legal considerations now relevant to beta testing of vendor software by library staff and offer charts and checklists that may make these projects more easily comprehended.     

A firm order vendor evaluation using a stratified sample

This paper examines a firm order vendor evaluation done at the Eisenhower Library, Johns Hopkins University. The entire population of firm orders for domestic publications was used as the sample for a controlled study of vendor performance in terms of order fill rate, vendor efficiency, and cost effectiveness. We attempted to ensure the accuracy of our study by stratifying the sample population, and by performing tests for statistical significance on our results. The final results of the survey helped determine the domestic vendor policy at the Eisenhower Library.     

Allocating the technology dividend in technical services through using vendor services

To achieve operational efficiency and a high level of productivity, technical services departments in libraries have often sought technology-based services provided by vendors. Vendors are able to provide significant savings, personnel support, and expertise to the library that needs to devote its own capital (personnel, equipment, funding, etc.) to new initiatives. Developing a strong, positive working relationship between libraries and vendors will not only result in resource savings and expand profits, but also create a sense of teamwork and trust. In this article, authors present their practice in using the technology dividend generated through the beneficial investment in a partnership to provide enhanced services to library users while maintaining adequate vendor profitability.     

Allocating the technology dividend in technical services through using vendor services

To achieve operational efficiency and a high level of productivity, technical services departments in libraries have often sought technology-based services provided by vendors. Vendors are able to provide significant savings, personnel support, and expertise to the library that needs to devote its own capital (personnel, equipment, funding, etc.) to new initiatives. Developing a strong, positive working relationship between libraries and vendors will not only result in resource savings and expand profits, but also create a sense of teamwork and trust. In this article, authors present their practice in using the technology dividend generated through the beneficial investment in a partnership to provide enhanced services to library users while maintaining adequate vendor profitability.     

Contract acquisitions: Change,technology, and the new library/vendor partnership

This paper outlines some of the technological and other changes affecting library/vendor relations. It explores in particular one possible result of these changes, contract acquisitions, i.e., libraries contracting with private sector vendors to provide traditional acquisitions services. This article enumerates some of the issues to be considered and urges libraries and vendors to collaborate more closely than ever before.     

Vendor Training

The article explores the role of vendor training in the long-term relationshio that exists between libraries that ~urchase an integrated online library system and vendors that market ind support such svsterns. Ernohasis is eiven to the res~onsibilitv vendors have to proierly train library so as to'insure successful imple- mentation and use of their online system. Analysis and evaluation of vendor training programs is stressed and suggestions are given for how vendors can possibly improve the training provided to their users.     

Nothing to Fear

Abstract

Vendor-supplied e-resource statistics are often unavailable, unreliable, or not comparable across vendors. This study compared locally generated usage statistics to those supplied by four major publishers, and analyzed the resulting patterns of use. The additional information provided by vendor statistics was assessed to see how it might be utilized selectively to provide a better understanding of the importance of individual titles. The local statistics for all titles provided by the four publishers were then compared. A strong similarity between the two datasets was found, supporting the position that local statistics are a viable alternative to vendor statistics. Another finding was that the 80/20 rule is closer to 80/30 in the online environment. Some of the issues for subject librarians and electronic resources librarians are discussed.     

Are library vendors doing enough to protect users? A content analysis of major ILS privacy policies

While privacy is a core value of librarianship, privacy standards differ by library and library vendor. These types of guidelines are necessary and useful, but understanding them can be overwhelming. Academic libraries increasingly rely on third-party, cloudbased vendors to manage their systems and to provide access to their collections. When selecting library systems, library staff must understand privacy issues and be aware of how vendors use data. However, libraries do not always have the staffing, time or knowledge, and vendors are not always interested in upholding library values. The project examines the content of privacy policies for popular library systems used by Canadian academic libraries. The research aims to help librarians better understand the policies, to help them make informed decisions about their own library systems. The process used to code the privacy policies and the results of the coding are included alongside recommendations for vendors and library employees. Building on two seminal privacy studies, the methodology is revised for a Canadian context and updated with today's terminology and context, making it adaptable for other libraries and context around the world.     

A knowledge-based expert systems application in library acquisitions: Monographs

The decision-making process in any environment, including the library, is potentially subjective and arbitrary. The impetus for this research has been to eliminate the discretionary component in vendor selection by designing a quantitative decision-making model. Technically, the model is based on the artificial intelligence concept known as an expert system. The model uses rules provided by the expert, policies of the individual institution, and quantitative decision techniques to assign orders to vendors. Advantages to this knowledge-based model are the following: (1) assurance of quantitative objectivity; (2) efficient allocation of limited resources; (3) improved use of personnel time; (4) creation of a database of vendor price structuring; and (5) usefulness as a training resource.     

Using the RFP Process to Select a Serials Vendor:

In this workshop, two librarians and a vendor described, and discussed the Request for Proposal (RFP) process to serials acquisitions librarians and vendor representatives. The format of the workshop followed the process of an actual RFP, beginning with the planning stage, the drafting of the request document, the submission to sources, the receipt by the solicited vendors, the preparation of a response, the evaluation, and the actual award. The central theme of the workshop was the contrast between the formal Request for Proposal (RFP) and the informal RFP. The formal RFP is usually mandated by law or by institutional regulations and always involves a Purchasing Department or Contracting Office outside the library. The informal RFP is not required by institutional or governmental regulations and is administered totally within the library.     

Vendor evaluation: A selected annotated bibliography, 1955–1987

This annotated bibliography, aimed at acquisitions and collection development librarians, gathers and organizes the scattered materials on performance evaluation of library material vendors (i.e., jobbers, wholesalers, serial agents, and publishers). The authors, the Vendor Study Group of the Association for Higher Education of North Texas, cite the most significant items found on vendor performance written between 1955 and the first half of 1987. Excluded are citations concerned with approval plans and those with marginal relevancy to the subject. The bibliography is organized into two categories: (1) Methodologies and Studies and (2) Supporting Materials.