Selecting an approval plan vendor II: Comparative vendor data

This article is the second of three which are intended to reduce the time, cost and risk of selecting a domestic approval plan vendor for a college or university library. The authors compare data collected from eight major United States approval plan vendors covering nine areas: company background, employee background, customer service, profile and title selection, profile maintenance, materials forms/slips/returns handling, financial practices, statistical reporting and miscellaneous data. The authors caution that these comparative data cannot substitute for the specific, timely inquiry which should be made when a vendor selection decision is imminent.     

Comparison shopping: purchasing continuations as standing orders or on approval

When purchasing continuations from book vendors, libraries have essentially two options: a) establish standing orders, or b) receive on approval plans. Both options offer advantages and disadvantages. Librarians need to explore both options fully to decide which is best for their needs before purchasing continuations. This article explores the two options for acquiring continuations and explains both the advantages and disadvantages for each option so that librarians can make informed decisions. While all book vendors can offer these two purchasing options to libraries, this article specifically addresses purchasing continuations from Yankee Book Peedler, Inc.     

我国图书编目怎么了--往事回忆与思考

五十年前的1951年9月,当我刚进西南师范学院图博科学习图书馆学、博物馆学专业知识的时候,记得先师汪应文教授、孙海波教授两位图博科行政负责人,都给我们这批刚入校的青年进行过一次专业启蒙教育.     

An application of Davis' model for a vendor study

A study was conducted by the Acquisitions Department of Hunter Library at Western Carolina University of the eleven American book dealers used regularly by the department. The purpose of this study was to evaluate their performance in relation to our library's needs in order to determine which of those companies studied would receive the bulk of our future orders. As a result of the study, three suppliers with inordinately low scores were dropped by the library. Another vendor will be receiving substantially more of our business than ever before. The department will extend this study through 1984 during which time approximately 50% of the annual monographic book orders will be studied.     

Collaborative Journal Purchasing Today: Results of a Survey

Libraries have joined consortia to increase their purchasing power, and in recent years they have been focusing on electronic journal packages. Purchasing a publisher's entire journal list, often called a Big Deal, seemed to be a good answer at first, but many librarians and libraries found that this solution was restrictive on their budgets and detrimental to their collections. In response, publishers became more flexible about allowing libraries to collaborate on the journal title lists. Survey results show that these collaborations are becoming more prevalent because the benefits outweigh the difficulties.     

Purchasing cd-rom products: Considerations for a new technology

This article outlines primary considerations in the acquisition of CD-ROM products. The advantages and disadvantages of CD-ROM technology are delineated, and approximately 30 products are listed. A statement about collection development goals is included, as is a summary of equipment needs and a selected bibliography.     

Purchasing of Electronic Backfiles: Results of a Survey

Publishers have been digitizing their journal backfiles and have been offering these backfiles for purchase to libraries in various packages. Serials and acquisitions librarians were surveyed to evaluate four types of backfile packages, and to determine the selection criteria being considered when making these purchases.     

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.     

Phoenix rising: new models for the research monograph?

There is significant evidence that traditional university presses are continuing to face financial crises. Outlets for research monographs are drying up, print runs are being reduced and monograph costs are increasing. The combination of the digital networked environment and openarchive initiatives may, however, provide the opportunity, through institutional repositories, to rethink the role and nature of the distribution of research monographs in a university setting. The adoption of new models, untrammelled by the structures of the past, while still retaining editorial and refereeing standards, could revolutionize the access and distribution patterns of research knowledge within university frameworks. Ultimate success will depend, however, on programmes of scholarly advocacy in scholarly communication with the academic author as both creator and as consumer.     

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.     

Identifying legitimate open access journals: some suggestions from a publisher

• New publishing models lead to new players – not all of them good.
• No commonly accepted criteria aid scholars to select ‘good’ journals.
• Journals (and publishers) need to assert their good practice.
• How do publishers serve their different customers – readers, authors, reviewers, and the public?

     

Patron-Initiated Purchasing: Evaluating Criteria and Workflows

The University of Mississippi Libraries began a patron-initiated purchasing program in 2009. After a successful year of purchasing, the authors evaluated both the criteria and workflows. The process included sharing results with subject librarians and the Collection Development Steering Committee. As a result, changes were made to both the criteria and the workflows.     

Building a retrospective collection in pharmacy: a brief history of the literature with some considerations for U.S. health sciences library professionals

This paper argues that historical works in pharmacy are important tools for the clinician as well as the historian. With this as its operative premise, delineating the tripartite aspects of pharmacy as a business enterprise, a science, and a profession provides a conceptual framework for primary and secondary resource collecting. A brief history and guide to those materials most essential to a historical collection in pharmacy follows. Issues such as availability and cost are discussed and summarized in checklist form. In addition, a glossary of important terms is provided as well as a list of all the major U.S. dispensatories and their various editions. This paper is intended to serve as a resource for those interested in collecting historical materials in pharmacy and pharmaco-therapeutics as well as provide a history that gives context to these classics in the field. This should provide a rationale for selective retrospective collection development in pharmacy.