- Email: [email protected]
Serials vendor evaluation
these changes. Staff would learn new skills, there would be cross training to provide backup for time sensitive procedures, short reminder sessions on new policies and skills would be available, and formal workshops would be prepared to provide training on the changing needs of staff working with serials. Alan Nordman from Dawson Subscription Service and Amira Aaron, Academic Automation Specialist from Readmore, Inc., held a workshop on serials interfaces for use in libraries today, specifically interfaces using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). Aaron spoke about the different types of interfaces and their functions, such as: claims and claims response, purchase orders and acknowledgements, invoice data, publisher dispatch data and many more. She also provided some practical suggestions on implementing serials interfaces and an overview of what is happening in the industry today. In conclusion she emphasized the following: good planning equals successful interfaces; the need for Gommunication between libraries, subscription and ILS vendors; and that librarians need to prove to their administration that interfaces are important. Nordman gave the Data Interchange S~ndards Ass~iation definition of EDI as “the transmission, in a standard syntax of unambiguous information of business or strategic significance between computers of independent organizations,” adding further that “the user must translate this information to or from his own computer system, but his translation software has to be prepared only once.” He presented an overview of current standards, those which have been approved by SISAC (Serials Industry Systems Advisory Committee), CSISAC (Canadian SISAC), and ICEDIS (International Committee on ED1 for Serials), those still in testing and those in development. Approved standards exist for agent to library invoices and library to agent and agent to publisher claims. Those being tested are purchase orders and publisher-to-agent price and sales catalogs. Still in development are transactions involving purchase order acknowledgement, agent-to-publisher cancellations and publisher-to-agent invoices. This year’s NASIG conference provided valuable and challenging discussions on how technology is changing the work of the serialist. It was an opportunity for those involved in serials-librarians, publishers and vendors-to meet and explore those changes by the sharing of thoughts, experiences and practical ideas. All attendees are sure to have gained, if not a better understanding of some of these concepts, at least some ideas and questions to contemplate.
-SERIALSSPOK~NHER~-
Reaves is a Library
Records Management Texas Libraries.
Assistant for the Receiving and Unit at the University of North
SERIALSVENDOREVALUATION
Marifran Bustion The ALAIALCTSISerials Section/Acquisitions Committee sponsored the program “Looking Beyond Service Charge: Performance Evaluation of Serials Vendors” at the 1995 ALA Annual Conference. This program resulted from the Committee’s work in publishing the Guide to Perfhmarzce E~~luati~~~ of Serials Vendors, which is to be published by the ALCTS Acquisitions Committee in the Guides Series. The program was co-sponsored by the ALCTS Publisher~endor/Library Relations Committee and the ALCTS Acquisitions Section. October Ivins, Head, Serials and Acquisitions Department at Louisiana State University, was the principal force behind the Committee’s work on the Guide and was the obvious choice for moderator of the program. She introduced the Guide, gave the history for its being, and spoke of the need for libraries to conduct performance evaluations of serials vendors. (Although the Guide is truly the product of the SS Acquisitions Committee, and involved reviews and participation of several vendors as well as librarians, it is due to October’s persistence in gathering info~ation and writing and revising the Guide that it is now at the publishing stage.) The program featured Michelle Crump, Associate Chair, Acquisitions Section, Resource Services Department from the University of Florida, who spoke about the need to conduct performance evaluations and pointed out that evaluations may be used in many situations. Among the reasons to conduct an evaluation include, 1) having a service agreement, preferably in writing, to clarify what the vendor and the library expect from each other, 2) having an explanation for services and subsequent charges, 3) confirming the library’s choice of country of origin vendor, 4) improving library procedures, thereby providing better management information, and 5) improving library/ vendor/publisher communication and relations. Gary Brown, Director of Library Services, Latin America, for B.H. Blackwell, and a former consultant to the Acquisitions Committee, addressed the goals of the Guide, which he identi~ed as: (1) judging vendor compliance with stated terms and conditions: and (2)
wI~~Rl~5
93
assessing library services to its clientele. Objectives he considered necessary during evaluations included: (1) improving vendor performance; (2) identifying service and cost; (3) improving serials receipt; (4) improving library procedures and management information; and (5) improving library/vendor/publisher relations. He concluded by describing the evaluation process: analyze and understand the problem; isolate, measure, monitor, and communicate during the process; and evaluate, then decide policies as procedures are implemented for the solution. Gary and Michelle both recommended that vendors and libraries build in formal and regular reviews as part of their routine activities. Upon completion of the formal portion of the program there was a question and answer period. Rather than rely on the audience to pose questions, the program committee submitted several scenarios to the speakers and audience. This produced lively discussions among librarians and vendors. The scenarios included questions on: 1.
2.
3.
Claims. It is March; you have not been receiving issues on a number of subscriptions. You receive instead late nonrenewal notices from the publisher(s). Aside from gathering statistics on nonsupply and publisher nonrenewal notices, what other factors would you consider in your evaluation? What responses are you expecting from the agent? From the publishers? During a dinner at a Service charges/discounts. national meeting, the subject of vendor service charges is discussed. You discover that the over-all service charge you are paying your vendor is higher than the charges mentioned by your colleagues. How might you gather additional information to present when you discuss the situation with your vendor’s representative? What additional factors would you consider when evaluating based on service charge? Library XYZ gets several Standing orders. notices during the year from continuation order vendor ABC. The notices are for different titles on standing order. The notices say, “We have determined that the xxxx ed. is out of print and we are unable to supply.” How could/should this situation be considered as a criterion in evaluating the continuation vendor?
Bustion is Head of the Acquisitions Washington University.
94
SERIALSREVIEw
Dept. at George
LITA VENDORAJSERINTEREST GROUPPROGRAMONCOPYRIGHT Jodi Williamschen “Copyright Tracking of Electronic Full Text: Issues and Answers” was a joint program of the LITA Vendor/ User Interest Group and the ACRL Copyright Committee. It was the final portion of the three-part ACRL series on copyright presented during the ALA conference in Chicago. Held on Monday, June 26, from 9:00II:00 a.m., the discussion attracted over 275 interested librarians, publishers, document delivery vendors, integrated library system vendors and others. The speakers were Laura N. Gasaway, Director of the Law Library and law professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Don L. Bosseau, University Librarian, San Diego State University; John Kolman, Vice-President Development, Ameritech Library Services Academic Division; and Randall Marcinko, Vice-President and General Manager, EBSCOdoc. The panel was moderated by Sandra Hurd, EBSCO Subscription Service’s Director of Library Automation and Vice-Chair of the LITA Vendor/User Interest Group. Each speaker addressed issues in his/her area of expertise and offered sometimes conflicting perspectives on copyright in an electronic era. Gasaway covered legal concerns and helped clarify the basics of copyright law. She said that the benefits of technologies should flow to the public as well as to the copyright proprietors. Bosseau reviewed a program underway at SDSU which has introduced a digitized reserve collection to the campus and outlined their efforts to obtain copyright clearance and track usage of the documents. Kolman focused on the realities and difficulties of system development and implementation for electronic tracking of copyright. He said that the problems are not insurmountable, but there is an opportunity for good work in standards. Marcinko offered some interesting solutions for document delivery, electronic tables of contents and customized databases. He encouraged the attendees to look closely at the big issues of copyright but ensure that all participants are adequately compensated. Williamschen was formerly Head of Catalog Maintenance at the Otto G. Richter Library, University of Miami, and is now Systems Librarian, Innovative Interfaces, Emeryville, CA.
- SUSAN DAVIS -
-SERIALSSPOK~NHER~-
Reaves is a Library
Records Management Texas Libraries.
Assistant for the Receiving and Unit at the University of North
SERIALSVENDOREVALUATION
Marifran Bustion The ALAIALCTSISerials Section/Acquisitions Committee sponsored the program “Looking Beyond Service Charge: Performance Evaluation of Serials Vendors” at the 1995 ALA Annual Conference. This program resulted from the Committee’s work in publishing the Guide to Perfhmarzce E~~luati~~~ of Serials Vendors, which is to be published by the ALCTS Acquisitions Committee in the Guides Series. The program was co-sponsored by the ALCTS Publisher~endor/Library Relations Committee and the ALCTS Acquisitions Section. October Ivins, Head, Serials and Acquisitions Department at Louisiana State University, was the principal force behind the Committee’s work on the Guide and was the obvious choice for moderator of the program. She introduced the Guide, gave the history for its being, and spoke of the need for libraries to conduct performance evaluations of serials vendors. (Although the Guide is truly the product of the SS Acquisitions Committee, and involved reviews and participation of several vendors as well as librarians, it is due to October’s persistence in gathering info~ation and writing and revising the Guide that it is now at the publishing stage.) The program featured Michelle Crump, Associate Chair, Acquisitions Section, Resource Services Department from the University of Florida, who spoke about the need to conduct performance evaluations and pointed out that evaluations may be used in many situations. Among the reasons to conduct an evaluation include, 1) having a service agreement, preferably in writing, to clarify what the vendor and the library expect from each other, 2) having an explanation for services and subsequent charges, 3) confirming the library’s choice of country of origin vendor, 4) improving library procedures, thereby providing better management information, and 5) improving library/ vendor/publisher communication and relations. Gary Brown, Director of Library Services, Latin America, for B.H. Blackwell, and a former consultant to the Acquisitions Committee, addressed the goals of the Guide, which he identi~ed as: (1) judging vendor compliance with stated terms and conditions: and (2)
wI~~Rl~5
93
assessing library services to its clientele. Objectives he considered necessary during evaluations included: (1) improving vendor performance; (2) identifying service and cost; (3) improving serials receipt; (4) improving library procedures and management information; and (5) improving library/vendor/publisher relations. He concluded by describing the evaluation process: analyze and understand the problem; isolate, measure, monitor, and communicate during the process; and evaluate, then decide policies as procedures are implemented for the solution. Gary and Michelle both recommended that vendors and libraries build in formal and regular reviews as part of their routine activities. Upon completion of the formal portion of the program there was a question and answer period. Rather than rely on the audience to pose questions, the program committee submitted several scenarios to the speakers and audience. This produced lively discussions among librarians and vendors. The scenarios included questions on: 1.
2.
3.
Claims. It is March; you have not been receiving issues on a number of subscriptions. You receive instead late nonrenewal notices from the publisher(s). Aside from gathering statistics on nonsupply and publisher nonrenewal notices, what other factors would you consider in your evaluation? What responses are you expecting from the agent? From the publishers? During a dinner at a Service charges/discounts. national meeting, the subject of vendor service charges is discussed. You discover that the over-all service charge you are paying your vendor is higher than the charges mentioned by your colleagues. How might you gather additional information to present when you discuss the situation with your vendor’s representative? What additional factors would you consider when evaluating based on service charge? Library XYZ gets several Standing orders. notices during the year from continuation order vendor ABC. The notices are for different titles on standing order. The notices say, “We have determined that the xxxx ed. is out of print and we are unable to supply.” How could/should this situation be considered as a criterion in evaluating the continuation vendor?
Bustion is Head of the Acquisitions Washington University.
94
SERIALSREVIEw
Dept. at George
LITA VENDORAJSERINTEREST GROUPPROGRAMONCOPYRIGHT Jodi Williamschen “Copyright Tracking of Electronic Full Text: Issues and Answers” was a joint program of the LITA Vendor/ User Interest Group and the ACRL Copyright Committee. It was the final portion of the three-part ACRL series on copyright presented during the ALA conference in Chicago. Held on Monday, June 26, from 9:00II:00 a.m., the discussion attracted over 275 interested librarians, publishers, document delivery vendors, integrated library system vendors and others. The speakers were Laura N. Gasaway, Director of the Law Library and law professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Don L. Bosseau, University Librarian, San Diego State University; John Kolman, Vice-President Development, Ameritech Library Services Academic Division; and Randall Marcinko, Vice-President and General Manager, EBSCOdoc. The panel was moderated by Sandra Hurd, EBSCO Subscription Service’s Director of Library Automation and Vice-Chair of the LITA Vendor/User Interest Group. Each speaker addressed issues in his/her area of expertise and offered sometimes conflicting perspectives on copyright in an electronic era. Gasaway covered legal concerns and helped clarify the basics of copyright law. She said that the benefits of technologies should flow to the public as well as to the copyright proprietors. Bosseau reviewed a program underway at SDSU which has introduced a digitized reserve collection to the campus and outlined their efforts to obtain copyright clearance and track usage of the documents. Kolman focused on the realities and difficulties of system development and implementation for electronic tracking of copyright. He said that the problems are not insurmountable, but there is an opportunity for good work in standards. Marcinko offered some interesting solutions for document delivery, electronic tables of contents and customized databases. He encouraged the attendees to look closely at the big issues of copyright but ensure that all participants are adequately compensated. Williamschen was formerly Head of Catalog Maintenance at the Otto G. Richter Library, University of Miami, and is now Systems Librarian, Innovative Interfaces, Emeryville, CA.
- SUSAN DAVIS -