My argument about creating expectations that won't be fulfilled the next
year in no way is an argument to not prioritize acquisitions budgets to best
fulfill user needs.  In fact, I deplore the attitude that we know better
what our users want than they themselves know.  If they want it, give it to
them!  I work at a small liberal arts university where we try to serve both
our users' academic and recreational pursuits.  That said, we are currently
$25,000 over our periodicals budget.  If you have determined that your users
want YM, then subscribe to it.  But if you don't plan on subscribing to it,
then I think that creating false expectations is an issue that a library
needs to confront before putting out a journal title they only expect to
keep for a year.

Buddy Pennington
Acquisitions/Serials Librarian
Rockhurst University Greenlease Library
buddy.pennington@rockhurst.edu
#816-501-4143

>>>>>Elizabeth Horn <horn_elizabeth@HOTMAIL.COM> wrote:<<<<<

Not to continue a discussion that has ended for the majority (but I will
anyway). But I would like to get others' opinions on this as well, because
I find it an interesting aspect of librarianship. In response to "If you
have YM on your shelves for a year, you may create an expectation that it
will be there next year.  What do you do when your readers are looking for
it next year and can't find it?", I would ask: if our patrons want and
enjoy the publication, isn't that an indication that we should add it to
the collection? Granted, this is the goal of "gift subscriptions," to rope
us in to subscribing to some pretty idiotic magazines, but who am I to
judge the tastes of my public? When they want and expect YM, should I
place Aviation Week & Space Technology in their hands? If the demand is
high enough for Self, YM, or another magazine, shouldn't that be an
indication that we should make changes to please our public? This is
probably a moot point for most Academics, because it's not an Academic
Library's job to make everyone feel warm and fuzzy and happy. But speaking
from the Public Library perspective, I don't think we should ignore a
chance to find out what our patrons really want out of our collection.
What do others think?

Thanks,
Beth

Elizabeth Horn
Reference and Serials Librarian
Roanoke City Public Library
Roanoke, VA
<horn_elizabeth@HOTMAIL.COM>