2 messages:

1)_____

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 16:09:42 +1200
From: Sandra Kennedy <sandra.kennedy@CHMEDS.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Periodical donations (Karen Bolton)

>What experience have others had with donated titles? Am I worried for
>nothing? Let me know.

Karen, I don't think that you are worrying for nothing at all. Here are the
main problems I have had over a number of years with donated journals:

Timeliness of receiving issues (we're trying to chase up one particular
title at present which is circulated round the department first and ends up
in someone's office). Because these titles appear in our OPAC our borrowers
expect the latest issues to be available within a similar time to our paid
subs.

Getting complete volumes. I have found that some issues, which presumably
contain the most useful information, never get passed on. A real problem if
you bind complete volumes.

Continuity. What will you do when the donor cancels his/her subscription,
stops donating, or leaves the institution? This has been a problem for us,
because the funding is then not available to take up these subscriptions,
but there are problems with arbitrarily cancelling well-used material,
especially as in these cases it will not have gone through our cancellation
process.

There are potential problems with some publishers over personal copies
being donated to a library. We had to stop receiving at least one journal
that way as each copy states clearly on the outside front cover that it is
for personal use only and must not be placed in a library.

We prefer sponsored to donated copies, if possible, for these reasons.

Sandra Kennedy
Acquisitions Librarian
Canterbury Medical Library

>Thanks!
>
>Karen Bolton
>Serials Librarian
>bolton@msoe.edu
>
>
2)______

Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2000 08:39:39 -0400
From: "Arnold, Margaret" <mrarnold@EMAIL.UNCC.EDU>
Subject: Re: Periodical Donations

> Ditto, all the problems everyone else has mentioned, *plus*, the problem
> of indexes, title pages, volume contents, supplements and special issues.
> Sometimes individuals don't receive these like institutions do, mostly
> they don't pay the same kind of attention and care, and they're rarely
> particularly conscientious about getting them to the library as soon as
> they've been received. Again, not because of any inherent slackness or
> unconcern for the library - they just have other things to do and think
> about. Generally, donated subscriptions for anything except popular type
> reading are more trouble (and, often, expense) than they're worth.
     **********************
  Margaret Robinson Arnold           email: mrarnold@email.uncc.edu
  Bindery Supervisor
  Atkins Library
  UNC Charlotte
  Charlotte NC  28223                Phone: (704) 547-2127
                                     Fax: (704) 547-3473