---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2001 08:44:56 -0500
From: "MD_Buddy (Buddy Pennington)" <MD_Buddy@KCLIBRARY.ORG>
Subject: Re: ALA periodicals (Jeanette Skwor)

We use Ebsco as much as possible and only order directly when Ebsco does not
carry that serial.  We haven't had problems with ALA titles (all of which we
get through Ebsco), but I do recall having some problems with some books we
had ordered that were delayed for an ungodly length of time.  Once we
ordered some posters from their website and when I called them about not
getting the posters after a few weeks I was told the order was cancelled
because it did not fulfill the minimum order requirements.  I was a bit
annoyed because the minimum order requirements were not posted on the web
order form and because they did not bother to contact me about the cancelled
order.  Of course, these things happen with most publishers and vendors from
time to time, I guess we all just expect a bit more from ALA...

Buddy Pennington
Document Delivery Librarian
Kansas City Public Library
md_buddy@kclibrary.org
816-701-3552

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 18 Apr 2001 14:06:43 -0500
From: "Skwor, Jeanette" <skworj@UWGB.EDU>
Subject: ALA periodicals

I am having a devil of a time and turning to my most valuable resource -
Serialist-ers - for help.

Does anyone else find the ALA as difficult to deal with regarding
subscriptions?   At the moment, I am dealing with three problem titles, and
finding my respondants at the ALA lackadaisical at best.

The one that drives me to you is a lapsed subscription.   In changing
library databases, some things fell through the cracks and one of them was
our subscription to _Library Administration & Management_.   We had a direct
order, did not receive a renewal and in January, a claim was triggered for
the last issue.  I sent out the claim, adding a note stating I thought we
had missed a renewal and if so, would they please invoice us.  No response.
On March 7th, I accessed the web site & called them.  "Oh, that address (the
one I had sent the claim to) is no longer good.  That department doesn't
handle renewals any more."  Well, I would have thought they might have
forwarded it to the correct department, but then, what do I know?  And
anyway, fine, let's not look back; let's get on with it - can you invoice
me, then?  "Sure."  So I gave her the info and waited.

Two weeks later I called again.  "Oh, it's much too early; it takes 4-6
weeks to generate an invoice." (!)  "However, if you're really in a hurry,
I'll type one up and fax it to you.  The only thing is, you'll still get the
other one, so you'll end up with two."  Two is better than none, so I
thanked her kindly and took her up on the offer.  And wasn't shocked when
the faxed version did not appear, just settled in for the wait.

Now six weeks have gone by.  I have nothing.  I can print off an order form
from the web site and send it in, but frankly, I'm more than a little afraid
to do that without talking to someone first to make sure the information
given is correct, and that it will be honored.

The other thing is, we have two other ALA subscriptions we are not receiving
- one a new one ordered last July, and, I recently learned, assigned to an
education professor (who didn't get any of her own issues until we claimed
ours); the other a long-standing semi-monthly subs that we haven't received
since Feb. 1st.  After multiple claims and no response, I called and learned
the subscription was entered, by them, as a Feb - Feb period, and no
argument from me would change things.  In fact, as I went to investigate
back issues, I saw labelling had changed in November, and included a
February renewal date (which the ALA rep explained to me as a change from a
fullfillment house, and that things received from them were "a mess".)
We've always had that as a June - May subs period and so I ended up dumping
that back in my vendor's lap.

And perhaps I should turn to said vendor more, but it seems in convoluted
cases like this, it's difficult enough to straighten it out with direct
communication; having a third party interpreting between us just muddies the
waters, and of course, they don't know from day to day what I am receiving.

And so I'm stymied.  Advice, please, good people . . .

 Jeanette Skwor     Cofrin Library     Serials Dept.
University of WI-Green Bay
Phone: (920) 465-2670       Fax: (920) 465-2783