Dear Buddy,
In your message regarding microform titles that have been removed from the
ProQuest Information and Learning Serials In Microform program for a
period of time then reinstated, you asked:
>Will ProQuest alert libraries that the titles are available again?
We save our customer list for each of the titles that were removed then
reinstated. We attempt to contact customers (via email or telephone) to
alert them that a title has re-entered the program. Sometimes, however,
we have not been able to reach the appropriate librarian. Given this
situation, we suggest that customers review the list of added/deleted
titles that is sent each year with renewal notices. This title list,
called the "Information Update," is the best source for all changes to the
serials microform program during the previous 12 months.
> Will a library's subscriptions be automatically renewed or will each
> library need to order the titles again?
Based on feedback from librarians, a new order for the title will need to
be placed. Over the years when we have asked librarians about this issue,
they have indicated that placing an automatic order would not be their
preference, primarily due to budgeting issues. For example, if the order
was automatically reinstated some librarians told us that budget dollars
might not be immediately available to pay for the title(s). Other issues,
such as what purchase order number to use, also played a role in
librarian's preferences for a manual re-order.
I hope this has answered your questions. Please contact me if I can offer
any further assistance.
Best Regards
Austin McLean
Director, Publishing
ProQuest Information and Learning
300 N. Zeeb, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
phone: (800) 521-0600 x6718
fax: (603) 806-6109
austin.mclean@il.proquest.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Buddy Pennington [mailto:MD_Buddy@KCLIBRARY.ORG]
Sent: Friday, October 12,2001 12:12 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: Disappearing microform titles... (Buddy Pennington)
Hi Austin,
Thanks for your clarification of the disappearing microform titles. I never
would have thought that Tasini vs. New York Times would have affected
microform for the reasons that you cited in your response but I guess
publishers are only human and they want to be prepared for everything.
I am glad to hear that you are aggressively pursuing getting these titles
back. Will ProQuest alert libraries that the titles are available again?
Will a library's subscriptions be automatically renewed or will each library
need to order the titles again?
-- Buddy Pennington
-----Original Message-----
From: Austin McLean
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Sent: 10/9/01 4:38 PM
Subject: Re: Disappearing microform titles... (Austin McLean)
I would like to reply to the message that discussed microform titles that
are no longer being offered by ProQuest Information and Learning.
Unfortunately, Buddy Pennington was given incorrect information by a
ProQuest sales representative when he was told that the microform titles
listed below were discontinued due to publishers not wishing to pay for a
microfilm copy. Microfilming of popular titles, like those listed below,
are not paid for by publishers. However, the titles did cease in the
microform program due to publisher requests.
The recent Tassini ruling caused a disruption among publishers. As a
result, publishers are reevaluating their agreements to ensure they are in
compliance. We know that members of this list are aware that microform is
not, nor ever has been, at issue in copyright infringement with authors.
Tassini did not address microform, which many librarians as well as
publishers view as the "official" archival medium.
We have a team of more than 20 people working with publishers, and are
striving to reinstate the titles listed below (as well as other titles) in
the microform program. We feel certain that our team can provide
publishers a clear understanding of Tassini, and many titles will return
to the program in the next 12-18 months, some more quickly than others.
Happily I can announce that rights to one title, Kiplinger's Personal
Finance, has just been secured and will shortly be reinstated in the
program. We anticipate at least five additional titles on the list below
coming back in the program before the end of the year (I will keep the
list updated regarding these titles.)
I apologize again for the incorrect information that Mr. Pennington was
given and I hope this message clarifies the situation.
Thank you.
Austin McLean
Director, Publishing
ProQuest Information and Learning
300 N. Zeeb, Ann Arbor, MI 48103
phone: (800) 521-0600 x6718
fax: (603) 806-6109
austin.mclean@il.proquest.com
----------
From: Marcia Tuttle[SMTP:tuttle@email.unc.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, September 04, 2001 4:28 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Disappearing microform titles... (Buddy Pennington)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 4 Sep 2001 14:58:10 -0500
From: "MD_Buddy (Buddy Pennington)" <MD_Buddy@KCLIBRARY.ORG>
Subject: Disappearing microform titles...
Hi all,
In looking at our annual renewal list from ProQuest-Bell and Howell-UMI
(take your pick) we have discovered that several fairly popular titles are
no longer available on microfilm. The list of titles that affects our
library are:
Audubon
Business Ethics Quarterly
MotorBoating
World Press Review
Country Music
Discover
Field and Stream
Journal of Career Planning and Employment
Kiplinger's Personal Finance
Outdoor Life,
Popular Science
Publications of the Modern Language Association of
America
Skiing Magazine
Sky and Telescope
When I contacted our rep at ProQuest, we were told that the publishers
had decided not to continue to pay for microform. We obviously can live
without the film for some of these titles, but it seems to me that the
publishers are making a big mistake discontinuing such titles as Popular
Science, Discover, World Press Review, etc.
Is there anything we can do about this? Also, what ideas do you have
about retaining this stuff? We do not have room to bind the materials. We
can send the issues out to a vendor to film them, but many of these titles
have missing issues by the end of the volume (another important reason for
the film). And these other vendors charge more than ProQuest does.
Buddy Pennington
Document Delivery Librarian
Kansas City Public Library
md_buddy@kclibrary.org
816-701-3552
