-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Contracting with serials vendors
From: pwood@rdg.boehringer-ingelheim.com
Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2003 17:47:11 -0400
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU

Hi All,

I was just wondering how detailed libraries are when preparing a
contract with serials vendors/jobbers.  These are some of my questions:

1) Do you reassess every year whether having a serials vendor/jobber is
needed?
2) Has anyone used Amazon.com's subscription service, where you can
order and manage various journal subscriptions with no service charge
through the Web site?  Is this worth it, or would the help of a
dedicated representative from a serials vendor be worth the service charge?
3) Do you reassess whether certain titles should be ordered direct
instead of through a vendor/jobber (to save money/time)?
4) Do you negotiate and get in writing exactly what service charge
percentage or mark-up rate will be applied to serials (journals or
standing order books)?
5) Do you negotiate who will pay the shipping if the serial is sent
vendor-to-library or publisher-to-vendor-to-library (.ie. Pay the
shipping twice)?
6) Do you negotiate the rights to look at a vendor's billing records to
verify prices/shipping on your invoices

I will summarize for the list.

Patty Wood, MLS
Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
900 Ridgebury Road
Ridgefield, CT 06877
203-798-5161
pwood@rdg.boehringer-ingelheim.com