This thread has been very interesting as I've often commented that we spend
an awful lot of time dealing with newpapers and problems relating
delivery/supply of them.  And how angry our patrons can become when they
could resolve the problem by spending just fifty cents (for the local
paper) for the occasional non-supply. However, I didn't realize how
fortunate we have been with the receipt of papers via the US mail.  Usually
they are only a few days late and that has generally been very acceptable.

In the case of the New York Times, our collection development librarians
wanted the New York edition with the NYC area job ads.  The paper we could
have delivered on the same day from a local distributor would not have
those ads.

We have also made use of a campus newstand supply; however, they are not
open when school is not in session (spring break, semester break,
weekends), so that option has not worked for every branch.

Good luck to everyone.  You certianly have plenty of opportunities to think
and act creatively to provide your patrons with newspapers!

Susan

--On Tuesday, March 22, 2005 5:05 PM -0500 "Patricia M. Breno"
<pbreno@OWENS.EDU> wrote:

> All of our newspapers also arrive via US mail.  We subscribe to the New
> York Times, Sunday only and it always arrives at least 10-14 days late.
> One faculty member gets his copies on time and very vocally cannot
> understand why we don't have the same delivery...  And no, he won't
> share...
>
> Our two local paper subscriptions are usually 1-2 days late, but Wall
> Street Journal and USA Today are always on time....
>
> Contacting New York Times was a lesson in futility--we are very small
> potatoes. Our subscription agent hasn't had any success with this issue.
>
> Pat Breno
>
>
> Date sent:              Tue, 22 Mar 2005 10:56:48 -0600
> Send reply to:          "SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum"
> <SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU> From:                   "BORCHERT, JAMES"
> <James.Borchert@SDSTATE.EDU> Subject:                [SERIALST] Late
> Newspapers, etc.
> To:                     SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
>
> Hello, we have been having a problem with a couple of our newspapers
> coming late.  The two worst offenders are the Boston Globe and the
> Washington Post.  These papers are arriving between 7-10 days late.
> We purchase these titles through Ebsco, they have contacted them and
> have been told that there is nothing we can do because they come
> through the mail.
>
> My questions are: Does anybody else have this problem (not necessarily
> these titles)?  And what did you do about it?
>
> I have one other, semi-related question.  Because of this problem, we
> have considered switching these titles to an online-only format.  Does
> anyone have any experience with this?  Among others, I'm concerned
> about providing enough computers to maintain a suitable level of
> access as well as cost of downloading.
>
> Thank you in advance,
>
> James Borchert
> Serials Department
> H.M. Briggs Library
> Box 2115
> South Dakota State University
> Brookings, SD 57007-1098
> James.Borchert@sdstate.edu <mailto:James.Borchert@sdstate.edu>
>
> Patricia Breno
> Serials Librarian
> Owens Community College
> P.O. Box 10,000
> Toledo, Ohio 43699-1947
> 567.661.7020
> pbreno@owens.edu
>
>

Susan Davis
Head, Electronic Periodicals Management Department
University at Buffalo (SUNY)
134 Lockwood Library
Buffalo, NY  14260-2210
(716) 645-2784
(716) 645-5955 fax
unlsdb@buffalo.edu