If I understand correctly, Centium produces this database.  They are not
an intermediary on the order of subscription agents, so the changes in
mode of purchasing to which you make reference would not explain their
behavior.  As for the economy in general, gross domestic product is not
contracting (and, btw, economic contractions over the last 25 years have
been less frequent and milder than was the case in the years running
from 1938 through 1982).  It has been noted that the source of these
e-mails is the company president.  It think it a reasonable inference
that Centium  is his baby.  One might surmise that the traits of
character and personality that induce you to go into business for
yourself have their disagreeable aspect.  I think C.S. Lewis once wrote
an essay on the theme of vice being virtues gone sour.

IW

I.  Woodward
Serials Office
Colgate University Libraries
Case Library and Geyer Center for Information Technology
13 Oak Drive
Hamilton, N.Y. 13346
Ph.:   315-228-7306
Fax:   315-228-7029
-----Original Message-----
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum
[mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of Howlett, Lee Ann
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2007 3:51 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] [Fwd: Re: [SERIALST] Aggressive vendor, not
understanding a librarian's function]

I think the economy is part of the problem.
However, we have found that for our
electronic only journal packages, it's easier
for us to order directly from the publisher.
I've talked with a number of other librarians
who are doing the same.  This has to be
hurting journal vendors.  We only use
a vendor now for the small number of print
journals we subscribe to along with electronic
journals that are not part of any consortial
packages.

Having said this, it still makes no business
sense to insult and/or threaten librarians and
their libraries.

____________________________________
Lee Ann Howlett, MA, AHIP
Head, Serials Dept.
Shimberg Health Sciences Library
University of South Florida
12901 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., MDC 31
Tampa, FL  33612
(813) 974-9080
Fax (813) 974-7032
LHOWLETT@HEALTHLIB.USF.EDU

-----Original Message-----
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum on behalf of
Barbara Pope
Sent: Mon 11/5/2007 2:35 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [SERIALST] [Fwd: Re: [SERIALST] Aggressive vendor, not
understanding a librarian's function]

I agree.  Someone from IBISWorld (different vendor that who we are
talking about, but sound like he went to the same salesman's school)
just called me and insisted on setting up a trial.  When we evaluate a
potential product, we usually have a reference librarians meetings,
compare it to other products we already have to determine if it
duplicates anything.  If it is a journal database, we found out what
journals are indexed, how much full text, and whether that overlaps with

our other products.  Usually we only do a trial if we are relatively
sure that we can, and want to, buy it, but this salesman didn't get it.

Someone from Standard and Poors was also very persistent, even sending
email to the Business College.  Honestly, sometimes I feel the sales
people are so desperate they are willing to sell me anything.  Does this

have something to do with the economy or maybe they have a quota or
something?

Barbara Pope, MALS
Periodicals/Reference Librarian
Axe Library
Pittsburg State University
Pittsburg KS  66762