Date: Sat, 4 Apr 1992 08:48:11 EST
From: "Kate Herzog, Univ. at Buffalo" <UNLKH@UBVM.BITNET>
Subject: RE: Unsolicited Journals

     I'll expand my comments on Steve Murden's peeve about "gift"
journals.  From the collection development point of view these
titles also represent a significant staff commitment.  When they
arrive, not only to the serials people spend time trying to
determine their origin but, after that determination has been made,
the collection development staff then have to look at the same
titles to try to decide whether or not they should be added to the
library's collection.  While I'm aware of a number of libraries
where sample issues, gift issues and the like are displayed in a
separate area where faculty or potential users are asked to comment
on their value, I also know that many libraries are not equipped to
do this systematically.
     Given the proliferation of new specialty journals and their
ever-increasing costs, I strongly second Steve's idea that "if
there is a need for a particular title among the teaching faculty,
they will make that known to us."  I would suggest that, given the
economics of access vs. ownership, there should be a need for a
particular title among more than ONE of the institution's teaching
faculty to justify its purchase.

Kate Herzog
Director, Science & Engineering Library
University at Buffalo