----------------------------Forwarded Message-------------------------------
Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1993 11:43:54 -0600
From: Daniel Jones <JONES@uthscsa.edu>
Subject: Re: Gordon & Breach

I was visiting our new domestic vendor in New York last week and heard a
slightly different version of the story that has been related.  What I
recall hearing, and this topic came up as an aside to other discussions so
I may not have the story right, was that after Dec 31 G&B will increase
its prices.  So, vendors are seeking direction from their clients:  should
they renew subscriptions at the current price or should they hold on
renewals for journals that are behind schedule, which may mean that the
library will eventually have to pay more for the subscription once G&B
finally supplies what you've already paid for.  Perhaps we could hear
something for the record (on the List) from a vendor to explain what they
have been instructed by G&B.  It probably would be helpful to know the G&B
titles in question, too. We are a relatively small library, fewer than
2500 biomedical subscriptions, and handle titles running seriously behind
schedule as follows.  If we must renew the title we instruct our vendor to
hold on renewing with the publisher until we notify them.  If we have paid
for vol 33-35 for example, we annotate our checkin record for the title to
notify the vendor to renew when vol 35 is complete.  Once vol 35 is
complete we notify the vendor and expect an invoice for the title
beginning with vol 36.  (With this publisher all sorts of variations
occur, but for the sake of an example, let's keep it simple.) In the
biosciences, where current information is critical, a journal which cannot
publish on schedule can reasonably be considered a troubled title.  This
has been one criterion we have used routinely over the past 8 years for
recommending titles for cancellation.  In most cases our faculty and other
users have agreed with this position and such titles have been cancelled.
In handling such journals in this way we accept that we may eventually pay
more for them, but from experience, that may be a concern for next fiscal
year.  In the meantime, let the publisher use the money we've already paid
them to produce the material we ordered.
=============================================================
+ Daniel H. Jones
+ Assistant Library Director for Collection Development
+ Briscoe Library
+ University of Texas Health Science Center
+ 7703 Floyd Curl Drive
+ San Antonio, Texas 78284-7940
+ Phone:  210-567-2400
+ Fax:  210-567-2490
+ BITNET:  JONES@UTHSCSA
  INTERNET:  JONES@UTHSCSA.EDU
=============================================================