Date: Thu, 21 Jul 1994 09:47:16 -0400
From: bensonwo%wrdc.dnet@WL.WPAFB.AF.MIL
Subject: YOUR STORIES ARE NEEDED

                  I N T E R O F F I C E   M E M O R A N D U M

                                        Date:     21-Jul-1994 07:51am EDT
                                        From:     Willis O. Benson
                                                  BENSONWO
                                        Dept:     WL/DOC (Serials Dept.)
                                        Tel No:   (513) 255-6750

PLEASE REPLY TO THE E-MAIL ADDRESS BELOW - NOT TO SERIALST.

FELLOW SERIALSTS,

Every year, and several times in-between, I (and you) need to explain the
difference between subscriptions and everything else in the world, but I am
often at a loss.

What I need is a good analogy, or an anecdote, that can quickly help
management, faculty, customers, etc. understand the dilemma they put us in
when they sit on the fence when making decisions (or indecisions) concerning
subscriptions.

No one outside our realm seems to grasp the long lead times we need to:
select titles to be cancelled when our budgets take an unexpected nose dive;
get new orders started up with publishers/vendors; go through large renewal
processes, especially if we purchase for both library(s) and faculty or staff;
estimate costs a year ahead of time; etc.

I have tried: "Subscriptions are not like your electricity, which may go off
on Monday because your check got lost in the mail (a title lapse), and you get
turned back on (paid for, renewed, and back issues received) by Wednesday!"

However, I would much rather have one or two stories that explain what
subscriptions ARE like, rather than what they are not like.

I will be glad to collect your stories and share the best of them with the
SERIALST Listserve.

Please address them to:  bensonwo@wl.wpafb.af.mil

Bill Benson
Serials Librarian, WL/DOC
Wright Laboratory Tech Library       Fax: (513) 476-4826
2690 C ST  STE 4
Wright Patterson AFB OH 45433-7411

                "information is a treasure that must be shared."
                    Al Gore, Vice President, Mar 21, 1994