2 messages
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Date:         Thu, 10 Aug 1995 09:21:53 MDT
From: Donnice Cochenour <DCochenour@VINES.COLOSTATE.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Inquiry regarding acceptance of serial gifts ( Aimee Algier)

Some society publications have a notice on the front cover of their
publications stating that it is illegal to donate copies to libraries
until a certain number of years after the publication date.  This is
because the personal subscription for professors is significantly cheaper
than the institutional subscriptions and some libraries used to rely on
their professors to purchase subscriptions to avoid the higher prices.  I
don't know if this is the situation Aimee is referring to.

___________________________________
Donnice Cochenour
Serials Librarian
Colorado State University Libraries
Ft.Collins, CO 80523
dcochenour@vines.colostate.edu
(303) 491-1821
(303) 491 1195 (fax)
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Date:         Thu, 10 Aug 1995 11:37:15 EDT
From: David Alleman <ALLEMAND@LIB.EMU.EDU>
Subject:      Re: serial gifts/personal subs

Several years ago during a period of increasing serials prices and
decreasing enrollment, a decision was reached to cancel several important
journals.  (I am sure you know which era I am referring to!)

The library director had a series of written and phone communications with
a society about the price of their titles.  The discussion focused on why
small institutions should be charged the same as large ones, based on the
usual logic supporting the difference in institutional and personal
prices.

The result of the conversation was the fairly clear suggestion by the
publisher that the institution here make use of personal subscriptions.
They should not be listed as held by the library.  The titles should
remain in the instructors office (not a reading room or "branch" library).
After three years the titles could be transferred to the library.  There
was nothing about this in writing.

Some instructors have made contributions of the titles and others are paid
when the transfer is made to the library.  Students inquiring about why
the recent issues are not on the shelves are told to ask their instructors
for use of the instructors copies.

It is not very satisfactory, especially for the user who is not part of
the department involved and has difficulty finding out about the location
of the issues. Occasionally, we have had trouble with finding issues, but
it has worked fairly well.

David Alleman
Ref. and Serials Librarian
Eastern Mennonite University
Harrisonburg, VA 22801
allemand@emu.edu