---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 15 Aug 1995 09:58:28 -0400
From: Tom McFarland <mcfarlan@WINNIE.FIT.EDU>
Subject: Re: Inquiry regarding acceptance of serial gifts (Kris Carr)

This issue is closely related to cost shifting by publishers and
professional organizations.  I think it is incumbent on librarians to
petition their own professional associations i.e. ALA and SLA to take a
broader view of dues/subscription structure and realize that all
libraries will be able to build better collections if the graduated scale
of dues is abandoned.  Subscriptions for libraries should not be the
principle source of revenue for an organization.  A simple compromise
could be a modest price differential for institutions.  The American
Chemical Society often charges 13 or 14 times the individual rate for a
library subscription, as a result we subscribe to fewer of their
publications.