---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 1998 14:06:28 -0800
From: Caitlin Downing <cdowning@LOGOS.SANTAROSA.EDU>
Subject: Re: "Postal problems" (Julie Preisser)

Dear Julie:

Our library was having a problem with a claim where the publisher
insisted that issues had been sent and had been sent to the correct
address. They suggested we report the problem to the post office.

I was told by a customer rep. at our subscription service that post office
problems are not unusual and he cited one case where after a "quality
control" tracking was performed on a problem title it was determined that a
postman was taking the journal home to read.

When I called our local post office I was referred to Quality Control.
The person in charge of that department asked for the location from which
the item was being sent.  When I supplied that information he told me
the title would be tracked.  I never heard from the post office again.
I gave up when I kept getting a voice mail message with no reply.
We are still having intermittent problems with the title.

I agree it is very frustrating when a publisher insists that they have
sent a journal and yet our records show that the issue never arrived.
The problem arises with increasing frequency.  I seriously think that we
didn't have nearly as many claims like these 10 years ago.
I have also had increasing difficulty with my own home mail
-getting other peoples mail, other people getting mine.  I think
perhaps the post office just isn't doing a careful job anymore.
We get journals in our mail all the time that are addressed way across
town and have to forward them on.

Caitlin Downing
Santa Rosa Jr. College
cdowning@logos.santarosa.edu
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