-----(1)

Date: Tue, 26 May 1998 09:53:31 -0400
From: Louise Pierce <lpierce@EAGLE.YCP.EDU>
Subject: Re: New Periodicals Librarian Seeking Vendor Information (6              messages)

I feel I need to respond to the criticism about EBSCO.  I have been
dealing with them since 1990 and think they provide outstanding service.
I agree with those who think the problem may be with your particular rep.
Mine has alway bent over backwards to provide good service and give me
answers.

Louise Pierce
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

       Louise Pierce
   Periodicals Specialist
York College of Pennsylvania
    York, PA 17405-7199
       (717)815-1224
      lpierce@ycp.edu
     fax (717)849-1608
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

-----(2)

Date: Tue, 26 May 1998 09:56:30 -0500
From: Jennifer Bryant <JBryant@MAILBOX.UNE.EDU>
Subject: New Periodicals Librarian Seeking Vendor Information (6 messages)              -Reply

I'll add my two cents.  I have worked in serials for two small academic
libraries in Maine and have used EBSCO in both institutions.  I have been
generally pleased with their service, although I have found they don't
always take the extra time to explain things a little more thoroughly to
people new to serials or EBSCO.  This has caused me some confusion in
the past.  The problem we're facing right now in regard to EBSCO is that
our rep left EBSCO 5 or 6 months ago and has just recently been
replaced.  This new person is not yet helping customers, however, so
we still don't have our own rep.  I call in with questions/problems and
float between reps.  I've noticed much slower service and sometimes no
answers to my questions unless I call a second time.  This has only
really been a problem while we've been between reps, but it definitely
has been a problem.  I would definitely recommend EBSCO, because
they are generally efficient and save many hassles but be aware that it's
not a perfect system.  It sounds as though people have generally had
very positive experiences with them, however.

Just my experience...

Jennifer A. Bryant

-----(3)

Date: Tue, 26 May 1998 09:20:06 -0500
From: SKWORJ@GBMS01.UWGB.EDU
Subject: Re: New Periodicals Librarian Seeking Vendor Information (6              messages)

***Liz Linton said:
> Faxon repeatedly
> ignored my claims, our Faxon rep. actually stood up the serials staff of
> the consortium for a scheduled meeting, and one year Faxon took our money
> and held it until we and other libraries started yelling, then paid all our
> subscriptions 6-8 months late.

***And I can tell you my experience with Faxon has been excellent.  My rep
is exceedingly patient with me; they have been working with us with
budget cuts (ours) and fiscal year end stuff; when things go awry (as they
inevitably do) someone else comes aboard and gives us a hand.  I'm thinking
here of claims problems; they did go through a period of reorganization
that left the claims dept. seemingly in shambles.  But I stuck with it
and one of the managers contacted me and we worked through the problems
slowly but surely.

***I started here with no serials experience, and library experience
limited to that of student assistant, with a collection development
librarian who had just been moved into that position, and between the two
of us would have made every mistake in the book if it weren't for Faxon's
pitching in and helping us understand many of the practical ins and outs
of serials subscriptions.  They never tire of answering my questions!

***We had Ebsco for just a very few subscriptions and closed them out; that
was a frustrating experience, probably in good part because of my own
ignorance, but neither were they prepared to, or seemingly cared to,
deal with us as Faxon did.  My major frustration was that we had no
personal contact with them, and when I called was invariably told I was
calling the wrong office, then would be invariably routed to another person
who couldn't help, either.  Crazy-making!

***I think those that say various offices and people make a huge difference
are right, along with Sherry Petry's insights about our own proclivities
toward dissemination of authority and working knowledge.  (Not to mention
our idiosyncracies a la methodology and results :)

Jeanette Skwor
Cofrin Library
University of Wisconsin-Green Bay