Len - I am going to be interested in seeing how other people deal with
this, but mostly I try to keep some budget in reserve since this problem
has been occuring more and more frequently lately.  That much of a rise is
not common for most journals and magazines that smaller schools acquire,
but it has happened here to a lesser degree.  Do you pay everything from
one invoice?  If so, perhaps you could break up the ordering into two or
more separate invoices, putting the more costly items on the first invoice
and then adjusting with the later invoice to keep within budget.  And I
would certainly look at how necessary any of those titles were to the
faculty, since they must be incredibly expensive all the way around.
Document delivery for needed articles might be a cheaper alternative.

AT the moment, however, I don't see anyway around it but for you to find
the money somewhere.  I have always assumed that once I have accepted the
annual renewal form, I am committed to those funds.  therefore, I like to
be sure that I am not spending the whole thing at once and can use the
rest of the budget for some fudging if necessary.  YOu might have to look
at cancelling some other serials that perhaps are on standing order (I
have several things that I do not get every year, just every other year or
every third year.  Perhaps you can make an adjustment in that area.)  Or
see if you can shift some funds from another area.

You should not have to worry about your supervisor, since there was
nothing wrong with what you did.  It should become a problem to be solved,
not a place to lay blame on someone.  I am sure a good supervisor will
recognize that you did not make an error, that it is just the funding
problem with serials.

And I have a question - how do you define the difference between serials
librarian and periodicals librarian?  I have been called both (and other
things as well.)

In any case, good luck.  Karen Chobot

>---------- Original message -----------
>Date: Tue, 7 Dec 1999 18:50:04 -0600
>From: Len Cazares <lcazares@LAREDO.CC.TX.US>
>Subject: Hello and SOS!
>
>Hello,
>
>My name is Len Cazares and I am new to the list.  I have just become
>serials librarian, since I was already periodicals librarian.  My problem:
>I recently received an invoice with price adjustments for our periodical
>subscriptions and have just been made aware three titles have increased a
>total of $1000, since the quote I was given this past summer!  I've told
>our vendor rep I didn't have the funds to pay it and to cancel our
>subscriptions immediately.  He told me I have to pay the invoice anyway,
>that they don't have control over this.  I'll be speaking with his
>supervisor, and alas, will have to inform my director.  Any suggestions on
>how to proceed with this situation?  Also, I've just begun reading Chen's
>book, "Serials Management: A Practical Guide," 1995.  Any other
>recommendations of books or articles to read to bring me up to speed?
>Thank you for just being there; I don't feel so alone.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>Len Cazares,Periodicals and Serials Librarian
>Harold R. Yeary Library
>Laredo Community College
>One West End Washington Street
>Laredo, TX 78040
>956.721.5280
>956.721.5447 fax
>lcazares@laredo.cc.tx.us

Karen M. Chobot, MS, MLS
Reference/Serials Librarian
Mildred Johnson Library
North Dakota State College of Science
800 N. 6th St.
Wahpeton ND 58076
701/671-2385

"I know, my dear Watson, that you share my love of all that is bizarre and
outside the conventions and humdrum routine of daily life."  Sherlock
Holmes, in "The Red-Headed League."