The Library / Vendor / Publisher triangle

What is a vendor?

• Anyone who offers to sell products or services to a library organization
• A PARTNER

The vendor

• Maintains bibliographic information
• Maintains list of publisher changes and new titles in database
• Can send sample issues of new titles
• Some offer issue replacement service, like EBSCO’s Missing Copy Bank(R)
• EBSCO sends orders electronically to many publishers to increase speed and accuracy.

The vendor has a database of information. The database must be maintained to keep customers. The vendor has expertise.

What to consider...

• Two kinds of vendors:
  o “department store” or full-service vendors: handle all types of libraries
  o “boutique store” vendors: more specialized, limited service

How to select a vendor

• Library site visit
  o Ask who they use
  o Ask how they found their vendor
• Vendor site visit
  o Ask for other libraries who use the vendor. If the vendor is unwilling to provide this information, think again regarding selecting them
• References
• Corporate strength – not just sales representative
• Vendor development plans

How vendors make your job easier

• Provide information about prices, publication schedules, title changes, etc.
  o Should be able to deal with currency, provide information from publisher
• Handle all subscription renewals and cancellations
• Provide one contact for subscription orders

What to consider when choosing a serials vendor

• Knowledge of library procedure
• Knowledge of world-wide publishing
• Ability to handle popular titles and work with fulfillment centers
• Ability to service all media
  o Can the vendor provide electronic journals?
• Ability to provide serials assessment tools
• Ability to provide automated system interfaces – Second Generation
  o Enables computer billing

How serials vendors make money

• Publisher discount
• Service charges to libraries

What is a subscription agency?

• A vendor that serves as an intermediary between libraries or organizations and publishers
  o They are the middle man
• Some now provide current awareness and individual journal article delivery as well
  o Act as document delivery

What can a subscription service do for you?

Some providers can offer these services, others cannot.

• Libraries write one check a year instead of separate checks to publishers
• Can handle 95 percent of desired serials. Provide timeliness and efficiency with electronic ordering
• One source for print subscriptions, electronic subscriptions, electronic indexing/abstracts and full text databases, and document delivery

What are serials?
Anything and everything published more than once in its lifetime – worldwide.
They don’t necessary need to be in print form.

• Periodicals
• Serials
• Continuations
• Standing orders

Without an agency
Orders, claims and information
The library goes straight to the publishers

With an agency
Orders, claims and information
Vendors will pass an order onto the publisher

Orders are generated by the subscriber and sent to the agency. The agency sends orders and payment to the publishers, the publishers then send the issues to the subscriber.

How a service charge is assessed

• Based on the mix of titles ordered by the library and when the library pays
• Based on publisher discounts for titles ordered

The job of a serials librarian
A serials librarian will concentrate their expertise on serials.

• Ordering serials
• Cataloguing serials
• Handling changes in publication
• Handling publisher price changes
• Claiming journals

The library

• Tells agency/vendor what to order
• Must give the agency and publisher enough time to process the order
  o Remember there will be a time lag between the time ordered and the time received
• Sends journal claims to agency when necessary
• Checks renewal list and returns it to agency 120 days before subscriptions should start

The vendor will bill once or twice a year .This is the only opportunity to cancel any order.

The publisher

• Accepts orders and payments from agencies
• Communicates with agency on behalf of subscriber
• Mandates to vendors the ordering procedures
• Sets journal prices (agencies do not set subscription prices; they only set the service charge)

Publishing trivia

• Most orders are handled by fulfillment centres
• Publishers may still send renewal cards to libraries. They can be ignored if dealing with a subscription agency
• Publishers may also send grace issues to libraries, which confuses payment and expiration date. Check the label

Ordering tips

• Make the first line of the mailing address unique
• Order publications early
• Disregard renewal cards unless they say, “This is your absolute last issue.”
• Examine mailing labels at the beginning of the year and look for grace or missing issues

Others responsible for journal receipt

• Post office
• In-house mail service