The two most economical ones that I use are USBE www.usbe.com and Absolute Backorder www.absolute-inc.com .

It is hit and miss with USBE: they have a shelf list of available titles, but you cannot see their inventory. USBE has two levels of ’membership’ and the price you pay per bibliographic issue is based on that. If you submit a list of items you need, you do not know if you are going to receive any of the issues on it unless you apply the rush charge which is $3 per bibliographic issue. The good thing about USBE is you can establish a credit account with them. You can send them lists of your old/withdrawn issues and whatever they select from the list that you send to them (with a copy of the list they emailed you) you will get credit on your account for the cost of shipping.

The other vendor, Absolute Backorder, has a complete database of their inventory online that you can browse by title and issn. You can also select if you are looking for single issues or complete volumes only. Absolute Backorder offers something called the East Coast Exchange. In essence, you send them your extras and you qualify to be a ‘member’ of the East Coast Exchange and receive the discount of only paying $10 per bibliographic issue (plus shipping and handling).

Deb Ham

Serials Specialist

Reinert Alumni Memorial Library

Creighton University

From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Susie Bossenga
Sent: Thursday, February 16, 2012 9:55 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [SERIALST] Serials Backfile Vendors

We are trying to fill in gaps in our serials print holdings for titles not available online.  Other than Backserv and contacting the publisher directly, are there other sources we can use to purchase back issues?

Thanks,

Susie Bossenga

Serials & Electronic Resources Librarian

Buswell Library/Wheaton College

501 College Ave.

Wheaton, IL 60187

(630) 752-5852

Fax: (630)752-5855