-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Association for Computing Machinery
Date: Sun, 11 Jun 2000 12:25:14 -0400
From: Susan Davis <unlsdb@acsu.buffalo.edu>

As another respondent has indicated, the customer service assistance at
ACM can be minimal, if non-existent.  Claims for missing issues usually
result in a print out of their publication schedule (which is on their
website), no explanation, no "but we hope to catch up soon", just the
form.

When we wanted to switch to their new Digital Library package it was a
major undertaking.  I didn't realize how lucky I was that I actually got
to deal with a human (he called us!), who once he understood EXACTLY
what
we wanted was able to generate the proper paperwork.

However, a quick glance through some of their print titles shows me that
they have been behind schedule, so to speak.  For example, we received
the
December 1999 issue of ACM Transactions on Computer Human Intervention
in
late April 2000, same for Mathematical Software.  So do check your
receipt
records against the website, you may not be missing as much as you
think.

Then my advice is to use all forms of communication with them....email,
fax, phone and snail mail.  Do cite your customer/membership number in
all
correspondence. And if you find someone who's helpful, keep track of
their
name/email/extension and keep going back to them (until they leave or
are
promoted to another job, which always seems to be the case!:-))

Good luck and be prepared to be in this one for the long haul.

Susan Davis

############################################################################
Susan Davis
Head, Periodicals
Central Technical Services
University at Buffalo
Lockwood Library Bldg.
Buffalo, NY  14260-2200
(716) 645-2784
(716) 645-5955 fax
unlsdb@acsu.buffalo.edu

On Fri, 9 Jun 2000, Ryan D. Parson wrote:

> A question for all:
>
> I started in my position as Serials Assistant (non-MLS staff) about
> eight months ago and I've noticed in that time that most of our
> Association for Computing Machinery titles have big gaps in holdings.
> Many of them are delayed titles but it goes beyond not having any issues
> for late 1999 or 2000.  In fact, we have titles that have no completed
> volumes at all.  Is there anyone else out there that receives quite a
> few ACM titles and has had this problem?  What is the solution?
>
> Ryan Parson
> Serials Assistant
> Ottenheimer Library
> University of Arkansas at Little Rock
> 2801 S. University
> Little Rock, AR 72204
> rdparson@ualr.edu
> 501.569.8815
>