----------1
Subject: Re: Faxon/Rowecom/divine in financial distress
From: Christy_Luna@capgroup.com
Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 10:34:50 -0800

Hi Amanda - we're in the same boat, only we've got over 1200 subscriptions
we are trying to salvage.  We understand that their payments to publishers
have ceased, even after having received payment from clients.  You may
want to contact your legal department to see what they think.  We have not
developed a plan, just trying to do triage at this point.  Good luck.

Christy Luna
Capital Group Companies
Los Angeles, CA

"Zeigler, Amanda" <azeigle@SANDIA.GOV>

Hello all,

  I am writing from the Technical Library here at Sandia National Labs,
and have just heard disturbing rumors that Faxon/Rowecom/divine may be
filing for Chapter 11. They have yet to place and pay for over 150
periodical titles that we have ordered from them, and we paid them in
June. Has anyone on the list heard the same rumors? If you have found
yourself in the same situation, have you had a chance to develop a plan of
dealing with this? Any and all information is welcome at this point.
Please feel free to reply to the list as I'm sure the information will be
applicable to anyone in the same situation.

  My apologies for such an unpleasant first message.

Regards,
Amanda Zeigler
Technical Library
Sandia National Laboratories
azeigle@sandia.gov

----------2
From: "Butler, Beverly" <bbutler@library.ca.gov>
Subject: RE: Faxon/Rowecom/divine in financial distress
Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 10:38:02 -0800

We use Faxon/Rowe.com/Divine as our primary vendor for serials--well over
1000 titles.  Where did this "rumor" come from? Does it have any
credibility?

Beverly Butler
California State Library
bbutler@library.ca.gov

----------3
From: Wendy Isom <wisom@pub-lib.ci.arlington.tx.us>
Subject: RE: Faxon/Rowecom/divine in financial distress
Date: Tue, 17 Dec 2002 13:25:33 -0600

We had the same problem with our July - November renewals. We lapsed on
Library Journal, and when I checked the klibrary site it was listed as
invoiced not ordered. So I went ahead and checked all of our subscriptions.
Over half our titles were listed that way, and 10% of our subscriptions had
lapsed. We have 5 libraries in our system. I am in the process of compiling
a list of missing issues from all of our locations, and it is huge. This is
the first I've heard about Chapter 11, but it makes sense.

Thanks for the heads-up-

Wendy Isom
Arlington Public Library
Arlington, Texas

----------4
From: ttom@ca.inter.net
Subject: Re: Faxon/Rowecom/divine in financial distress
Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 10:50:12 US/Eastern

      Instead of relying on innuendo and hearsay via the library rumour
mill, does it not make more sense to contact the "powers that be" in
divine managment?  Get the information straight from those creating this
issue.  Call them daily if need be and one would expect that given the
past high regard for customer service answers will be forthcoming.
Surely SOMEONE will explain if and why orders are not being placed in the
usual efficient manner that serials agents practice. Terri Tomchyshyn very
temporarily between jobs Ottawa, ON Canada

----------5
Subject: Faxon/divine not paying orders
Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 11:40:27 -0500
From: "Paul Cary" <PCary@bw.edu>

I have just become aware that our subscription agent, Faxon/divine, is not
paying any orders for anyone right now.  My rep and her managers do not
know why the orders are not being paid, nor when they might start paying
again.  I do not know how long this has been going on.  Does anyone know
anything further?

Best wishes,

Paul Cary
Director, Jones Music Library
Baldwin Wallace College
275 Eastland Road
Berea, OH 44017
440-826-8074
pcary@bw.edu

----------6
Date: Wed, 18 Dec 2002 10:23:20 -0500
From: Linda Grooms <lgrooms@STETSON.EDU>

Coincidentally, I was just getting ready to ask the group for opinions
about Faxon. We are considering changing vendors and would like the
opinions of current Faxon clients regarding customer service, accuracy and
timeliness of invoicing, claim follow-up, etc. Of course, if they are
headed for bankruptcy, the whole picture is changed. Until the truth of the
matter is clear, we would like any opinions Faxon clients would care to
share with us.

Thanks for maintaining this great resource for the library community!

Linda Grooms
Periodicals Supervisor
lgrooms@stetson.edu