FYI:  In response to Tony Kodzis' message Re. replacement issues, I am
appending a recent issue of ACQNET.  Several of the articles discuss
USBE and various perspectives on obtaining missing issues/replacements.
Thanks to Eleanor Cook and to October Ivins for sharing this information
... and to Christian Boissonnas, who edits ACQNET, for giving permission
to re-post this issue of ACQNET on SERIALST.  To subscribe to ACQNET,
contact Christian at CRI@CORNELLC.  Word has it that the next issue (no.
107) contains a Directory of Single Issue Vendors from Ann Okerson at ARL.
                                      --  Birdie

----------------------------Original message----------------------------

                                                                ISSN: 1057-5308
                                                                ***************

                  ACQNET, Vol. 1, No. 106, September 21, 1991
                  ===========================================

(1)  FROM:     Christian
     SUBJECT:  Who's new on ACQNET today (14 lines)

(2)  FROM:     Susan Davis
     SUBJECT:  USBE (12 lines)

(3)  FROM:     Eleanor Cook
     SUBJECT:  USBE, Missing serial issues (43 lines)

(4)  FROM:     James Mow
     SUBJECT:  USBE (16 lines)

(5)  FROM:     Sheila Mangum
     SUBJECT:  USBE (11 lines)

(6)  FROM:     Carol Lawrence
     SUBJECT:  USBE, Missing serial issues, SerialQuest (29 lines)

(1) -------------------------------------------------------------------
Date:     September 21, 1991
From:     Christian <CRI@CORNELLC.BITNET>
Subject:  Who's new on ACQNET today

     Alena Ptak-Danchak                 Elizabeth Davis
     Head, Ord. & Precat. Records Dept. Music Librarian
     Columbia University Library        Columbia University Library
     E-mail: PTAK@CUNIXF.CC.COLUMBIA.   E-mail: DAVISE@CUNIXF.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU
             EDU

     Wayne Perryman                     Judy Wilhelme
     Deputy Asst. Dir. for Tech. Svces  Head of Serials Acquisitions
     University of Texas - Austin Libr. University of Michigan Libraries
     E-mail: LLWRP@UTXDP.BITNET         E-mail: USERGBPY@UMICHUM.BITNET

(2) -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date:         Fri, 20 Sep 91 08:47:48 EDT
From:         Susan Davis <UNLSDB@UBVM.BITNET>
Subject:      USBE

Our experience with USBE has been very positive. Materials which they have in
stock are sent within a week, along with our original request, so we know what
they could not supply.  I do not have a fulfillment figure, they certainly
cannot supply 90% of our requests (we have quite a variety of subjects, etc.
and try to replace everything being bound), but we have not found anyone better
at single issues for the price.

We have signed up for SerialQuest but have not tried it yet.

(3) -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1991 09:57 EDT
From: ELEANOR COOK <COOKEI@APPSTATE.BITNET>
Subject: Response to M. Kellogg's question about USBE

I am a Serials Librarian in charge of a Serials Dept. with 2 FTE plus 60 hours
of student assistants.  We are very small in staff, but we manage the check-in
and acquisitions functions for over 4,000 journal subscriptions.  We also are
in charge of the binding of those journals, plus all other library materials
which are sent out to a commercial bindery.

Due to budget cuts, the binding clerk's job was frozen when it became vacant
last November.  Consequently I have become intimately involved with the binding
area.  Since I was juggling a cancellation project and other things along with
binding duties, I have not had the time to really examine our practices in
filling in missing issues.  We were using Zubal during the time USBE was
floundering, and the binding clerk at that time was pleased with his service.
When he bought USBE, we naturally revived our membership.  Those of us who had
been members previously were able to waive the $100 membership fee last year,
so this is the first year we've paid since it has been back.

I don't mind paying the $150 because we do get a fairly good rate of return
from them, though that statement is based on a subjective observation.  We
send boxes of duplicate issues to them regularly.  We have started using other
vendors such as Jaeger and Norman Laufe and J.S. Canner.  These vendors' prices
vary depending on the market.  With USBE, we know exactly how much each issue
will cost.

My opinion is that it is good to rotate amongst these dealers, and give them
all some business.  I've hit the jackpot with one or more of the others, but
USBE is as dependable as any.  And, since their set-up is a little different, I
understand why they charge the membership fee.  If it were to continue to rise
however, I would want some explanation.

I would like to hear about other journal issue dealers people have had particu-
lar success with.  Beth Holley (Head, Acquisitions, Univ. of AL) distributed an
excellent directory she had put together for a workshop at NASIG in June 1991.
I hope she will make this available to others on a wider basis someday.  It has
been invaluable to me in finding different dealers to try.

Also, I'd like to hear about people's experience with SerialsQuest for finding
missing journal issues.  I have the software sitting next to the computer
gathering dust until someone figures out how to hook us up (we do not have
access to a modem, nor the funds to buy one.)  We are waiting to gain access to
this service through the Internet.

(4) -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 91 9:31:49 CDT
From: James Mouw <mouw@midway.uchicago.edu>
Subject: The New UBSE

The University of Chicago has been using USBE as one source of back issues
since late last year.  Our procedure at this time is to send them a list on a
monthly basis.  We only request titles that are printed in their catalog.  I
find that the $7.00 flat fee is quite a bargain when compared to the charges of
other back issue dealers (especially those who only supply complete volumes)
and we use USBE as our first source.  The University of Chicago is actively
pursuing fill-ins and we have a budget specifically for this project.  I view
USBE as one valuable source of back issues, certainly not the ONLY source,
however.

I do question the $150.00 membership fee given the new USBE's commercial
structure as compared to the old USBE's.

(5) -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date:         Fri, 20 Sep 91  11:40:15 LCL
From:         "Sheila Mangum" <SMANGUM@UNF1VM.BITNET>
Subject:      USBE/Zubal

We sent a list of approx. 650 titles/750 issues to USBE in Sept. 1990 and again
in June 1991.  The first time we received 49 issues, the second 65.  While we
would have wished for a higher rate of return, single issues have always been
difficult to find.  The $7.00 per issue seems reasonable and the membership fee
doesn't add that much to the per issue cost, provided you use the service and
get a similar return.  Since we don't have the personnel to be involved in more
labor-intensive exchange programs we have little choice when it comes to single
issues.  Are there any less expensive options available?

(6) -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 1991 16:57 EST
From: Carol Lawrence <LAWRENCE@YALEMED.BITNET>
Subject: USBE

We have had a very positive experience at Yale Medical Library.  Since we sub-
scribed in Nov. 1990, we've received 139 (formerly) missing journal issues at
an average cost of $8.26 per issue, including the issue charge of $7.00,
shipping, and our $150.00 membership.  Incidentally, our 11/90 membership was
already $150 and our 1992 invoice is the same.  For us, this is very reason-
able, considering that we have been billed up to $150 by publishers to replace
some single back issues.  We have been sending lists to USBE by fax and have
had excellent turn-around.

I am concerned about the possible impact of the Abacis (Faxon) SerialsQuest
project in which Medical Library Association libraries have put their serials
exchange program online.  Participating libraries will be holding onto dupli-
cates, etc., which might have gone to USBE.  I hope that Mr. Zubal will be able
to participate in the SerialsQuest project as are Jaeger, Arrow and possibly
other dealers.  If, in fact, the project might affect USBE's holdings, this
would only affect medical titles, not other subject areas.  Even with our
participation in the SerialsQuest project, we are not considering dropping our
USBE membership.  We plan to continue to participate and hope the reorganized
USBE will be a success.

We receive many inquiries from medical school departments at Yale about
disposing of journals short of the dumpster.  I have a form memo which includes
USBE as an option.  Perhaps for some institutions a different pricing structure
would be effective.  I think the membership is now based on one-per-ship-to
address.

******* END OF FILE ****** ACQNET, Vol. 1, No. 106 ****** END OF FILE *******