Summary of responses to Gifts & Exchange query L. Hunter Kevil 11 Jan 1995 14:40 UTC
Reinventing Gifts & Exchange: Summary of responses thus far On November 22, I posted a message requesting suggestions about what to do with a traditional Gifts & Exchange unit. I would like to share with you several of the excellent messages I have received, in the hope of stimulating further discussion about the issues involved. G & E at the University of Missouri-Columbia: We have a unit that is very traditional and barnacle-laden. An assistant and a clerk are responsible (a) for gift materials (EXCEPT for gift periodicals), (b) for all exchanges (EXCEPT those received at Serials check-in), (c) for monographic receipts (EXCEPT those firm- ordered), (d) for processing analyzed standing orders (exceptions to the usual routine), (e) and for detritus from other departments, such as the microfilming, the processing of output from the University printer, and pre-cataloguing of theses and dissertations, as well as back-up for Data Entry. Some of the problems with this arrangement: (a) With two resignations in hand, we know that training the new people will be difficult, since they will have to learn the separate Acquisitions and Serials routines, in addition to all the Gifts routines. (b) Since G & E doesn't have a very clear focus, it is too tempting for other departments to dump extraneous tasks on G & E and lose the discipline and focus necessary to clarify and refine their own operations. To summarize in three sentences the principles that appear to undergird the responses received: A department should be organized around an easily comprehensible, cohesive core of tasks essential to the library's mission. We must eliminate operations and tasks, even units and departments, that are not essential. We need to simplify dramatically the tasks that are essential, and in particular eliminate the exceptions, the overlaps, the "hand-offs". Carole Bell at Northwestern writes that her unit is traditional and rather like MU's. An assistant handles gift books, exchanges, and does searching for OP material and other miscellaneous tasks. She adds that the ALCTS Gifts & Exchange discussion group meeting in Philadelphia will be held in conjunction with the OP discussion group. At Chicago this summer a G & E session on tax laws is planned. She also mentioned that there is an obvious need for a listserv devoted to G & E topics. One almost got going here at MU a few months ago, but with staffing at zero we cannot help. Any volunteers? David James at Johns Hopkins writes that his institution has deliberately tried to make gifts an integral part of Acquisitions and to eliminate as many special operations as possible. This process has taken three years, and, to no one's surprise, has not been easy. One person in Monographs handles gifts, with 20-30 hours of student help. Their routine begins with a search in OCLC and then in the local NOTIS database if nothing was found in OCLC. From this step on, it appears that gift materials are treated exactly like approval books. An interesting step involves using PROCITE software to maintain a database of all gifts received. (Necessary because of limitations in NOTIS's reporting capability?) Carol Hawks at Ohio States reports that they have carried simplification of exchange to the point of nearly eliminating it. Since the processing involved with exchanges is more expensive than the material itself, and particularly since they no longer have any free local publications, they have tried to eliminate as many exchange arrangements as possible. The first step was to have the selectors review all exchange material. What was not germane to the collection was cancelled. The second step was to look for alternatives to exchange for the remaining material. Where they could purchase the material or receive it as a gift, this was done. The result was that over 500 exchanges were eliminated, and a smaller number replaced with paid subscriptions. "Only a small number in predictable areas such as the former Soviet Union will remain as exchanges." Many, many thanks to the kind people who responded to yet another obstreperous request for help. I will crosspost this summary to ACQNET. If any of you would like to contribute to this, please post your thoughts, or send me a message and I will summarize for the list a final time. Thanks, all of you. L. Hunter Kevil Head, Serials Department University of Missouri-Columbia