Duplicates Exchange/SerialsQuest/Faxon Quest - summary Rebecca H. Stankowski 14 Feb 1995 21:55 UTC
Greetings again! Last week I asked for information from users of a product called SerialsQuest (or Faxon Quest) because I was doing research on duplicates and exchanges. I've had several requests to summarize information about duplicates exchange for the list, so in a nutshell, here goes: Other than the traditional paper exchange lists, there are a few online products to use for duplicates and exchanges. Some are: 1. BACKSERV. Subscribe to this list at listserv@sun.readmore.com. Sponsored by Readmore, Inc., it is an informal, unmoderated list on which to advertise/request serial issues and (just recently) books. It's a pretty busy list (10-15 messages/day) with simple "I have the following journals available," or "I need the journals below to fill gaps," followed by a list of titles. Easy to use but totally unstructured. Free except for (perhaps) postage reimbursement as requested by the involved parties. 2. DEU-L. Subscribe to this list at listserv@shsu.edu. This program is sponsored by ALA's ALCTS DEU committee and is very different from BACKSERV. The list has little traffic; the heart of this program lies in the gopher at Sam Houston State University (URL gopher://niord.shsu.edu or gopher path All the Servers in the World -- North America -- USA -- Texas -- Sam Houston State University). Once you've accessed that gopher choose the DEU Library Prototype Demonstration Area. The beauty of this system is that all submitted lists are indexed together and you can input one search and the index goes through ALL OF THE LISTS AT THE SAME TIME! So if you want a specific issue of, say, Sports Illustrated, just enter that search once and the system retrieves ALL instances of Sports Illustrated in ALL the lists from that one search. You then only have to check the matches for the proper issue. DEU-L doesn't generate must list traffic other than announcments that new lists are available or basic instructions. All DEU-L archives are located on the gopher, so complete instructions are available there. This is still a new project and will become even more valuable as more people join up. Free except for usual postage reimbursement. (You may get the hint that I think this is a really swell program and would encourage everyone out there to give it a try.) 3. Faxon's SerialsQuest. Word straight from Faxon: yes, there *still is* a product called SerialsQuest, but it is aimed mostly at the MLA (Medical Library Association) market at the moment, so useful only if you are looking for medical journals. You don't have to be a Faxon customer to join. Titles available for trade are submitted and then when you input a request the system searches the available titles and then EMails you or faxes you any matches to your request. There are start-up fees and quarterly subscription/online fees. You are charged for any title you get and you are credited for any title you send out (charge is more than the credit). Libraries don't exchange money directly, however; the accounts are centrally managed by the program and each member is sent a statement regularly. This used to be an ABACIS product; Faxon bought it. Faxon Quest also exists, though it is only an "umbrella name" for SerialsQuest and ReQuest, which is a traditional back issue service which searches vendors' files for matches to your needs. For more information, EMail Glenn Jaeger at jaeger@faxon.com. Thanks to all who provided information; as usual the library community is more than helpful. Rebecca House Stankowski Technical Services Librarian Purdue University Calumet Hammond, Indiana 46323-2590 rhs@nwi.calumet.purdue.edu 219.989.2435 Fax: 219.989.2070