july 3, 2005notsl1 typical value added vendor services northern ohio technical services librarians...

July 3, 2005 NOTSL 1

Typical Value Typical Value Added Vendor Added Vendor

ServicesServicesNorthern Ohio Technical Northern Ohio Technical

Services LibrariansServices LibrariansSpring Meeting, 2005Spring Meeting, 2005

Margaret MaurerMargaret Maurer, Assistant Professor, Assistant ProfessorHead, Catalog & MetadataHead, Catalog & Metadata

Kent State University Libraries and Media Kent State University Libraries and Media ServicesServices


Vendors Really Do Add Vendors Really Do Add Value Value to the products they to the products they

sell ussell us

• Provide context for decision makingProvide context for decision making• What are typical vendor services?What are typical vendor services?

– Book vendor servicesBook vendor services– Unique AV vendor servicesUnique AV vendor services– Serial vendor servicesSerial vendor services


It’s all about It’s all about YourYour EnvironmentEnvironment

Vendor service options are selected Vendor service options are selected based on your environment and your based on your environment and your needsneeds

• Patron’s needsPatron’s needs• Automation systemAutomation system• Type of libraryType of library• Types of materials being purchasedTypes of materials being purchased• Vendor optionsVendor options• Consortia agreementsConsortia agreements


It’s about making It’s about making youryour money perform efficientlymoney perform efficiently

• We seem to have less and less We seem to have less and less money each year.money each year.

• What can the vendor do for you that What can the vendor do for you that frees your scarce staff dollars to that frees your scarce staff dollars to that they are focused on the parts of our they are focused on the parts of our work that can most benefit your work that can most benefit your library?library?


Advantages of Advantages of OutsourcingOutsourcing

• Reducing backlogs, shorter “order to Reducing backlogs, shorter “order to shelf” timeshelf” time

• Gain expertise in foreign languagesGain expertise in foreign languages• Increasing flexibilityIncreasing flexibility• Creating an environment where you Creating an environment where you

are likely to examine workfloware likely to examine workflow


Advantages of Advantages of OutsourcingOutsourcing

• Fewer staff means fewer staff costs, Fewer staff means fewer staff costs, less people to keep trained, etc.less people to keep trained, etc.

• Can Can quickly quickly resolve situations resolve situations involving poor quality workinvolving poor quality work

• Greater vendor stabilityGreater vendor stability


Disadvantages of Disadvantages of OutsourcingOutsourcing

• $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$• Work quality can very, as work Work quality can very, as work

comes from multiple sources comes from multiple sources (although specific standards are (although specific standards are always maintained)always maintained)

• Potential loss of professional Potential loss of professional flexibility and ability to respond to flexibility and ability to respond to service demandsservice demands


Disadvantages of Disadvantages of OutsourcingOutsourcing

• Added processing can delay Added processing can delay shipment of materialsshipment of materials

• Communicating problems to the Communicating problems to the vendor can be time consuming, at a vendor can be time consuming, at a high level of staffhigh level of staff


Basic Monographic Vendor Basic Monographic Vendor ServicesServices

• Customer serviceCustomer service• Collection development assistanceCollection development assistance• Searching and verification Searching and verification

assistanceassistance• Cataloging and shelf-ready Cataloging and shelf-ready

processingprocessing


Customer ServiceCustomer Service

• Vendor representativesVendor representatives• Communications with vendorCommunications with vendor• Vendor representativeVendor representative• Handling cancellations, claims, and Handling cancellations, claims, and

creditscredits• Customer referencesCustomer references• Order via email, fax, snail mail, etc.Order via email, fax, snail mail, etc.• A A reallyreally big Website big Website


Collection Development Collection Development AssistanceAssistance

• Workspace for assembling orders on Workspace for assembling orders on vendor web sites – even custom vendor web sites – even custom catalogscatalogs

• Reviews, book jackets, summaries, Reviews, book jackets, summaries, etc.etc.

• Core collection listsCore collection lists• Approval plan services – books and Approval plan services – books and

slipsslips• Alerting service for new material, Alerting service for new material,

release listsrelease lists


More Collection Development More Collection Development AssistanceAssistance

• E-booksE-books• Inspection copiesInspection copies• Blanket ordersBlanket orders• Opening day collectionsOpening day collections• Standing orders – by publisher, by Standing orders – by publisher, by

author, by genre, by topic, by series, author, by genre, by topic, by series, by imprint …by imprint …


Searching and Verification Searching and Verification AssistanceAssistance

• Automated database for pre-order Automated database for pre-order checking and ordering, available via checking and ordering, available via the internetthe internet– Complex searching capacityComplex searching capacity– Links to additional informationLinks to additional information

• Actual pre-order searchingActual pre-order searching


Bibliographic ServicesBibliographic Services

• MARC21 bibliographic records MARC21 bibliographic records • The ever-shrinking pool of The ever-shrinking pool of

catalogerscatalogers• Better than Z39.50?Better than Z39.50?• Brief bibliographic and item records Brief bibliographic and item records

for orderingfor ordering


OCLC PromptCatOCLC PromptCat


OCLC Cataloging OCLC Cataloging Partners Partners

vs. OCLC PromptCatvs. OCLC PromptCatPromptCatPromptCat

• Copy cataloging service. Copy cataloging service. Not 100% (average 98%)Not 100% (average 98%)

• Best work done on booksBest work done on books• PromptCat matches PromptCat matches

material with WorldCat material with WorldCat record.record.

• Payment is separate for Payment is separate for materials and records.materials and records.

Cataloging Cataloging PartnersPartners

• 100% guaranteed 100% guaranteed recordsrecords

• Emphasis on non-book Emphasis on non-book and non-Englishand non-English

• Vendors search Vendors search WorldCat and then send WorldCat and then send the material to TechPro. the material to TechPro.

• Order records through Order records through the vendors and pay the vendors and pay through the vendors.through the vendors.Biggest difference: Which vendor

you’re working with


Typical Cataloging Typical Cataloging Specification you Should be Specification you Should be

Able to Ask ForAble to Ask For• Type of subject heading system – LC, Type of subject heading system – LC,

Annotated Children’s, MESH, Annotated Children’s, MESH, GSAFDGSAFD

• Classification system – LC, DDC, Classification system – LC, DDC, biographiesbiographies

• Cuttering system – LC, Cutter, for Cuttering system – LC, Cutter, for fiction itemsfiction items

• Treatment of serial recordsTreatment of serial records


Cataloging Specifications Cataloging Specifications ContinuedContinued

• Defining what constitutes Defining what constitutes a matcha match• Required encoding levels (cataloging Required encoding levels (cataloging

standards)standards)• Treatment for titles in seriesTreatment for titles in series• Original cataloging standards – at a Original cataloging standards – at a

variety of levelsvariety of levels


Physical Processing Physical Processing ServicesServices

• Lamination / binding / mylar JacketsLamination / binding / mylar Jackets• Paperback versus hardbackPaperback versus hardback• Fitting security triggersFitting security triggers• Barcodes and bar-codingBarcodes and bar-coding


More Physical Processing More Physical Processing ServicesServices

• Labels: date due, spine, book title, Labels: date due, spine, book title, genre , branch …genre , branch …

• Directly shipped shelf ready services Directly shipped shelf ready services • One from column A....One from column A....


Typical Financial ServicesTypical Financial Services

• DiscountsDiscounts• Leasing ArrangementsLeasing Arrangements• Automated system interface and Automated system interface and

order transmission via EDI or order transmission via EDI or EDIFACT.EDIFACT.

• Electronic order transmissionElectronic order transmission


More Financial ServicesMore Financial Services

• Electronic claimingElectronic claiming• Electronic payment (including credit Electronic payment (including credit

card payment)card payment)• Licensing for remote electronic Licensing for remote electronic

materialsmaterials• Free shipping?Free shipping?


What’s Different for AV What’s Different for AV VendorsVendors

• Many services are the same as for Many services are the same as for booksbooks

• Visuals of cover artVisuals of cover art• Approval plans for popular materialsApproval plans for popular materials• Sound or video samples available Sound or video samples available

onlineonline


AV Vendors…AV Vendors…

• Summary / table of contents notes in Summary / table of contents notes in bibliographic recordsbibliographic records

• Downloadable audio booksDownloadable audio books• Extensive physical processing Extensive physical processing

optionsoptions

– My favorite:My favorite: paying to have the plastic paying to have the plastic covers removedcovers removed


Serial Vendor ServicesSerial Vendor Services

• Katz and Gellatly:Katz and Gellatly:> 100 subscriptions = Use a vendor> 100 subscriptions = Use a vendor– Vendors typically charge from 5% to Vendors typically charge from 5% to

20%20%– 95% of libraries use a serial vendor95% of libraries use a serial vendor

““The fact that most libraries use The fact that most libraries use vendor services may be viewed as vendor services may be viewed as recognition of the vendor’s value.”recognition of the vendor’s value.”


Why Use a Serial Vendor?Why Use a Serial Vendor?

• Save staff timeSave staff time• Simplify acquisitions process Simplify acquisitions process • Vendors will meet specific local Vendors will meet specific local

needs, that the publisher might not needs, that the publisher might not • Access to information via the Access to information via the

vendor’s database and web sitevendor’s database and web site


Why Use a Serial Why Use a Serial Vendor?Vendor?

• Mediator between library and Mediator between library and publisherpublisher

• Subscription management Subscription management informationinformation

• Single point of contactSingle point of contact


Collection Development Collection Development Information from Your Information from Your

Serial VendorSerial Vendor• Information on new publicationsInformation on new publications• Information on changes in existing Information on changes in existing

publicationspublications• Statistics and trends in publishingStatistics and trends in publishing• Analysis and predictions of serials Analysis and predictions of serials

costscosts


Financial and Management Financial and Management ServicesServices

• Management reports to help the Management reports to help the library track subscriptionslibrary track subscriptions

• Order fulfillmentOrder fulfillment• Title-by-title renewalsTitle-by-title renewals• ClaimingClaiming• Invoicing (Hopefully electronic)Invoicing (Hopefully electronic)


Bibliographic RecordsBibliographic Records

• MARC21 bibliographic records for MARC21 bibliographic records for serial records are availableserial records are available

• Links to remote resources can be Links to remote resources can be includedincluded


Purchasing and Maintaining Purchasing and Maintaining Electronic JournalsElectronic Journals

• Pricing, licensing agreements, Pricing, licensing agreements, tickler filetickler file

• Establishing access – types of access Establishing access – types of access – URL maintenance– URL maintenance

• Linking deeply within the catalog Linking deeply within the catalog and /or web page to full text and /or web page to full text materialmaterial


Electronic Journals Electronic Journals ContinuedContinued

• Archiving – Can you cancel print?Archiving – Can you cancel print?• AggregatorsAggregators• A-Z listA-Z list• Citation servicesCitation services


Considerations when Considerations when Choosing or Evaluating a Choosing or Evaluating a

Serial VendorSerial Vendor

• Cost / discounts / service chargesCost / discounts / service charges• Services provided, for exampleServices provided, for example• Vendor representativeVendor representative• Consortia agreementsConsortia agreements


Making the Most of Value-Making the Most of Value-Added Vendor Services …Added Vendor Services …

• Calculate the costs of current in-Calculate the costs of current in-house processeshouse processes

• Set this against the charges for Set this against the charges for outsourcing the serviceoutsourcing the service

• Evaluate the likely effects of Evaluate the likely effects of outsourcingoutsourcing

• Investigate potential suppliersInvestigate potential suppliers• Think creativelyThink creatively


Making the Most of Making the Most of Value-Added Vendor Value-Added Vendor

Services …Services …• Negotiate contractsNegotiate contracts• Monitor resultsMonitor results• Keep up with communications with the Keep up with communications with the

suppliersupplier• Recognize the effects on acquisitions, Recognize the effects on acquisitions,

and make needed changes to workflowsand make needed changes to workflows• Don’t hang onto nostalgic practices for Don’t hang onto nostalgic practices for

no good reason (You don’t still get ice no good reason (You don’t still get ice delivered do you?)delivered do you?)


If you can Dream it…If you can Dream it…

• There are an amazing array of There are an amazing array of services available todayservices available today

• If you can dream it, they can If you can dream it, they can probably do itprobably do it

• But, if you never ask …But, if you never ask …• In An Ideal World This is a In An Ideal World This is a

PartnershipPartnership

july 3, 2005notsl1 typical value added vendor services northern ohio technical services librarians...

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