I agree with Shirley in that we prefer subscription agents to handle as much of our business as possible. In some cases, the agents can even handle consortial subscriptions, either paying the publisher directly on our behalf or paying the consortia.

 

There are complicated state purchasing rules in NY that make it more cumbersome to process large payments to organizations who are not on state contract.  Therefore, even if we have to pay a service charge, it is still more cost effective in terms of staff time at both our end and the vendors’ end, to push as much as possible through agents. There is no way that I would willingly chose to order direct with a publisher unless the financial incentive was really large and I had confidence in the publisher’s ability to accurately invoice in a timely manner and that they would be responsive to completing the copious paperwork NY requires for purchases over a certain dollar level.

 

If you have a great customer service representative with a subscription agent, then you are in like Flynn. I love passing problems along to our reps and let them work with the publishers.  We have one in particular (she knows who she is) who has the best rolodex ever.  J

 

Hats off to subscription agents!

 

Susan

 

Susan Davis

Acquisitions Librarian for Continuing Resources

University at Buffalo (SUNY)

134 Lockwood Library

Buffalo, NY 14260-2210

716-645-2784

716-645-5955 fax

unlsdb@buffalo.edu

http://libweb.lib.buffalo.edu/staff/index.asp?ID=124

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was simply speculating how much the move to online has reduced subscription agents’ business.  I suppose it is somewhat, but perhaps not dratsic. And agents like EBSCOnet have expanded into providing added value services for electrnoic, as well.

 

 

I place my orders through 3 channels:  consortia, subscription agent, and direct.    In terms of the number of the number of publishers for each one, the most would be through the agent, followed by consortia and direct.    We have subscriptions (print and/or online) from over 250 individual publishers so using an agent is still the most cost efficient way for me to go.    I usually only go direct if I am forced to by publishers who won’t work with agents, or if I had established a relationship with a publisher who made it efficient to do so.  That can change.  I was going direct with one publisher, but then the rep changed and it became more complicated.  I’d rather let our agent deal with them and spend my time on something else.    

 

 

 

Reflecting on Swets’ status, I’m wondering – how are most libraries placing their orders for online content – through a subscription agent or direct?  Not that Swets’ problem is solely with their subscription agent business, I understand that all of their information services group is affected.

 

 

Cindy Harper

charper@vts.edu

 

 

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