3 messages, 111 lines:

(1)--------------------------
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 13:13:47 -0500 (EST)
From: Marcia Tuttle <tuttle@email.unc.edu>
Subject: Free magazine from EBSCO

I believe Steve Black was on the right track yesterday when he suggested
that this flood of general interest magazines being sent to EBSCO
customers is related to advertising rates. An organization named the Audit
Bureau of Circulations keeps close track of the number of subscribers for
mass-circulation magazines to make certain that these publishers are
charging their advertisers appropriately. I'm guessing that YM, etc. have
decided that printing a few hundred more copies and mailing them to a list
of libraries they requested from EBSCO will bring in far more in
advertising revenue than the cost of the gift subscriptions. (I am also
assuming that gift subscriptions count as well as paid subscriptions.)

Marcia Tuttle
<tuttle@email.unc.edu>

(2)----------------------------
Date: Thu, 6 Jan 2000 13:01:50 -0500
From: Katie Hanrahan/Serials Specialist <KHANRAHAN@ESCHER.DNET.CUYAHOGA.LIB.OH.US>
Subject: Re: EBSCO free magazines

We are a large public library system (29 branches) and when we get the
freebies from Ebsco, it tends to be system-wide. That is, all 29 branches
and the administration bldg get the subs. For magazines that a branch
currently subscribes to, I treat it as a duplicate and send in copies
of both mailing labels to our Ebsco rep so they can combine the two subs.
That way, we get a year free but don't have to deal with duplicate copies.
For those that don't subscribe, and for the administration bldg where there
is no public access, I send in copies of the mailing labels to our Ebsco
rep to cancel altogether, or use them as back-up for missing copies at
the branches. It has it's advantages in some ways, but it's certainly more
work in any case.

Katie Hanrahan
Serials Librarian
Cuyahoga County Public Library
2111 Snow Road
Parma, OH 44134
(216)749-9534
(216)749-9445 (fax)
khanrahan@cuyahoga.lib.oh.us

(3)----------------------------
Date:         Thu, 6 Jan 2000 12:59:00 -0500
From:         Bernadette Jones <bjones@SMCVT.EDU>
Subject:      Re: EBSCO free magazines

I have just received several renewal notices for YM from the publisher.  I
marked them all CANCEL and stuffed them all in the same envelope to return
to the publisher.  I think going directly to the publisher will get the
quickest -and final - results.

Bernadette Jones
Periodicals Department
Saint Michael's College
Library & Information Services
Winooski Park
Colchester, VT  05439

e-mail: bjones@smcvt.edu
Phone: 802-654-2404

> ----------
> From:         Karen Chobot[SMTP:chobot@PLAINS.NODAK.EDU]
> Sent:         Thursday, January 06, 2000 9:36 AM
> To:   SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
> Subject:      Re: EBSCO free magazines
>
> Thanks to everyone who replied to my query yesterday.  I guess it touched
> a
> nerve, because there have been a lot of replies!  It seems as though most
> folks are of the same opinion, that it doesn't serve us very well and
> seems
> to be a waste of time and resources.
>
> I did have a call from Linda at EBSCO yesterday afternoon, and she said
> that they are not the ones paying for this, but that the publisher had
> requested a list.  I noticed that we are all getting the same magazines -
> YM, Fitness, ESPN, and so on.  EBSCO will cancel any subscriptions if you
> send them the address label.
>
> My worry is that these title will somehow end up on the Annual Renewal
> list
> next summer, since they are in the database, and that is when the cost
> will
> come home to us.  Guess we'll all just have to watch.
>
> Again, thanks for all the replies.  It reassured me to see that I wasn't
> being as *ungrateful* as refusing a gift made me feel.
>
> Karen
>
> Karen M. Chobot, MS, MLS
> Reference/Serials Librarian
> Mildred Johnson Library
> North Dakota State College of Science
> 800 N. 6th St.
> Wahpeton ND 58076
> 701/671-2385
>
> "I know, my dear Watson, that you share my love of all that is bizarre and
> outside the conventions and humdrum routine of daily life."  Sherlock
> Holmes, in "The Red-Headed League."