Date: Tue, 16 Dec 1997 12:11:16 -0600
From: Marcus Schlichter <MSchlichter@WSCGATE.WSC.EDU>
Subject: American Business & Communications Directory

     I'm asking for some help with _The American Business & Communications
     Directory_ (ISSN 0027-9633) and its publisher Newline Publishing
     (Reno, NV)?

     I got a call from a salesman from Newline  a coule weeks ago saying
     that since we had purchased this title in the past (supposedly last
     published in 1995), he wanted to call to let me know the new edition
     was available and asked if we wanted the update. Although I usually
     say in these instances "send me something in writing," this time I
     unfortunately took his word for it and said "yes."  In the meantime, I
     can find no record of our ever ordering the title nor ever having it
     in our collection. I found no record in LC, nor, until yesterday, was
     I able to find an OCLC record (#38054436 just entered 12-08-97).
     Furthermore, searching the ISSN number I found not only this title,
     but several Canadian publications (The title page does say "printed in
     Canada") and the OCLC record gives place of publication as
     "[Karachi]". Essentially it's nothing more than a phone book
     duplicating information in other sources we already have (and it only
     covers the Central States to boot).

     This has all made me suspicious. Is Newline a legitimate publisher?
     Has anyone else received this directory or know anything about it? Was
     there a title change that doesn't appear in the OCLC record?

     Thanks for your help.

     Marcus Schlichter
     Collection Development Librarian
     Conn Library
     Wayne State College
     1111 Main Street
     Wayne, NE 68787
     (402) 375-7266
     mschlich@wscgate.wsc.edu