When I was librarian at the CNNA about 20 years ago initially I did
all the journal orders direct to publisher. This had various problems not
always for the Librarian. The accounts department had to pay for each
journal individually causing a lot of work for them. Not all publishers
billed all their titles together so one publisher might send 6 invoices for
6 different titles especially if they had not been ordered together
originally or if there was a slight difference in the address (we did not
change our name or address while I was there but with the modern NHS we seem
to get a new name every other year even if we do not move). Because we were
ordering just a few journals with each publisher we were sometimes loaded
with a small order surcharge rather than the discount which the large
subscription agents get which they sometimes pass onto us.
        Since several of our journals came from abroad each invoice had to
be paid in the currency of the country which meant that the normal cheque
could not be written but the accounts department had to get an international
money draft or order which costs around £15 to £20  quite a lot to put onto
the price of one journal. All these surcharges the accounts department
billed back to the library budget.
        When I changed to using a subscription agent the person dealing with
my account could not believe how simple it was just one invoice for all the
journals one entry on the accounts no bankers draft etc. It might be
possible to pay by credit card now instead of bankers draft but I do not
think that most Trust accounts depts. have credit cards for this.
        If you are unhappy with the chasing that the subscription agent does
or are not getting the journals when they are chased you can always chase
them yourselves with the publisher after X number of tries by the agent.
        If you are dissatisfied with the price you are being charged by the
agent check that it is no more than the published price. If it is the same
or less then stick with them bearing in mind the added cost to the accounts
dept and therefore the trust or company as a whole.
        Subscription agencies are now including electronic services to your
journals. Some libraries are joining together with one ordering and paying
library in order to obtain higher NHS discounts. Confederations could order
for several libraries there is one billing address but the journals are
dispatched to different postal addresses.
        Agents are also running a service where the journals are dispatched
to them and they check them in and forward them to your library. They then
chase those that have not arrived using software which works out the
expected arrival of a journal. I have not used this method as it costs more
but it might be worth the extra to take the agro out of chasing journals. 
Pat
Pat Bowen
Librarian & Information Services Manager
West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
Twickenham Road
Isleworth
Middlesex
TW7 6AF
Tel 0208 565 5969
Fax 0208 565 5408



        (-----Original Message-----
> From: Tony McSean [SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 28 June 2002 14:46
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      Re: Going it alone with journals
> 
> For that matter, I'd be interested to hear of any larger libraries that
> have done this or who had thought of doing so.  Strikes me that in this
> network age we ought to be able to save money by cutting out the middle
> person . . .  At least then we'd only have our selves to blame for any
> gaps
> in our runs.
> 
> Tony McSean
> BMA
> 
> 
> 
> 
>                       "Johnson David (RC9)
>                       Luton & Dunstable                To:
> [log in to unmask]
>                       Hospital TR"                     cc:
>                       <[log in to unmask]        Subject:  Going it
> alone with journals
>                       LOX.NHS.UK>
>                       Sent by: This is an open
>                       discussion list for
>                       members of the UK
>                       medical/
>                       health care library
>                       <[log in to unmask]
>                       UK>
> 
> 
>                       17/06/02 09:45
>                       Please respond to
>                       "Johnson David (RC9)
>                       Luton & Dunstable
>                       Hospital TR"
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Has anyone out there in a small health library (<150 titles) ever taken
> their journal subscriptions back in-house ie gone back to administering
> them
> themselves rather than using a subscription agent?  If so, I'd be
> interested
> to know how you got on.
> 
> David Johnson
> Librarian
> Luton & Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust
> Lewsey Road
> Luton LU4 ODZ
> Tel 01582-497201
> Fax 01582-497164
> email:[log in to unmask]
> 
> 
> 
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