Acquisitions

Chapter 4: Acquisitions

Government Information

  • Vendors

  • Acquisition Procedures
    Library Support Staff (LSS) must understand the various methods of content production and distribution to libraries.
    LSS need to know basic principles and apply appropriate procedures to enable users' access to a diverse range of content.
    (American Library Association - Library Support Staff Certification Competencies #4 and #5)

Content Types

  • Print

  • Nonprint

  • Gifts and Exchange

  • Outsourcing

  • Demand-Driven Acquisition (DDA), Patron-Driven Acquisition (PDA), Use-Driven Acquisition (UDA)

Topics Covered in This Chapter

  • The Publishing Industry

  • Mainstream Publishers

  • Independent and Small Press Publishers

  • Electronic Publishers

  • Receiving Materials

Key Terms

  • Acquisitions: Refers to the ordering and receiving of print and nonprint materials in a library. It does not encompass the selection of these materials, which is handled by collection development or selection staff, nor the ordering of office supplies and library equipment.

  • DDA/PDA/UDA: Methods allowing patrons to influence the acquisition of materials through an electronic program integrated within the library's catalog.

  • Government Information: Also termed public information; it refers to information created, compiled, or maintained by the federal government, considered owned by the people and held in trust by the government for public availability.

  • Outsourcing: Libraries can acquire materials by contracting external services managing selection and processing without direct input from library staff, effectively outsourcing the acquisition function altogether.

  • Publishers: An entity that procures, develops, promotes, and distributes material. They raise capital, navigate legal obligations, and keep records related to sales and contracts.

  • Vendors: Entities (also called jobbers or wholesalers) that purchase print and nonprint materials from publishers to resell at a discount to libraries, promoting a “one-stop shopping” advantage by sourcing from diverse publishers.

The Publishing Industry

Publisher Functions

A publisher typically:

  • Taps Sources of Material: Usually through agents and editors; unsolicited manuscripts are often discouraged.

  • Raises and Supplies Capital: Provides the necessary funds to run publishing operations.

  • Aids in Material Development: Offers editing and development support.

  • Handles Legal Work: Manages contracts and other legal necessities.

  • Distributes and Promotes Material: Works to make the published material available to the public.

  • Maintains Records: Keeps track of sales, contracts, and relevant organizational data.

Mainstream Publishers

  • These major commercial publishers offer various publications often including trade books, targeting general audiences accessible through bookstores and libraries.

  • Examples:

    • Simon & Schuster

    • HarperCollins

    • Penguin Random House

    • Houghton-Mifflin Harcourt

Types of Trade Books:

  • Hardbound Volumes

  • Paperback Books:

    • Quality Trade Paperbacks: Larger format books, often reprints following successful hardback editions.

    • Mass Market Paperbacks: Smaller, standard-sized books found in retail outlets and airports, covering popular authors and genres like romance or mystery.

University Presses

  • Tend to publish works of scholarly or creative merit, typically targeting a limited audience of specialists, though their materials may be relevant across various library types.

  • Different from textbooks, which are generally technical, reference, or professional materials with limited sales volume.

Independent and Small Press Publishers

  • Known as small press, these publishers vary from mainstream publishers by budget and output, often producing below a specific sales threshold or number of published books.

  • Characteristics of Independent Publishers:

    • Capable of producing diverse works similar to larger publishers.

    • Generally have lower costs and can profit from small market productions.

    • Often quicker in producing books compared to larger firms.

  • Examples:

    • Beacon Press

    • Pegasus Books

    • Cleis Press

    • Down East Books

    • Tantor Media

  • Vanity Presses: Known as subsidized publishers, where authors bear publication costs with no selection criteria involved, offering a self-publishing option but often faced with rejection from retailers.

  • Modern Self-Publishing Options: Reliable print-on-demand services (e.g., Amazon's Createspace, Lulu, Blurb) that allow authors to self-publish while offering design, editing, and limited distribution services.

Electronic Publishers

  • Electronic publishing improves access to textbooks, serials, e-books, and e-readers but can be costly due to subscriptions, fees, and device requirements.

  • Libraries may subscribe to services like Overdrive or Axis 360 to offer e-books, selecting titles based on budget and demand.

  • Libraries may loan devices loaded with e-books, although they do not own the content they download.

  • Free sources of e-books include Project Gutenberg and Google Books Library Project, presenting public domain titles to users.

Government Information

  • Defined as:

    • Information created, compiled, or maintained by the federal government.

    • Information owned by the people and trusted by the government, ensuring public access.

  • Covers materials from all government branches, including Congressional records and Supreme Court reports.

  • Stored in depository libraries participating in the Federal Depository Library Program, often accessible online through the Federal Digital System.

Vendors

  • Vendors function as third-party entities that buy materials from publishers, providing significant benefits to libraries, such as discounts and bulk ordering opportunities.

  • Notable vendors include Baker & Taylor and Ingram, among others.

Vendor Advantages

  • Large inventory of titles in multiple formats.

  • Discounters on trade materials.

  • Accuracy in order fulfillment and reporting.

  • Personalized services.

  • Efficient handling of technical support and service corrections.

  • Value-added services (VAS) such as processing orders with MARC records, barcodes, and more, for a fee.

  • Offer leasing options for popular titles through programs like McNaughton for libraries needing temporary collections.

Acquisition Procedures

Methods of Acquisition

  • Firm Order: Specific list of selected titles for order.

  • Standing Order: Open order for materials in a specific topic or category to receive ongoing shipments (like annual references).

  • Approval Plans: Sends a selection of titles for libraries to choose from, facilitating macro selection without individual title decisions.

Gifts and Exchange

  • Libraries accept gifts to enhance their collections and may also consider materials for exchange with other institutions.

  • Policies must be clearly defined regarding the acceptance and use of gifts.

Outsourcing

  • Libraries can contract out material acquisition processes, which may reduce staff burden but attract criticism for loss of control over selection.

Receiving Materials

Once an order is placed, the library must follow a systematic procedure upon receipt:

  1. Unpack the boxes.

  2. Locate and check the packing slip.

  3. Verify shipment contents against the packing slip and original order.

  4. Identify and resolve issues, such as missing items or incorrect formats.

Common Receipt Issues

  • Missing items

  • Duplicate items

  • Format discrepancies (e.g., book vs. audio)

  • Damage to items (broken bindings, incorrect labelling)

Chapter Summary

This chapter explores the acquisitions process, detailing the publishing industry, types of publishers, vendor use, acquisition methods, and the role of DDA/PDA strategies in adapting libraries to patron needs.

Discussion Questions

  1. Describe publisher functions and the differences among publisher types.

  2. Distinguish between vanity presses and contemporary self-publishing models.

  3. Discuss the methods libraries can use to offer digital content.

  4. Identify potential problems with an established vendor profile and order processing.

  5. Reflect on the impact of DDA/PDA on library controls versus patron influence in acquisitions.

Activities

  1. Define and provide examples of: publisher, vendor, jobber. Visit their websites for unique acquisition services.

  2. Discuss criteria for vendor selection in libraries, acknowledging potential differences by type.

  3. Analyze changes in the publishing industry regarding e-books and self-publishing, and how libraries are adapting to these changes.

Source: Keller, Chapter 4 Acquisitions, Working with Library Collections: An Introduction for Library Staff, Rowman & Littlefield