B & T Charged by Justice Dept.

[Pat Wallace <DENWALL@AOL.COM>]

Forward from  Patricia D. Wallace,  Chair, Hawaii Working Group
(ALA Social Responsibility Round Table /Alternatives in Print Division)
SLIS graduate student, Texas Women's University
Denwall@aol.com
******************************************************************************
********
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Tue, 4 Feb 1997 08:08:41 -0700
> From: Lee Milner <ths_libr@PrairieWeb.COM>
> To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
> Subject: Baker & Taylor
>
> I just noticed in this morning's paper that Baker & Taylor have  been
> charged by the Justice Department for overcharging School libraries and
> Public libraries by up to $200 million.  They are accusing the company
> of changing the coding on discounted medical and legal texts and
> overcharging from $2 to $10 per book.
>
> Isn't this the same company involved in purchasing books for libraries
> in Hawaii?
>
> Lee Milner
> Torrington High School
******************************************************************************
*********
Feb. 4, 1997

in USA Today on line:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/digest/nd1.htm

Feds say book distributor overcharged libraries

The federal government accused the nation's largest book distributor of
overcharging thousands of schools and libraries by up to $200 million over
10 years. The Justice Department joined a whistle-blower suit filed
against Baker & Taylor Inc. by a former company employee. More than 90% of
the nation's 15,000 public libraries buy some or all of their books from
the Charlotte, N.C.-based distributor. Company president Jim Ulsamer
denied what he called "outrageous" claims.
******************************************************************************
*********
http://starbulletin.com/today/news/index.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(C) 1997 Honolulu Star-Bulletin
http://starbulletin.com

Tuesday, February 4, 1997

State joining probe of book distributor
Baker & Taylor overcharged libraries
and schools, a suit contends

By Christine Donnelly
Star-Bulletin

Federal and state authorities are investigating whether Hawaii public
libraries are among those allegedly cheated out of up to $200 million
nationwide by book distributor Baker &AMP Taylor Inc.


"We've asked (the state attorney general's office) to immediately begin
an investigation" into whether local libraries were defrauded, what to
do if they were, and how it would affect Hawaii's current controversial
book-buying contract with the North Carolina-based company, state
librarian Bart Kane said last night.

Kane's staff also is collecting information the U.S. Justice Department
wants detailing the amount of federal money Hawaii paid to Baker &AMP
Taylor from 1985 to 1995.

{go to web site for full article}
******************************************************************************
**
"Don't be afraid to go out on a limb.
                 That's where the fruit is."
                                        -Anonymous