Outsourcing: Not just a local issue

[Pat Wallace <DENWALL@AOL.COM>]

Forward of two private posts to me re outsourcing from very different
perspectives.

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To: denwall@aol.com
From: Chris Goddard <cgoddard@www.devon-cc.gov.uk>work
                                Home: chris.goddard@ukonline.co.uk
Lead Bibliographical Services Officer and Area Resources
Librarian (West)Central Library, Drake Circus, PLYMOUTH,
PL4 8AL, U.K.
Subject: Honolulu contract
Date: Jan 23, 1997

Pat
You said:

>I have been working to convince the library community that the B&T
>contract  with HSPLS was not just a "local" issue, but an issue of seminal
>importance to the future of libraries and librarianship since I first saw
>the little news item announcing the contract buried in the June '96 issue of

>School Library Journal.

Here in the U.K. it is an issue too, but not a major one yet. We have had no
approaches from B&T as yet (oh, yes, they're known here too, as
suppliers--and good ones--of U.S. titles). But at least one of our major
suppliers has been suggesting for some time that they could do selection.

So it is far from being a "local" issue. I'm watching your horrors with great
interest and great sympathy too. We tend to find that where the U.S. leads
the way, the U.K. is not slow to follow.

Chris Goddard
http://www.devon-cc.gov.uk/dcc/services/library/libs.html
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/Members/chris.goddard
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Date: Tue, 21 Jan 97
To: denwall@aol.com
Subject: B&T-Outsourcing
Please do not post my name with this

I am in charge of the professional account for the library system.
We used to order from B&T.  Ever since they took on the Hawaiian
account the service provided has gone down hill.
--We used to receive 44% discount, but now they only give 10%.
--Book orders take longer to fill.
--They had approved of personal checks, yet with the last invoice
   complained.

We are changing over accounts as of this month.

The system also outsources to a different company.  The main reason
for this is that Children's Librarian's can focus more on programing.
This has not worked for we have to check on the books we receive.
The company hits and misses on the must have author's list we provided.
Between budget years, the company is supposed to hold book releases
till the first fiscal month. But since one branch had money left over, they
were able to receive books that the other branches were not.  The other
branches had to wait three months to receive the same book, even though
 the author was on their must have list.

Outsourcing could possibly work if more control was given to the librarians.
Why couldn't  the company send a list to the librarians of the books that
they are going  to receive  before shipping them out?  The librarians can
pick which books would be most useful to that branch.

On the plus side, the company had a two month turn around on award books.

As for unions, YES.  Look at what the NEA has done for teachers.  Clerks
and paraprofessionals also need to be unionized.
Good luck-
<snip>

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