Hawaii Response to B&T- Pt !

[Pat Wallace <DENWALL@AOL.COM>]

FORWARDED BY PATRICIA WALLACE, Chair, Hawaii
Working Group, ALA/SRRT/AIP

From:      "Grant and Deborah Gutermuth" <gutent@hgea.org>
                Deborah Gutermuth, Reference and AV Librarian
                Kaneohe Public Library, HAWAII
To:          "progressive/alternative net" <PLGNET-L@cornell.edu>
Cc:          "Patricia Wallace" <DENWALL@aol.com>
Subject:   Hawaii response to B&T response--PART I
Date:       Thu, 6 Mar 1997

Dear Pat and all out there who care-

This is my response to the PLGNET "Baker & Taylor" response
sent over the listserv to me 3/4/97.  I  Mahalo.
*********************************************************************
This is my response to your "Response to the Star-Bulletin poll
results".

In your first paragraph you state Baker & Taylor has provided
more than 70,000 units to local libraries. Approximately 50,000
items were shipped between July and December 1996.
To date, no more than 10,000 more have been received.

In your second paragraph you state "there are numerous
inaccurate issues creating public misperceptions."
While Hawaii's Librarians believe there are misperceptions
abounding - more often than not, they originate with Baker &
Taylor or the Office of the State Librarian.  Misperceptions
such as how much it really cost, previously, to process and
purchase books in-house, and the truth about all the duplicates.

To address the issues you bring up, let's examine them from
a slightly different perspective.  Items Baker & Taylor brings
up will be quoted in italic.  Statements I will address will be
in italic bold.  All bold printing is my own addition, both to
B & T and to my own words for emphasis, and are not found
in your article.

1. A practical guide to Lambing and Lamb Care:
Baker & Taylor encourages library patrons to visit their local
libraries to see if this selection is on the shelves.  It is not.
It was never sent to Hawaii.  When Baker & Taylor made the
70,000 unit selection between April and June, 1996, the HSPLS
had not had enough time to complete it's collection selection
development guidelines.  Due to this incomplete process, the
book did appear under the agricultural category of a
recommended list.  In September it was removed during the
selection review process conducted jointly by the HSPLS and
Baker & Taylor.

Perhaps, as one critical patron has said, "Maybe they got us
mixed up with New Zealand, both of us being way out here in
the ocean and all.  I'm sure North Carolina doesn't know much
about Hawaii."

The truth is, only after the title was used in a local newspaper
article pointing out this, and other similar problems with Baker
& Taylor selection we were experiencing, was the title removed.
Had there been no public outcry, undoubtedly we would be the
proud owners of some 40 copies of this title.

The selection committee you refer to was not put into place
until after the public uproar began.  We were saved only
because of an ordering/shipping lag time.  Perhaps these
copies are still residing on Baker & Taylor shelves.  Call
New Zealand and see if they need some. Hawaii raises cattle,
coffee, pineapple, sugarcane, etc.  We don't raise sheep,
except on Niihau, where they read and write in Hawaiian only!

Baker & Taylor never selected 70,000 units between April and
June.  First, the contract only called for 60,000.  Second, our
guidelines were sent to Baker & Taylor May 1, 1996.
Certainly, someone could have read them, realized their
mistakes, and corrected anything from that point on.
It is my belief that these were never read before all the
units were ordered. Perhaps, not even then!

Librarians put in much time and effort answering all Baker &
Taylor's questions, even going so far as recommending
initial selection needs.  To my knowledge, these have never
been responded to, addressed, or purchased.  It is an excuse
to say Baker & Taylor could not purchase titles we needed.
NO new titles had been purchased by the system in many, many
months.  Bart dismantled our Central Selection Section and
our Central Processing Center in December, 1995.  This was
3  months before any contract was signed.  Preparations
underway to do so, go even further back in time. Simply
using the titles new since about September, 1995 would
have avoided most duplications and complaints.

We were "supposed" to receive our "bestsellers" at the same
time as the bookstores did.  This was something Baker &
Taylor used to sway opinion to choose their contract above
others. This has never happened.  It is still an unlikely prospect,
as of March, 1997.
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continued in Pt. II