Response to Baker & Taylor

[Pat Wallace <DENWALL@AOL.COM>]

Message  forwarded by Patricia Wallace
Chair, Hawaii Working Group
American Library Association
Social Responsibilities Round Table
Alternatives in Print Task Force
denwall@aol.com

More input relevant to Baker & Taylor's recent claim that past problems
in implementing their contract with Hawaii's Public Library System
are "all fixed"  due to the formation of a Selection Advisory Committee,
among other things.
[P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P]
[P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P]
[P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P]
From: Deborah Gutermuth, AV and Reference Librarian
Kaneohe Public Library in Hawaii
 <gutent@hgea.org>
To: "Patricia Wallace" <DENWALL@aol.com>

Dear Pat:

As one of those librarians living with outsourcing, I'd like to give you
some of my thoughts.

1.  Selection Advisory committee.

This is a laugh.  Not because there are librarians on it, which there
are, but because all they receive are LISTS.  No information or reviews.
Not even any descriptions.  Then they are given 3-4 days to review and
return these lists as approved!  Does this sound effective to you?   It is
a band-aid to cover up the gaping wound in our selections.  It SOUNDS
good, but is not too effective in terms of quality review.

2.  Cataloging

This problem is so bad they are creating "temporary" cataloging
positions.  It will still not solve the problems of the AV section, whose
cataloging remains: Title, Publisher, Series, and Dynix #.  NO subjects,
No descriptions, No running times, etc.  Also, no way to access in our
catalog except by title!  Almost all Hawaiiana needs in-house cataloging,
as most is from small or private presses, with no marc data.  That amounts
to at least 3% of our total budget.  Also - for the 90% or so that will be on
marc records - All of us learned how to use them way back in Library
school.  We could do it as easily as Baker & Taylor.  We definitely need
local cataloging for gift books, of which there are hundreds each month,
and for patron requests not serviced by B&T.  I believe this function to be
only behind selection as a critical function needing at least local
supervision, if not local control.

3.  Outsourcing.

     We don't necessarily believe that "outsourcing" is bad.  Selection
outsourcing is bad!!!  in 1996, our Adult "ethnic" fiction received
from Baker and Taylor was almost 80% Black and Hispanic.  This,
in a state where there are less than 2% Black  and 8% Hispanic
populations!  Where was there space for representing our Japanese
population (over 50% all or part Japanese), Korean, Filipino,Chinese,
and Pacific Islanders.  People on the mainland cannot possibly know
the unique population that is Hawaii.  It is a cultural mix like no other
part
of America.  And these selections were not just the Terry Macmillians.
They were "wanna be's" and "try to be's".  Mostly second or third rate
authors in cheap paperback reprints or yellowed hardbacks that probably
had dust on them before they were shipped!

Thankfully, with some people willing to stick their professional necks out,
our legislature is acting!  Baker & Taylor was pretty much told by Senator
Tam "fix it, or forget it."

We have been faxing Senators with Patron Faxes, Staff Faxes and
copies off the Internet. They have HEARD us!  Maybe this will turn out
all right after all.  Mahalo

Nui Loa for being interested, listening, and sharing!
Deborah Gutermuth/Kaneohe Public Library
AV and Reference Librarian
[P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P]
[P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P]
[P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P][P]
"Don't be afraid to go out on a limb.
                 That's where the fruit is."
                                        -Anonymous