Re: GEN: EBSCO why buy magazines here?

[Ann Magill <amagill@mail.coos.or.us>]

Paula M. Keefe wrote:
>
> This is my first experience as a high school librarian so I have some
> pretty basic questions.
>
> Our library purchases about thirty magazines through EBSCO.  I am receiving
> renewal notices directly from the magazines.  If I want to continue to
> place our orders through EBSCO, should I just throw out the magazine
> notices and assume that EBSCO will contact me to renew them in the spring?
>
> Another question:  I notice that several of the magazine renewal notices
> quote prices substantially lower than we are paying EBSCO.  Is there any
> reason to continue to buy through EBSCO when I can get the magazines
> cheaper directly from the publishers?  Does the EBSCO magazine purchasing
> service provide any value added service that might not be immediately
> apparent to me but would make it worth paying the higher prices to EBSCO?
>
> TIA for any help you can give me.
> Paula Keefe, Librarian
> Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative
> Junior-Senior High School
> Wilton, NH, USA
> wlc@jlc.net
>
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Hi,
By using a jobber like Ebsco, you have one invoice to deal with (which
is in the long run more cost-effective than multiple invoices.
Bookkeeping is easier too from the standpoint of followup if you have
missing issues among your subscriptions.  Ebsco will send you an annual
invoice and usually you can get a discount by paying earlier (if that's
possible at your school district).  They also have the advantage of a
person who represents you.  You may call their number collect to get
help and the representative for your region will help you.  Another
feature I like is their missing copy bank.  We send duplicate issues
there.  There has been more than one occasion when we've requested
issues from their missing copy bank, and they've sent them.  This has
happened when we've let a subscription lapse, or issues have not been
sent for some time by a publisher.  Another thing:  if you find a better
price from another jobber (e.g., Cox Subscription Services) send the
quote to Ebsco, and they'll probably match it.  We saved $400 a couple
years ago by doing this.  Subscriptions are cheaper if they're personal
rather than institutional.  Hence, our library's magazines now come in
my name personally to the school's address.  Call Ebsco to get a lot
more help.
Ann Magill, Library/Media Specialist
North Bend HS
2323 Pacific AV
North Bend, OR  97459
(541) 756-8328

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