ISSN 1039-3498 | no. 43 | February 2000
Contracts awarded for serial consolidation service
In November and December 1999, the National Library awarded contracts to five vendors for the supply of serials through consolidation services. The successful tenderers are DA Information Services, Ebsco Australia, W.H. Everett & Son, ISA-RoweCom and Blackwells Information Services (soon to be known as Swets Blackwell).
Use of consolidation services will result in the earlier receipt of serial issues, as overseas titles will be sent via Surface Air Lift and all vendors will be delivering weekly consignments to the Library. The Librarys serial collection will also be more complete, as the vendors will check in serial issues and will claim any missing issues.
The Library will move the supply of 90% of Australian and overseas purchased serial titles to consolidation services. Serial issues supplied on consolidation will be labelled with the Librarys call number by the vendor, and delivered to the Library in weekly consignments. The Library will continue to record the receipt of serial issues in the Dynix Serials module so that holdings information at the issue level will be accessible through the catalogue.
All vendors will perform the tasks associated with the consolidation service from their Australian office, except for London-based W.H. Everett & Son.
Staff in the Serial Orders Unit have spent the past three months checking subscription renewal lists, preparing definitive lists of orders with call number details, and transferring orders that have previously been supplied by other vendors. Although the bulk of the orders have been transferred in time for the 2000 renewal period, there will be ongoing activity in this area throughout the year. Steve Lacey, Manager, Serial Orders comments, I am looking forward to the implementation of the services following a considerable amount of time involved in creating an RFT [Request for Tender], evaluation of tender responses and creation of contracts. The results of the hard labour of many people will see us hurtling into a new era in serials work.
Please address any comments and enquiries to The Editor, Gateways: tford@nla.gov.au