Getting More Bang for Your Buck: Working with Your Vendor in the Age of the Shrinking Staff

Abstract

Library expenditures for serials continue to grow, while, at the same time, library staffing for serials operations is declining. During NASIG’s 34th annual conference, a librarian and two serial vendors presented on the value of working together to optimize results for libraries with shrinking serials staff. Sara Bahnmaier, a librarian at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (U-M), reported on realignment of staff positions in the Technical Services division and how the library relies on subscription agencies to manage its serials accounts. Bill Sherfey, Regional Manager for Harrassowitz, a long-term vendor of the U-M Library, presented about the training and in-house expertise that a vendor offers to libraries in these times of lean staffing. Maria Hatfield, Vice President of Integrated Solutions at WT Cox Information Services, addressed how to establish an effective new vendor-library relationship to ensure the library gets the most support possible. These presentations support the NASIG tradition of building and improving relationships among librarians, vendors, and publishers, all important links in the supply chain of information services.