Gift subscriptions can come to the University Libraries in three different ways. Our procedures for handling gift subscriptions are as follows:
Journals/serials that are accepted by the appropriate unit and are gratis will be ordered, received, and claimed by the Periodicals Section of the Acquisitions Department. When it comes time to bind, missing issues will be pursued through normal channels using the unit's Lost Book or General funds.
If we experience continual difficulty obtaining the issues from the publisher, we will refer the problem to the unit to either cancel or change the retention decision to current issues only.
If a donor wants to "give a subscription" to a unit, and the unit indeed wants to receive it, the best avenue for this is a cash donation to the Libraries.
The Periodicals Section will place a subscription for the title using the general fund for that unit. A note on the O/P/R will indicate that the subscription is funded by a donation from "Prof. Smith." Issues will be received, claimed, and otherwise handled just like a regular subscription for that unit.
In the late spring of every year, the units will receive a list of the subscriptions funded by donor contributions for their unit. The list will include the approximate cost of the next year's subscriptions. If there is a separate rate for personal and institutional subscriptions, the institutional rate will be quoted. It will be the responsibility of the unit to contact the donor to determine their intentions. If the donor wants to continue funding the title, a check made out to "UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES" should be sent to cover the payment. The funds will be made available to the unit as an additional amount in their Lost Book account. If the donor does not wish to continue the contribution, or does nor respond by the cancellation date established for the regular subscriptions, the title will be cancelled.
Occasionally, a donor wants to donate journal issues for a title they themselves directly receive. Our experiences with this kind of situation have traditionally been quite bad. First, the unit is often uncomfortable claiming missing issues from donors. As a result, we have to pursue issues that were never sent using Library funds and, in many cases, acquiring the missing issues costs more than the subscription. Timeliness, both in receipt of issues and in the replacement of those not sent, is also a problem. Finally, there may be a question as to the legality of receiving a personal subscription if the perception is that we are trying to avoid paying the institutional price.
We discourage this kind of donation but, if the Libraries insist that we accept them, we must minimize the costs that these "free" materials incur. The materials must be sent to the Periodicals Section of the Acquisitions Department for processing. We will provide the donor with mailing labels if necessary. Issues that are not received will not be claimed, and we will not attempt to replace missing issues. We will bind incomplete if necessary. If less than 50% of the issues are in hand at binding time, we will withdraw that volume altogether.
If we experience continual difficulty obtaining the issues from the donor, we will refer the problem to the unit to either cancel or change the retention decision to current issues only.
When money is given to the University Libraries to purchase a gift
subscription to a periodical, we will follow these procedures:
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Please send comments, suggestions or questions to:
askcts@acsu.buffalo.edu
Last revised: March 25, 1998
URL: http://ublib.buffalo.edu/libraries/units/cts/acq/per/gifts.html