divinme/RoweCom

["Rollo Turner" <rollo.turner@onet.co.uk>]

It is perhaps worth pointing out that the overwhelming majority of
subscriptions this year , as in every past year, will be handled by agents
at no risk to libraries. The disaster at RoweCom is not typical of the
industry, which generally has a good record for financial stability. There
are many agents who continue to provide good service at good value for
their library customers. The industry as a whole therefore is still
healthy and it is to be hoped with cooperation and goodwill on all sides
the damage from the collapse of RoweCom can at least be minimised. The ASA
recognises that the situation has put considerable strain on the trust
that still exists between libraries, agents and publishers and is in
discussion with members and others in the industry to see what we can do
to ensure that business can continue to be conducted with little or no
risk to libraries and publishers in the future.

Agents provide many different services which might be difficult and costly
for libraries to replicate. Services from agents include, for example, the
provision of MARC records; handling enquiries, claims and orders for
publishers in many different languages in almost all countries of the
world; making available details of prices, online availability and licence
restrictions; setting up electronic journal subscriptions; paying
publishers in good time (for ASA members this is essential) even though
the library may not yet be in a position to pay, minimising the costs of
exchange rate fluctuations etc etc. All of this can be very labour
intensive and the costs are very often underestimated.

I hope libraries will not be put off using the overwhelming majority of
agents who are both financially sound and provide good service at
reasonable cost.

Rollo Turner
Secretary General
Association of Subscription Agents and Intermediaries
10 Lime Avenue
High Wycombe
Bucks HP11 1DP
UK
Tel +44 (0)1494 534778
www.subscription-agents.org
Email rollo.turner@onet.co.uk