Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Call for Articles: "Biz of Acq" column of Against the Grain

Call for Articles: "Biz of Acq" column of Against the Grain

Against the Grain is a down-to-earth, practice-oriented library journal. Its goal is to provide acquisitions librarians in all types of libraries, and information sellers, with current information on events in the field, and practical insights into acquisitions techniques and processes. The "Biz of Acq" column features discussions of key acquisitions topics by working librarians.

Ideas for upcoming "Biz of Acq" articles include:
-Acquisition of electronic resources, eg., streaming videos, electronic scores, MP3's, e-books, etc.
-Acquisitions/Cataloging workflows eg. exporting at point of order, purchasing bibliographic records with materials, the impact of cataloging considerations on the decision to purchase databases, etc.
-The technology of acquisitions eg. library systems, databases, spreadsheets, the web, etc.
-Acquisitions in a bad economy with a declining budget, eg. reallocation of funds, serials cuts, policy changes regarding purchasing paperbacks, second copies, and content in a 2nd format, etc. -Finding and selecting vendors and vendor comparison and assessment.
-Workflow analysis.
-Managing accounting and accounts.
-Acquisitions workflows to take advantage of sales.
-Managing customer expectations and difficult selectors.
-Recruiting, training, and retaining Acquisitions Librarians and staff.

Feel free to choose any of these topics, or one of your own. Theoretical articles, research reports, "how-to" articles, case studies, literature reviews and conceptual or opinion pieces are welcome. Article length should be approximately 1200-1500 words (4-5 pages, double-spaced).
Contributions may be written by individuals or co-authored.

URL: http://www.against-the-grain.com/

If you are interested in writing for "Biz of Acq", please contact the editor:

Michelle Flinchbaugh
flinchba@UMBC.EDU
Acquisitions Librarian
Albin O. Kuhn Library
UMBC
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250