There are some major decisions to be made here.*
The top shelf is what I am recommending keeping. Several questions here:
-Small Business Taxation is from 2001. There is a 2008 ed of a similar title available for $150. Worth it? Keep the 2001? Too advanced for our audience?
-Essentials of New Jersey Real Estate is the 2000 ed. There is a 10th (2008) ed available for $47. This is kind of like a study guide. Should it be in circ if we do get it?
-Harris New Jersey Manufacturers Directory is a standing order at $150. Cancel standing order?
-RMA Annual Statement Studies - this is latest ed. No longer published in print--online only at $305
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The 2nd and 3rd shelves is what probably should go. Some highlights:
-NJ Business to Business Directory and NJ Small Business Directory - we had studied this a while ago and found it riddled with errors, and the standing order was cancelled. The eds we have are 2007--time for them to go?
-Wards Business Directory - 2004 edition needs to go
-Corporate Affiliations - 2007 ed. To get a new ed would cost over $2000. I don't think we need this and OneSource. Should we toss the 2007 or wait another year?
-Directory of Top Computer Executives - This was a donation. 2007 ed probably too old to be reliable for this type of info.
-Economic Report of the President - All online
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Let me know what you think. Also, anything else that's on the cart and not mentioned here is fair game.
7 comments:
I don’t have time for more than a few quick comments.
RMA Statement Studies are available on OneSource. We don't need the print version.
Without knowing more about the source that we would consider to update Small Business Taxation, it’s difficult to vote on whether to get it or not. If there were a new edition of SBT (which appears not to be the case), I would definitely want us to get it for our small business patrons.
I’d like to see us keep a copy of Essentials of New Jersey Real Estate in reference. Could we get two copies?
I haven’t used or needed to refer people to Harris New Jersey Manufacturing Directory or the Greater Delaware Valley Guide for years. I would definitely cancel both.
While I find Corporate Affiliations easier to use than OneSource for getting corporate family information, I agree that there isn’t enough value-add here to justify spending the $2000.
As for Directory of Top Computer Executives, OneSource is also a great source for info on executives. Besides, this directory is too specialized for our collection. (We don’t have comparable directories for any other industry.)
ACCRA—we’ve discussed this one before, and I’m still in favor of keeping it. As far as I know, there is nothing else comparable.
Both the 2002 and 2007 NAICS codes are searchable on the web, so it’s arguable that we don’t need to either of these two print manuals. I would say keep the 2007 official manual and, if we’re looking for shelf space, discard the 1997 and its 2002 supplement. It is so unlikely that any of our users would be using sources based on the 1997 or 1987 NAICS.
I thought Corfacts directories were gone. Let’s get rid of them already.
While we can get industry reports on OneSource and Business Source Premier, I’d like to see us continue to get the S&P Industry Surveys, just because this is such important information for entrepreneurs. How much does it cost?
The U.S. 1 Business Directory is a good source of local information, inexpensive, and slim. I think we should continue to get it.
The 2010 edition of the Standard Occupational Classification Manual should be out sometime next year. I wouldn’t be surprised if it is made available on the web. In the meantime, I’d say hold on to the 2000. It doesn’t take up much space.
I’ve never had occasion to use the Handbook of Water Use and Conservation. At this point, it is probably too dated to be of much use.
I think we should keep the New Jersey Business Source Book for its listing of state trade and professional associations.
The Directory of Foreign Firms Operating in the U.S. is getting too out-of-date, and I don’t think we need it enough to get a newer edition.
Catherine's few "quick" comments are going to put my even fewer and much quicker comments to shame.
I think we need to have a source on Small Business Taxation given our relationship with SCORE and counseling small businesses. Perhaps we should keep what we have and then have CH research some alternative sources in the next month or two.
Yes to updating Essentials of NJ Real Estate and I also think that Catherine's suggestion of buying one copy for circ and on for ref is a good plan.
RMA is not worth $305 as a subscription on their own, esp. now that I know that OneSource has them. I have not referred to the print version in years (forgot we had it).
Cancel/pitch Harris and also Ward's.
I would like to keep Corporate Affiliations for one more year as I have used it recently -- but the 2 grand is a bit steep for replacement.
We get Executive information from OneSource so I see no use in keeping Top Computer Executives.
I will send other comments if I think of them.
GS says: I’ll wade in with my few comments. About the Essentials of New Jersey Real Estate-this is one of those titles where the circ copy (7th edition) is more recent than the ref copy (6th). I think we should have the same edition in both collections and keep them up to date. We have an ARCO test book too in circ but it is 2005 and not specific to New Jersey. I agree with Janie that we should keep Corporate Affiliations in print until it is out of date and then discard and not replace. I like having the NAICS code in print in addition to getting the codes from One Source or Ref USA. Sometimes it is easier to find relevant codes by browsing. I think we should keep at least the most recent Economic Report of the President. Again, it is easier to browse in print than online. You can skim the print version to look for interesting stuff. I like the AACRA cost of living index and people do still ask for this. Get rid of Wards, Corfacts, and the Directory of Top Computer Executives.
Recommendations for keeping/discarding all sound logical to me so far. My only suggestion is that we use some of the money we're saving to purchase more circulating copies of Jersey specific business books (e.g. How to start a business in the State of New Jersey., NJ Real Estate etc)
-Small Business Taxation: I think we should get the more current title, especially with the continued growth and popularity of the SCORE partnership. I don’t think the information is too advanced. The people who may need to navigate it should be able to wade through it.
Essentials of New Jersey Real Estate: According to the catalog, there is a similar looking title, Principles and practices of New Jersey real estate / Frank W. Kovats, that was last checked in in 1999. Granted, it is old… If we do get the latest edition of Essentials of NJ Real Estate, what audience are we supporting? Is it for people studying to become realtors? Should we concentrate on a more consumer bolstered collection like a NOLO title specifically focusing on NJ? If we are focusing on those who may be taking real estate exams, we might want to consider upgrading this circulating title, Master the real estate license exams / Joseph H. Martin, which I could not locate on the shelf (last checked in 7.31.09).
Harris New Jersey Manufacturers Directory:Who is using this? According to The New Jersey Policy Research Organization (NJPRO) Foundation,an independent public policy research affiliate of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, in 2007, there were 70,467 people employed in the NJ manufacturing industries in Hunterdon (3,444), Mercer (8,018), Middlesex (40,596), and Somerset (18,409). This might be a good resource for jobseekers, although there are probably better ways of researching including OneSource. I vote for canceling the subscription.
RMA Annual Statement Studies: Wow. Talk about speaking in tongues. The credit and lending dictionary at the back looks useful, but even if I understood the data, this is such dated information; I don’t see how it could be useful. Because no one has complained about it being such an historical resource, I don’t think the public demand is present to indicate the need of an online subscription. And, now that I see Catherine’s remarks – we already have online access to the data.
I'd like to see us keep the hard copies of the Economic Report of the President. It is a nice resource to browse in print.
I'll be sad to see Corporate Affiliations go.
Please keep US1 Business Directory, NJ Business Source Book, and The Value of a Dollar.
Also, the NJ Homeowner's Guide to Property Tax Appeals looks handy. I think we should keep it.
Thanks for your helpful comments. Here's what we're going to do:
-Update Essentials of NJ Real Estate to 10th ed. 2 copies, 1 ref, 1 circ
-Update Small Business TAxation with latest available
-Cancel standing order for Harris, but keep this one another year until outdated
-Keep Corporate Affiliations another year.
-Discard:Corfacts NJ, Wards, Greater Delaware Valley, Top Computer Executives, all but current Economic Report of the President, Directory of Foreign Firms operating in the US, RMA Annual Statement Studies (which are on OneSource, thanks CH)
-We are keeping everything else (what little that is)
Just an update: we could only get one copy of the Essentials of New Jersey Real Estate book.
I'd suggest pre-ordering Master the Real Estate License Exams 7th Edition (Real Estate License Examinations) Therese DeAngelis - September 7, 2010 ISBN-13: 978-0768928204 for the circulating collection.
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