DA is the only international subscriptions agent owned and operated in Australia. For Australian and New Zealand libraries, we offer a service level and pricing model that is world-competitive. For libraries in other countries, we offer reliable and affordable subscriptions to Australian and New Zealand serials.

The DA Serials Management Service enables registered customers to manage their serials subscriptions online, and provides the following key benefits:

• Worldwide sourcing of journals supplied direct to your library or organisations from the publisher, or via overseas consolidation by DA
• Full accessioning, end processing and claiming services provided by DA will save time and money when managing your subscription
• Our electronic commerce facilities make ordering, invoicing and claiming a simple process and will enable you to track the progress of your subscription
• Dedicated customer service support to assist with any queries you may have
• Free access to our comprehensive database of more than 165,000 serial titles, updated regularly
• Manage the transition of your print journals to online or combination subscriptions

To register as an existing customer of DA's subscription services, click here.

Standing Orders

We supply all types of standing orders and our specialist staff are experienced in managing irregulars and continuations. We are happy to take responsibility for the orderly transfer of standing orders from another supplier and to supply back volumes.

The Benefits of Using Agents

Subscription agents and intermediaries help libraries and publishers save money. They reduce the amount of time spent on the many detailed administrative tasks in acquiring and accessing journals, thus allowing librarians and publishers to focus their attention on other important matters. In the process they perform these administrative tasks more cheaply than would otherwise be the case. " Dealing directly with thousands of publishers, who invoice the library at different times, with different payment terms, in multiple currencies, dealing with multiple claiming terms, using multiple communication protocols, dealing with multiple customer service staff, some of whom (the foreign language publishers) would not necessarily have English speaking customer service staff, would all cost libraries far more in additional staff and systems than using an agent. That is why agents exist. The advent of the electronic journal has multiplied the pre-existing complexity several times over. Agents are responding to that increased complexity by developing new services and re-engineering back office systems. Similarly if libraries deal directly with publishers then those publishers will need to hire customer service staff to deal with multiple libraries and make additional system investments, all of which will increase costs and lead to higher subscription prices. Going direct is a non-starter for all but the smallest specialist libraries and largest publishers; it is a solution that does not scale." (Chris Beckett, Scholarly Information Strategies, in Serials-eNews Alert, January 2003)

The Work of Subscription Agents

The supply of periodicals relies on mutual trust between the librarian, agent and publisher, and it usually works well. Large sums of money change hands before any goods are received, which is quite contrary to normal commercial practice. Most agents do not see the titles they are selling because they are posted direct to subscribers (apart from those agents who offer consolidation). It is a gigantic operation and without integrity and mutual confidence the system fails. The agent can easily be sabotaged by an inefficient or indifferent publisher. In these days of economic difficulties it is of course very important that the agent is financially sound and has adequate resources to run the business. The agent forms a vital link in the information chain of author, publisher, librarian and reader. Everyone likes a quiet life with the minimum hassle and by providing an efficient service the agents hope to achieve this. A librarian concerned about service charges should check to see how much it costs his/her institution to raise an order and pay a publisher direct, particularly if it is in a foreign currency. Added to which is the cost of dealing direct for claims etc. This cost may be far higher than the service charge made by the agent. Although agents may be unable to offer discount as such, a number do make it possible for the librarian to deposit money in advance and benefit from interest that this earns. This is a useful scheme as many librarians are not allowed to invest through the normal channels themselves. The agent should be the expert who relieves the library of a large administrative load by providing a convenient and reliable method of procuring journals from all parts of the world. A good analogy is the travel agent who knows the ropes, maintains accurate up-to-date information, knows all about currencies and saves time, worry and trouble.

Subscription Services for Libraries

The good subscription agent will be offering many or all of the following services to librarians

• Maintain accurate and easily accessible records with common expiry dates,wherever possible.
• Maintain up-to-date prices and journal information, backed up by a comprehensive collection of reference sources for tracing out-of-the-way titles
• Process and order efficiently new subscriptions from the many thousands of possible suppliers
• Avoid breaks in supply by renewing in good time
• Offer a choice of whether subscriptions are handled on a one year only, or standing order basis
• Produce accurate invoices, observing the customer's special requirements, including firm pricing, one line invoice, etc. which is something the publishers will not be able to do for libraries who deal direct.
• Produce machine readable invoices if required
• Respond effectively to claims for missing issues and other queries.
• Provide advance information about delays in publication, title changes, etc.
• Pay publishers promptly to avoid breaks in the supply, and be able to pay in the various currencies of the world.
• Provide one source of information and build up a good personal relationship with the librarian.
• Reduce the library's overheads by taking on much of the workload, particularly at renewal time.
• Establish good relationships with publishers and become familiar with their individual working methods.
• Aid the library as much as possible with budgeting and financial management

Advantages for Libraries:

1. Administration

• A single source of all orders, claims and renewals
• Detailed bibliographic and management information.
• Simplification of the renewal process by provision of single checklists.
• Reporting service on the status of all orders, claims, cancellations and queries.
• Provision of bibliographic tools like agents serials catalogues.
• Consolidation services for the complete collection, check-in and delivery of issues.

2. Cost Effectiveness

• Invoicing in a single currency
• Discounts associated with invoice pre-payment
• Local point of contact for telephone or written communications.

3. Technological

• On-line access to agents' database for bibliographic data
• Provide some of the best solutions for serials automation
• Provide value-added current awareness and document delivery services
• Offer email addresses for fast cost-free communication.
• Work with the major library system vendors on EDI integration

Why use DA Subscriptions Services?

We are members of the Association of Subscription Agents & Intermediaries. Members of the ASA conform to the ASA Guidelines to good practice. These are available on the ASA Website and form the cornerstone of the service element provided by agents. Membership of this organisation assures libraries that we provide a quality service and have appropriate systems for handling subscriptions.

Serials Experience

Experience is vital - and we have been active since 1951 - and we have very experienced staff based here in Melbourne.

Experience of your type of library

We have experience in dealing with any kind of library.

Experience with the type of material

We have experience in dealing with the type of material you require. If you have specialist requirements for Australian or global material and we provide trouble free service.

Financial security

We have traded since 1951 and boast steady business growth and professional subscriptions management - particularly in the area of foreign currency, where our risk management removes the risk for ourselves and our clients.

Service

What type of service do you require - direct supply from publishers, or a full consolidation service where we obtain all the material, check it in, perhaps even adds shelving and cataloguing information and ship it to the library.

Electronic journals

Electronic journals add complexity to systems so it pays to think through the requirements. We know the publishers' requirements for electronic journals and can obtain information on prices (print, online and combination), types of licences required by the publisher (whether its site, multi-user, consortia only, click through terms and conditions etc) and the information required by the publisher to enable the subscription to be set up (IP address ranges, email address of library specialist etc) and be able to advise whether the publisher requires access via password or IP address validation.

Consortia services

Many libraries are now active in at least one consortium. This brings access to unsubscribed titles and demands for information on the library's subscriptions that can be somewhat at variance with existing reports. We have experience in the needs of consortia and are able to help libraries with their information requirements and renewals.

Cost, value and the importance of the mix

The price we will charge for our services is, to some extent, offset by the terms the agents obtain from the suppliers. However these vary substantially between publishers and different types of material. They also tend to be expressed as a percentage of the list price which means that several hundred high priced STM journals from a relatively small number of commercial publishers for example may be priced at or near list price. The same number of journals from a relatively large number of small social sciences society publishers might well be priced at considerably more than list. This reflects not just the difference in price between STM and social sciences publications but also the difficulty of obtaining the material and maintaining the subscriptions. The mix of journals in a library's collection has very significant bearing on the price agents charge. When looked at as a cost per journal it is often the case that much the same charge is being made between the two types of material so do not assume that the same percentage figure in one area will be reflected in other quite different subjects or types of material.

We are clear about how we charge and what for, with an overall service charge, either a percentage of the business or a fixed fee or some combination of both. Since many journals will be priced in a currency other than that in which we prepare quotes for the library, there are significant currency exchange risks. By exerting our buying power, we bring economies of scale to the purchasing and transfer of funds which is of benefit to the library and helps reduce or eliminate the exchange risks involved.