July Acquisitions Tip - Everybody's Talkin'

This is the last Acquisitions Tip of 2014/15.  I hope they have been helpful and have made readers feel a little less alone in the often confusing world of law library acquisitions.  If there has been a theme in the tips, it has been the idea that communication is the key to being a successful acquisitions librarian.  Library acquisitions, by its very nature, is a give-and-take between a library and the library’s suppliers.  Keeping the lines of communication open between these two groups is essential to achieving the goals of the library.  Happily, communication is a skill that can be learned and fine-tuned, and there is no better classroom than the AALL annual conference.
Given that, my final tip is – take advantage of the conference by talking to people face-to-face.  Talk to vendors – come prepared with specific questions that relate to your needs.  Talk to librarians – if you attend a session you like, talk to the presenters afterwards and let them know how your work relates to their topic.  Speak up at the programs – don’t hesitate to ask questions or make comments when given the opportunity. Meet and greet your colleagues at receptions as well as work related sessions – sometimes it’s just easier to meet someone with a drink in hand than after a PowerPoint session.
Likely you have been bombarded with e-mails advertising sessions to attend.  You can’t get to every meeting, but if I had only three sessions to go to, these would be the ones I would attend - 

• CRIV Vendor Roundtable, Sunday July 19, 11:45 AM, Marriott Grand Ballroom Salon A
• “Work Smarter, Not Harder – More Hip Tips for the Acquisitions Librarian,” Sunday July 19, 2:30 PM, PCC 108AB
• Acquisitions Serials Meeting and Roundtable, Monday July 20^th, 4:30 PM PCC 105B

I’ll be at each of the above, and probably at a few receptions.  If you see me, please introduce yourself – and the first person to greet me at a reception, and mention this Acquisitions Tip, will receive an official Acquisitions Tip flash drive, or a not-so-official acquisitions drink.

rv

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Richard Vaughan
Acquisitions & Serials Control Librarian
Jerome Hall Law Library
Indiana University Maurer School of Law
211 S. Indiana Ave.
Bloomington, IN 47405