Citing divine, AIP Wants Payment On Time
-- Library Journal, 10/27/2004
If libraries want their 2005 subscriptions from the American Institute of Physics (AIP) to go uninterrupted, AIP has a simple suggestion--pay your invoice promptly. In an email message sent to academic libraries, AIP officials, citing the 2003 collapse of divine, Inc.’s RoweCom/Faxon subscription service, said that 2005 issues of AIP journals will not be shipped until AIP has received payment. AIP is an umbrella organization of 10 scientific societies, publishing over 100 journals as well as books and magazines.
AIP circulation director Lori Carlin did not comment on whether the memo was prompted by recent events, such as reports of financial trouble at the world’s largest subscription agency, Swets, which has since cleared up its accounting troubles with a capital infusion. She said the message was related to the divine/RoweCom collapse "in that we do not foresee being able to again provide delivery of subscriptions without receipt of payment." Carlin said that the AIP message has caused some libraries to make changes to their purchasing processes. "However," she added, "many still seem to be unaware of the actions that they can and should take to protect their monies while they are en route to publishers." Post-divine, some libraries have requested that monies sent to subscription agents be placed in escrow accounts or otherwise be guaranteed.
