FAQ
Customer Services
Electronic Data Interchange
Publisher Services
Periodical Subscriptions
Standing Orders
Monographs
Music Scores
Approval Plans
New Title Announcements
For more detailed information about any of our services or products
please Request a Service Document , or contact service@harrassowitz.de.
Customer Services:
Who is my representative? The members of the HARRASSOWITZ North American sales team have regional responsibility, and this, as a general rule, determines who your representative is. Key customers can also be assigned a person in the main office in Wiesbaden, and this is often deemed desirable by customers with major subscription lists serviced by HARRASSOWITZ.
In general, HARRASSOWITZ believes in a team approach to customer service. Only if the library asks is a person assigned to a particular library account. Normally the library benefits from the expertise of the larger HARRASSOWITZ staff that, particularly in the subscription area, are positioned as specialists for countries and groups of publishers, thus putting their extraordinary language expertise to the best possible use.
The primary team working with books and administration of journals is located in the Wiesbaden, Germany, office and can be reached via e-mail, service@harrassowitz.de. The North American Library Services office in Mobile, Alabama, supplements the customer service and sales representation for libraries in North America and is available 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM (Central Time), Monday-Friday, and is accessible via e-mail, service@ottosvc.com. Complete addresses, phone and fax numbers for both locations are included in Contacts to HARRASSOWITZ.
When should I contact the North American Libary Services office instead of contacting Wiesbaden, Germany? For every question or problem, either the North American or the Wiesbaden, Germany office can be contacted, but routine acquisitions correspondence regarding orders, claims, cancellations, etc., will be expedited if directed to the office in Germany (see Contacts to HARRASSOWITZ and the general e-mail contact service@harrassowitz.de). Whenever there is something outside of the routine, or any matter where a dialogue would be helpful, you might wish to contact your representative through the North American Library Services office: 1-800-348-6886.
What are your Phone and Fax numbers and E-mail address?
Germany:
Phone: +49-(0)611-530 0
Fax: +49-(0)611-530 560
General e-mail: service@harrassowitz.de
North America:
Phone: 1-800-348-6886
Fax: 251-342-5732
Toll free fax: 1-800-574-5732
General e-mail: service@ottosvc.com
Should I send my orders to Mobile, Alabama or Wiesbaden, Germany? All orders are processed in our centralized technical services operation in Wiesbaden, Germany. Therefore, it will expedite your orders if they are sent directly to Germany. If you send orders to the North American Library Services office, they will be forwarded to Germany in the UPS Express pouch that is exchanged between Mobile, Alabama, and Wiesbaden, Germany, on a daily basis.
Why does all our mail from HARRASSOWITZ in Wiesbaden come with a postmark from Mobile, Alabama? Because of relatively high postal rates in Germany, HARRASSOWITZ has a contract with UPS to airfreight all materials addressed to North America. This provides for at least as fast delivery as airmail, but with lower shipping charges. First class mail and small packages below 2 kg are sent via UPS to the Mobile, Alabama, office, where they are then mailed through the U.S. postal system to libraries. Larger packages are shipped directly to the library via UPS from Germany.
What do we do about a damaged shipment? For libraries in North America, if a UPS shipment arrives in poor condition, such as water damage, the shipment should be refused and the Mobile, Alabama, office should be notified. PLEASE NOTE THE NUMBERS FROM THE LABEL SO THAT WE CAN IDENTIFY THE SHIPMENT. If the damage is not noticed until after the shipment has been opened, please keep all packing materials and notify Mobile, Alabama: 800-348-6886 or send an e-mail message to service@ottosvc.com.
If damaged materials are in a package delivered through standard mail delivery, libraries in North America should contact the Alabama office to process a claim for replacements.
Libraries in other parts of the world should contact the customer service staff in Wiesbaden, Germany, at service@harrassowitz.de.
What do we do about a faulty volume? It is sometimes necessary to return the faulty volume because the publisher wants to have it on file as proof of the damage, but sometimes the return of the title page is sufficient. The library will be informed accordingly. In any case, please contact service@harrassowitz.de to inquiry how you should proceed.
Do you respond to Requests for Proposal (RFPs/RFIs)? Yes, we do respond to Requests for Proposal (RFPs/RFIs) and pay close attention to the specific requirements of the individual tenders. Responding to RFPs is a time-consuming and expensive proposition for any agent, so it is helpful if the following guidelines for issuing RFPs are observed:
A realistic period of time should be granted for responses to be prepared.
RFPs and bids should, if at all possible, not be requested late in the calendar year when agencies, particularly in the subscription area, need to concentrate on the input of prices and the processing of renewals for the coming subscription year. RFPs and bids are best issued in the first half of the year if they are to take effect with the new fiscal or calendar year.
Questions asked and narratives required should be restricted to the essential elements of the particular services required, i.e. subscriptions, books, electronic resources, etc.
Desirable and optional elements should be separated from mandatory elements required for the evaluation of the response and be identified as such.
In the case of RFPs for the supply of subscriptions, itemized lists of titles should be included in the RFP and supplied in an electronic format including the ISSN.
Such lists are needed to give the agency the opportunity to identify the volume and the mix of titles. But to request a title by title price quotation is counterproductive. The agency's service charge or pricing module can be formulated on the basis of such a title list without the obligation to compose a time-consuming title by title quotation, which is of limited usefulness anyway at a time when the prices for the coming year have not yet been released by the publishers.
Requests for RFPs or pertinent inquiries should be sent to the office in Mobile, Alabama, or to the attention of Knut Dorn, Partner & Managing Director, in Wiesbaden, Germany, kdorn@harrassowitz.de, or service@harrassowitz.de.
Is it possible to pay by credit card? Yes. We accept payment on Eurocard/MasterCard, Visa, and American Express.
Does HARRASSOWITZ provide online access to their databases? Yes, all HARRASSOWITZ customers have access to OttoEditions, the HARRASSOWITZ online management system for monographs and music scores, and to OttoSerials, the HARRASSOWITZ online management system for periodicals and standing orders. Access is free of charge and the functions provided reach from bibliographical searching and collection development work to the placement of orders, claims and the review of order status information and accounting data. There are many additional functions including the ordering of management reports, input of library account data, as well as the analysis of claiming and order data and the electronic resource management information.
For establishing an account with OttoEditions and OttoSerials, click through to either OttoEditions New Online Account or OttoSerials New Online Account and fill in the registration pages. The confirmation that the account has been established will be promptly released.
Electronic Data Interchange:
Do you provide electronic invoice data? HARRASSOWITZ Electronic Data Interchange includes invoicing in standard and proprietary formats for electronic transactions with many different library systems. EDI invoicing is offered for periodical subscriptions, standing orders, firm orders and approvals.
HARRASSOWITZ continues to be committed to providing whatever electronic interface is required by the libraries.
What other EDI transactions do you support? HARRASSOWITZ offers EDI support for orders and claims. For libraries placing monographic orders through OttoEditions, HARRASSOWITZ offers to supply MARC 21 records with embedded order information the very next day, so that an electronic record is in place in the customer's database when the books will arrive.
EDI claims are accommodated for periodicals, standing orders and monographic firm orders.
What is the SAN (Standard Address Number) for HARRASSOWITZ? What is the SAN good for? The HARRASSOWITZ SAN is: 1349651.
The SAN is helpful when it comes to sender/receiver identification in EDI. The SAN can be used as vendor code in your ILS to identify HARRASSOWITZ.
Publisher Services:
What are the products HARRASSOWITZ sells? HARRASSOWITZ is a library agency and covers the entire spectrum of publications and formats required by academic and research libraries: monographs, sold by way of firm orders or approval plans, music scores, continuations and standing orders, periodicals, e-journals, eBooks, CD-ROMs, CDs and DVDs.
Where are the customers located that HARRASSOWITZ serves? HARRASSOWITZ has contacts with libraries all over the world. By tradition, the number one market is North America, with the European countries following suit, followed by the Near East, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and individual contacts in many other countries.
Who is the representative that I as a publisher have? Publishers should contact Monika Krieg, Publisher Relations Manager, mkrieg@harrassowitz.de. Contacts to other staff who are specialists for specific formats and products can also be arranged if helpful.
How can you be contacted?
Germany:
Phone: +49-(0)611-530 0
Fax: +49-(0)611-530 560
General e-mail: service@harrassowitz.de
North America:
Phone: 1-800-348-6886
Fax: 251-342-5732
Toll free fax: 800-574-5732
General e-mail: service@ottosvc.com
The complete address as well as contact names are included in Contacts to HARRASSOWITZ.
Does HARRASSOWITZ provide online access for publishers to their database? Currently the HARRASSOWITZ databases are reserved for its library customers. But we are planning an interface for publishers to our databases OttoSerials, the HARRASSOWITZ online management system for periodicals and standing orders, and OttoEditions, the online management system for monographs and music scores. In case of interest please contact mkrieg@harrassowitz.de. We will inform you as soon as this function will be available.
Does HARRASSOWITZ announce new publications? Our alerting service includes new title announcements for both books and music scores, offered by way of printed slips as well as electronically by e-mail and as website special offers.
How are orders/renewals handled electronically for periodicals? Orders and renewals for subscriptions can be submitted electronically by file transfers.
Can dispatch data for journals be loaded into your system? Yes, if publishers provide us with dispatch data in CSV format, it can be loaded into our database OttoSerials. This information can be accessed by our customers and is part of our management reporting services. Publishers are encouraged to avail themselves of this opportunity since dispatch data is a high priority among academic and research libraries and as a control mechanism it is likely to reduce unnecessary claims and correspondence.
Periodical Subscriptions:
What is the range of the HARRASSOWITZ Subscription Service? HARRASSOWITZ offers a service to periodical subscriptions on a global basis. Supplied are periodical subscriptions published anywhere in the world to academic and research libraries worldwide.
Does HARRASSOWITZ offer a Prepayment Credit Plan for serials and what are the terms? HARRASSOWITZ has had a Prepayment Credit Plan for many years. Our terms for early payment of the 2008 subscriptions remain at the same attractive level that we have been able to offer for the last 20 years or so. Depending on the total amount of the early payment account and on the time in the year at which payment is received, credit will range from a minimum to a maximum amount. For more detailed information please contact service@harrassowitz.de.
How do I know how much money is left in our Prepayment Credit Plan? A copy of your statement of account is available upon request at any time. If you have a username and password for accessing OttoSerials, you may view the current status of your account online and request a copy of your account statement to be faxed or mailed.
Can you deduct a specific invoice from your Prepayment Credit Plan? Current invoices for periodical subscriptions (and standing orders if so required) are automatically deducted from the Early Payment Account. Invoices for backfiles or replacement volumes or issues are not automatically deducted, but the library may feel free to request that such invoices are also applied to the account.
What is HARRASSOWITZ policy on cancellation of serials? HARRASSOWITZ will accept cancellations at any time, and these are processed immediately upon receipt. In all cases, we try to negotiate the cancellation to be effective according to the instructions from the library. However, it is eventually the publisher's decision as to when cancellations can be effected. Most publishers will only accept cancellations for periodical subscriptions for the end of the calendar or subscription year.
Does HARRASSOWITZ have a cancellation deadline? Publishers have various cancellation deadlines for subscriptions. In order to guarantee that a cancellation will be accepted, it should be submitted as early as possible, ideally prior to September 1st. But HARRASSOWITZ will attempt to negotiate any cancellation submitted later and will report the publisher's decision to the library. If a library transfers subscriptions away from the agency, it can be expected that this is brought to the attention of the agency at the same time or best even before the transfer is undertaken.
Continuations may be cancelled at any time. However, if a volume or part has already been received in the Wiesbaden office, or is en route to the library when the cancellation is received, the cancellation will take effect with the next volume or part.
Can we send electronic claims for serials to HARRASSOWITZ? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ accepts electronic claims through OttoSerials, our online management system for periodicals and standing orders. Otto Serials supports claims for all formats, including electronic journals with customized screens for each format. OttoSerials includes the functions of modifying claims, marking a claim as resolved, and resubmitting a claim. Transactional correspondence for each claim can also be viewed in OttoSerials.
Libraries are actually encouraged to claim via OttoSerials since it means that claims are processed automatically in real time. HARRASSOWITZ also accepts e-mail claims sent to service@harrassowitz.de as well as electronic claims in various standard and proprietary formats. See ILS interfaces for detailed information about electronic claims processed through specific integrated library systems.
What management reports does HARRASSOWITZ offer? HARRASSOWITZ has a whole range of management reports to help libraries with the administration of periodical subscriptions and standing orders:
Periodical and standing order holding lists for any library account, union holding listings for libraries that have entered cooperative schemes with other institutions, billing status reports for the current subscription year, service charge and claiming activity analyses, publisher format options for periodicals, electronic resources management service lines, multiple year price comparisons, etc. Complete information on the HARRASSOWITZ management reports.
What is the fastest way for me to obtain a list of the journals that my library has with HARRASSOWITZ? This is the IBOOL (Immediate Basic On Order List) for periodicals. This report is requested online on OttoSerials and is provided within 15 minutes to your desktop. It arrives as an Excel spreadsheet and covers complete information on the journals on record for the library including publisher, title, ISSN (for online and for print), format, frequency, customer codes and account numbers, library order numbers and fund codes.
Does HARRASSOWITZ provide service on electronic journals? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ provides a wide range of acquisitions support to libraries for electronic journals. Access is organized through the publishers domain and by partnering with leading aggregators and e-service providers.
Access, price, and licensing information on individual e-journals and packages is available to HARRASSOWITZ customers through OttoSerials. Please consult the OttoSerials User Guide. For an overall view of the HARRASSOWITZ service lines for electronic resources review the information collected and bundled in our HERMIS 4.0 services: HARRASSOWITZ Electronic Resources Management and Information Solutions.
What is licensing policy? Licensing policy is a list of requirements that must be met before a licensing contract can be signed. There are library requirements that must be met in a license and there are publisher requirements that they ask libraries to observe. Both parties have set standard licenses which they bring to the negotiating phase. HARRASSOWITZ offers its services as a mediator in such negotiations.
Will publishers accept changes to their licensing agreements if the standard license is unacceptable to the library? Whom should the library contact about requesting changes to the publishers' license? Many publishers are flexible about making changes to their licenses. HARRASSOWITZ suggests that the library sends any requests for changes to service@harrassowitz.de. HARRASSOWITZ will inquire with the publisher and present the lbirary's stand. The results will be reported to the library.
Does every publisher require a signed license agreement for the online version of a journal? Not every publisher requires a signed license agreement. Some simply assume that the library agrees to their terms when they activate the publishers' journals. If this is the case, the library deals with a click through license. It means that the library accepts the publishers' terms and conditions when registering for online access. If the terms and conditions cannot be accepted, further negotiations are required.
Where can I find the publishers' license requirements for a particular journal? Many publisher licenses are available on the publishers' website through a link from the title display in OttoSerials, the HARRASSOWITZ online management database for serials and standing orders. If there is no link in OttoSerials, the publishers' website should be consulted. If the library has difficulties locating the license, we suggest to contact service@harrassowitz.de and will obtain the information for the library.
I have already signed a licensing agreement for this publisher. I want to add another title from the publisher now. Do I need to sign a new licensing agreement? Most of the publishers simply send an addendum or amendment to be signed. The addendum lists the journals to be added to the already existing license.
Who should sign the licensing agreement? Each library needs to decide who has the legal authority to do so.
How do I get to know about electronic options for a given journal? HARRASSOWITZ provides its management report LOOP (Library Order and Options for Periodicals) that represents a holding list of the journals that the library has on order and identifies all versions and variants that the publishers offer for their journals, such as print, print plus online, with online either free of charge or furnished against a fee, and online only. The LOOP can include URLs linking to the journal's homepage, the journal's content page, the journal's activation page and the publisher homepage.
Standing Orders:
What is the range of the HARRASSOWITZ Standing Order service? HARRASSOWITZ standing order services include the supply of monographic series, works in parts, terminal sets and loose-leaf publications in all languages and all formats, from all European countries.
Supply of standing orders originating from countries outside of Europe is negotiated with libraries individually.
Can electronic book collections be placed on standing order? Yes, e-book packages are furnished on a standing order basis. HARRASSOWITZ offers to engage in the annual renegotiations and arranges for the renewed access.
Do you provide online access for standing orders? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ provides acquisitions support to libraries for electronic standing order titles. Access is organized through the publisher's domain and through partnering with leading aggregators and electronic data providers.
What can OttoSerials do for my standing orders? OttoSerials, the HARRASSOWITZ online management system for periodicals and standing orders, is available free of charge to all HARRASSOWITZ customers for selecting, ordering and claiming activities. Its functions extend to checking and verifying standing orders, their publishers, publication status, and format options. Claiming via OttoSerials means automatic claiming with the publishers in real time. Management reports can be ordered online via OttoSerials. The corresponding bibliographical information on title level for monographic series, multivolume sets and works in parts is available in OttoEditions, the HARRASSOWITZ online management system for books and music scores.
Can we send electronic orders for standing orders? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ accepts e-mail orders sent to service@harrassowitz.de.
Do you send confirmation for new standing orders placed? Yes, there is an automatic confirmation for new standing orders via e-mail when an appropriate e-mail address is provided, or the confirmation is provided by a paper report. Large scale transfers of standing orders are confirmed by updated holdings list such as the COOL, Continuations on Order List, after all orders have been processed.
Are standing orders shipped directly from the publisher to the library? Standing orders are not drop shipped because the HARRASSOWITZ Standing Order Department wishes to maintain utmost control over the materials shipped. The department has over many decades built a database of all volumes supplied on standing order. This permits system-generated duplication control against titles supplied on standing order earlier, on firm orders, or on approval plans.
Can we send electronic claims for standing orders to HARRASSOWITZ? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ accepts e-mail claims sent to service@harrassowitz.de. HARRASSOWITZ also accepts electronic claims in various standard and proprietary formats.
Do you send revised editions of standing order volumes automatically? Revised editions are only sent automatically when the original edition is so old that it is outdated, or when we know that there have been extensive changes or revisions. For volumes with minor revisions an offer with full bibliographic details will be sent and the volume be shipped only after the library's confirmation.
What is HARRASSOWITZ policy on cancellation of standing orders? HARRASSOWITZ will accept cancellations at any time, and these are processed immediately upon receipt.
Some publishers have identified multivolume sets such as encyclopedias or work editions as non-cancellable, and if this is so, the library is informed accordingly. In many such cases, however, cancellations can be negotiated with the publishers individually if the library budget requires such drastic action.
If a volume or part has already been received in the Wiesbaden office, or is en route to the library when the cancellation is received, the cancellation will take effect with the next volume or part.
Do you supply MARC 21 records for standing orders? Yes, we do supply MARC 21 for monographic standing orders with embedded order data. For details, please contact service@harrassowitz.de.
Do you supply EDIFACT invoices for standing orders? Yes, EDIFACT invoices can be supplied on the series level.
Monographs:
Do you send confirmation of all orders? We send automatic confirmation for orders received electronically. As to orders received in a print format, it is assumed that either a status report or the material would be supplied within a short period of time after the order was placed. Given the relatively low average cost per monographic title, it is not cost effective to provide individual confirmations for monographic orders. Confirmations are supplied for new standing orders and subscriptions.
Can we send electronic orders for books? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ accepts e-mail orders sent to service@harrassowitz.de. HARRASSOWITZ also accepts EDIFACT and electronic orders in various standard and proprietary formats.
Do you provide your customers with an online ordering and management system for monographs? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ customers have free access to OttoEditions, our online management system for monographs and music scores. For registration please go to our website, click on OttoEditions and the registration page. Fill in the data of your institution and e-mail the page to us. Confirmation of access to OttoEditions will be confirmed by return of mail.
Is HARRASSOWITZ ISBN 13 compatible? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ is ISBN 13 compatible. All 10-digit ISBNs have been converted to 13-digit ISBNs, but the 10-digit versions have been kept to allow quick identification of earlier imprints for duplication checks and retrospective collection development functions.
Do you search for OP books? Yes, we do out-of-print searches for books from the German cultural area (Germany, Austria, Switzerland). Titles published in other countries are more likely to be found by second hand dealers in the countries of publication.
Libraries may specify a period of time and a price limit within which we may send the title without a prior quotation. We recommend this approach because we stand a much better chance of acquiring materials, particularly materials in the lower price range, if we do not have to wait for confirmation.
Does it cost extra to send a title to us RUSH? No. If you request a title RUSH, we fax or phone the order to the publisher as soon as we get the order, and when it comes in, we process and ship it immediately, without letting it wait for the next consolidated shipment to the library. All material goes to North America via UPS.
If you need a book via express delivery, this is available on request, and you would have to pay the cost for express delivery. Please note express delivery can sometimes cost more than the actual material being supplied.
Can you supply publications from...? HARRASSOWITZ supplies European monographic and serial publications in all formats, regardless of whether they are published or produced by international publishers with multi-locations (such as Springer Verlag, Elsevier, Kluwer, etc.), or whether they originate from publishers working solely out of continental Europe (including Eastern Europe) and Great Britain.
How long does it take to get publications from Europe? This depends on the country of the publication, the type of publisher, the availability of the item, and the type of order. With our expedited shipping services to North American libraries, the shipping time is usually only 7-10 days. Shipping times to other parts of the world vary, depending upon whether air or surface delivery has been arranged.
Obtaining the materials from the publishers, consolidation of shipments and invoicing requires an average of 10-14 days, for currently available publications from Germany. For publications from other parts of Western Europe this can take from 3-5 weeks. Publications from societies, specialized institutions or government bodies, as well as those from Eastern and Southern European countries may take 2-4 months to procure. Rush orders are given special handling.
Do you supply audio material? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ supplies CDs, DVDs, Videos and Audio-books from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Audio materials from other countries can often also be provided. Please inquire with service@harrassowitz.de or submit a trial order.
Can you supply e-books? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ is in a position to supply e-books, individual titles as well as e-book packages. Please inquire with service@harrassowitz.de or send us a trial order.
Is a specific title available? How much does it cost? We generally do not keep material in stock, but order from the publishers in response to orders received from libraries. Therefore, if the item is in print, and the publisher sells to booksellers, we can provide it.
Price quotes are provided for monographs as well as multi-volume sets and large print and CD-ROM items. Prices can also be checked in OttoEditions, our online management system for monographs. In general, we recommend that the library places an order with an estimated price because of the time involved in checking with the publisher for price quotes and the additional time for reporting to the library and subsequent order placement. If the price is significantly higher than the estimated price on the order, we will send a quote before supplying.
Do you have an automated claim routine with publishers? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ has installed an automated claim system with claiming activities timed according to type of publication and country of origin.
Can you supply notifications by e-mail? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ offers an electronic alert service by which notifications are sent by e-mail.
Can you supply a list of outstanding orders? Yes, a list of outstanding orders is available to our customers at any time.
Can you supply expenditure reports for firm orders? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ can supply statistical information on expenditures incurred by the library for monographic purchases at any time for any given period of time. If expenditure reports are needed for monographs (or for standing orders and subscriptions) please contact service@harrassowitz.de.
May we return a book to the North American Library Services office? No, this would delay the transaction and add to the cost. All returns should be sent to the Wiesbaden, Germany, office:
For first class mail, use the following address:
OTTO HARRASSOWITZ GmbH & Co. KG
Booksellers & Subscription Agents
65174 Wiesbaden
Germany
For packages, use the following address:
OTTO HARRASSOWITZ GmbH & Co. KG
Booksellers & Subscription Agents
Kreuzberger Ring 7b-d
65205 Wiesbaden
Germany
Music Scores:
Do you supply music scores from …? HARRASSOWITZ supplies music scores from most parts of the world, all of Europe, Asia and Oceania. Music scores from North America are included in the service as contacts are being established with music publishers in the United States and Canada.
Do you supply rental material? No. For music scores rental material our customers are expected to contact the publishing house directly.
Do you supply audio material? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ supplies CDs and DVDs produced in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and beyond. Please inquire with service@harrassowitz.de or send us a trial order.
Do you supply catalogs for selecting music? The bibliographical information that HARRASSOWITZ used to supply by way of catalogs in the past is now provided by the HARRASSOWITZ New Title Announcement Program and online in OttoEditions, the HARRASSOWITZ online management system for books and music scores. Libraries are encouraged to use OttoEditions for selecting, since it provides an integrated ordering workflow including data uploading in the library acquisitions system. OttoEditions provides information on close to 400,000 scores. Information on music series and sets of composers' complete works is contained in OttoSerials, the HARRASSOWITZ online management system for serials and standing orders.
The former HARRASSOWITZ music catalogs are available to our customers on our website. Please inquire for your password, in case of interest. The catalogs, such as the Composers' Collected Editions from Europe, Monuments of Music from Europe, Music Facsimiles, Thematic Indices, etc. are provided in the last edition that had been distributed several years ago. These catalogs still contain valid bibliographical information but prices are outdated and newer titles are not included. These are listed in OttoEditions.
How are music scores priced? Music scores are supplied at publishers' list price. Any special price reductions offered by the publisher are passed on to our customers. When publishers offer no agency discount, we add a moderate service charge to the price of the score to cover the cost of procurement.
Do you handle approval plans for music materials? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ offers an approval plan for music scores. Detailed information on a music score approval profile is available.
An approval plan for music books is likewise offered. Detailed information on a music book approval profile is available.
Do you send out announcements for new music scores? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ has an alerting service for newly published music scores. The service is offered in printed form through notification slips or electronically by e-mail. Please inquire about the detailed profile for print or electronic forms for music scores with service@harrassowitz.de.
How is a New Title Announcement Service handled for Music Scores? We have special arrangements (nova contracts) with music publishers on an international basis, and are automatically supplied with new music scores which are then cataloged and included in the New Title Announcement Program. It therefore extends to all of Europe, includes music scores published in Asia, Oceania, and other countries in which music publishing has gained importance recently. North American music is covered on a selective basis.
Which titles are automatically excluded from the New Title Announcement Program? Excluded are series and sets that are on standing order with HARRASSOWITZ for the respective library. Also excluded are series and sets that the library may have determined for exclusion, as well as titles that are already on firm order or have been processed and invoiced for the respective library.
How can we reduce the number of slips/forms?
by specifying exclusions of various categories of publications as defined by the HARRASSOWITZ non-subject parameters
by specifying exclusions of various instruments/instrumentation
by specifying exclusions of contemporary composers as defined by the HARRASSOWITZ composers list
by defining geographical restrictions (exclusion of countries)
by defining publisher exclusions
by setting up a publisher based new title announcement program restricted to a smaller number of publishers
Do you provide second hand and out of print scores? No, HARRASSOWITZ does not search for out of print or second hand scores. Such a service is offered for out of print music books.
Approval Plans for Books:
Does HARRASSOWITZ offer approval plans? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ offers a number of approval plans: The German Book Approval plan for new publications originating from the German speaking countries: Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the German Belles Lettres approval plan, and the approval plan for English language publications from the Continental European countries.
What is the Belles Lettres approval plan? The Belles Lettres approval plan covers new literary works of authors writing in the German language. The Belles Lettres approval plans are based on lists of contemporary living authors. There is a comprehensive, a selective, and a core list of authors offered to suit various levels of collection intensity of libraries interested in maintaining a collection of contemporary German literary texts.
How do I obtain profiling information for the HARRASSOWITZ approval plan? The profiles for the HARRASSOWITZ approval plans are available on request. Please see the options for the approval plan subject and non-subject parameters Request a Service Document . Once an approval plan has been established, a short version of the profile can be viewed in OttoEditions, the HARRASSOWITZ online management system for books and music scores.
Can one make changes easily for existing approval plan profiles? Yes, the HARRASSOWITZ approval plans are very flexible arrangements. Customers may view a short version of their profiles in OttoEditions or can ask for a printed copy of the detailed version. Please contact service@harrassowitz.de.
Any changes desired should be communicated by e-mail. HARRASSOWITZ will make the adjustments and confirm these by return of mail.
How individualized is the HARRASSOWITZ approval program? May the library specify highly special areas of interest for inclusion in the plan? Yes, this is possible. The HARRASSOWITZ subject parameters usually serve as starting point for formulating and defining an approval plan. But HARRASSOWITZ is open to include any special areas of interest that the libraries may have and that go beyond the more general subject profile definitions.
How are international publications and publications with several places of publication handled? HARRASSOWITZ includes all international publications in the approval plan that are of German, Austrian or Swiss origin, but the arrangement is flexible. Libraries can define international imprints in their profile.
How is the situation handled, when the same title is distributed by different publishers in different countries? This is specified in detail in the choices outlined in the approval plan profile where libraries can define how to handle such parallel publications.
How are translations handled? Translations from the major West European languages are not included in the approval plan except when it is a translation into English. Translations into English are always part of the approval plan. Included are translations from the manuscript in which case the title is only available in German but not in the original language of the manuscript.
Can selection for the approval plan be adapted to the specific interest level of the library? HARRASSOWITZ offers various ranges of selection intensity for the approval plan by identifying selection levels such as comprehensive, selective, representative for each of the subjects covered by the approval plan. For details and pertinent price projections please inquire with service@harrassowitz.de.
How are the French and Italian parts of Switzerland handled on the HARRASSOWITZ approval plan? They are included in the overall HARRASSOWITZ approval plan. But the library has the choice to exclude publications from the French and Italian parts of Switzerland for their approval plan.
Is the German approval plan restricted to German language publications? No, HARRASSOWITZ covers all relevant publications on the German book approval plan regardless of the language in which they are published. But the library is free to exclude specific languages by way of their profile instructions.
Is there a price limit for approval plan books? Yes, the library is free to identify a limit per title and set for the approval plan or for specific subjects within the approval plan.
How are monographs and series handled on the approval plan? Monographs in series are included in the HARRASSOWITZ approval plan and are selected according to their merits as monographic item. Of course, if a standing order is on record for the library, the titles in that series are automatically excluded from the approval plan. The library is free to set up a standing order for the monographic series or to let HARRASSOWITZ select relevant volumes published in the series on an individual basis.
How are multivolume sets handled on the approval plan? Works in parts and multivolume sets are covered by the approval plan. The HARRASSOWITZ selectors include the first volume published of the set in the approval plan and shall continue to supply subsequent volumes on approval if the first volume supplied has not been returned and if the library has not set up a standing order for the set. In the latter case the set or multivolume work will be supplied through the HARRASSOWITZ Standing Order Department. Or the library may exclude subsequent volumes of a set from the approval plan and receive announcements of such volumes by way of selection forms for volume by volume firm ordering.
Do we have to worry about duplication with other orders placed with HARRASSOWITZ? No, HARRASSOWITZ has a well functioning system of duplication control. Any titles that the library has already ordered from HARRASSOWITZ either on standing order or by way of monographic firm orders are automatically suppressed from the approval plans.
Are there any special features for managing an approval plan with HARRASSOWITZ? HARRASSOWITZ invites the library to identify a financial ceiling for the approval plan. Such information can help to provide a selection that is in tune with the individual expectations of the library.
There are expenditure reports furnished for any approval plan on a schedule defined by the library, i.e. monthly, quarterly, annually, etc.
Title lists of materials supplied on the approval plan are available upon request. So are lists of titles returned.
Can titles supplied on approval plan be returned? Yes, there is a return privilege built into any HARRASSOWITZ approval plan. Approval books may be returned within a three month period after receipt. We ask that the return is documented by way of a copy of our HARRASSOWITZ Book Approval Return Memorandum on which invoice number, date and the reason for return are indicated. This helps to avoid further shipments of unneeded materials. Obviously, the target is to keep returns as low as possible, in the interest of both parties.
How do I get to know about titles not selected on the approval plan? Every approval plan with HARRASSOWITZ is supplemented by new title announcements. Titles that are not eligible for supply on the approval plan due to non-subject parameters, e.g. titles beyond the price limit, revised editions, reprints, etc. as well as any titles that the HARRASSOWITZ selectors think should be left to the collecting decision of the librarians are covered by the new title announcements and are only included in the approval plan once confirmation to do so has been received by the library.
Can the library ask that specific titles be included in the approval plan? Yes, any title will be included in the approval plan upon a request received from the library via e-mail or OttoEditions (check "add to approval plan").
Does HARRASSOWITZ provide cataloging services? HARRASSOWITZ provides working records in the MARC 21 format for all approval plan titles. The records provide descriptive cataloging but without authority control and without subject cataloging. This service is free of charge. HARRASSOWITZ is currently exploring the possibility of making full cataloging available.
New Title Announcement Services for Books:
Which countries of publication are covered by the New Title Announcement Program? The new title announcement program covers the research publications and literary texts from the German language area, i.e. the countries Germany, Austria and Switzerland regardless of language and subject.
The new title announcement program also covers German and English language titles from all of the other Continental European countries, including Middle and Eastern Europe. Bilingual titles are likewise included if one of the languages is English.
What are the sources for the titles in the New Title Announcement Program? All of the titles that we have in hand and evaluate for the German book approval plan are included in the new title announcement program. These represent ca. 60% of all titles in the program. About 40% of the titles are taken from publishers' brochures and announcements and from various European national bibliographies.
Are all titles announced already published? The large majority of titles announced by the HARRASSOWITZ selection forms is published at the time the forms are distributed. A smaller share of those titles from publishers prepublication announcements are not yet published.
Which titles are automatically excluded from the New Title Announcement Program? Excluded are series and sets that are on standing order with HARRASSOWITZ for the respective library. Also excluded are series and sets that the library may have determined for exclusion, as well as titles that are already on firm order or have been processed and invoiced for the respective library.
How can we reduce the number of slips/forms?
by specifying exclusions of various categories of publications as defined by the HARRASSOWITZ non-subject parameters
by defining geographical restrictions (exclusion of countries)
by defining language restrictions
by defining publisher exclusions
by setting up a publisher based new title announcement program restricted to a smaller number of publishers
by excluding American and Canadian imprints
by excluding forms of series, annuals and multivolume sets
How do I know about the HARRASSOWITZ non-subject parameters? The list of non-subject parameters is available to interested libraries just as are the subject parameters for the HARRASSOWIITZ approval plan.
Why does it happen that libraries receive slips from OH classification groups that they did not mark on their new title announcement profile? Some books are of an interdisciplinary nature and are, therefore, given several subject classifications. The first classification assigned by HARRASSOWITZ is not necessarily the one which was marked in the library's subject outline, but there should be at least one subject identified on this form for the respective publication that is covered by the customer's profile.
Is it possible to exclude subjects from OH classification groups, e.g. to exclude Archaeology from the group Archaeology, Art and Architecture (05.01.3)? No, this is possible for the approval plan only, not for the selection forms.
Is it possible to receive a backfile of announcements for certain subjects? Yes, libraries may ask for backfiles going back to the imprint year 1986 for any subject they wish to review.
Is it possible to get new title announcements based on an authors' list set up by the customer? Yes, but for texts only, not for criticism.
Is there a charge for electronic or paper new title announcements? No, both services are free of charge.
Is it possible to receive statistics about the new title announcement programs? Yes, there is data available for the number of forms distributed per subject and year.
Is it possible to receive new title announcements electronically? Yes, HARRASSOWITZ offers new title announcements by e-mail, so-called E-slips. At the moment only a text e-mail version is offered. A new option to have the electronic records transmitted in PDF will be announced very shortly.
New title announcement files are offered electronically via FTP in the MARC 21 format. Contact service@harrassowitz.de for further information. The library may also view the titles offered on new title announcements online in OttoEditions, the HARRASSOWITZ online management system for books and music scores. OttoEditions is password protected and requires online user registration.
What is OCLC WorldCat Selection and is HARRASSOWITZ involved? WorldCat Selection is a new service of OCLC intended to streamline the library selection and ordering processes for new titles. Library selectors will be able to view new titles provided by multiple vendors in one comprehensive system: multiple vendors – one view!
HARRASSOWITZ participates in the WorldCat Selection services and feeds MARC 21 records into WorldCat including library and selector designators that correspond to the library's HARRASSOWITZ new title announcement profile. Libraries interested in having new title announcements entered into WorldCat Selection contact service@harrassowitz.de.
For more detailed information on any of our services or products please Request a Service Document , or contact service@harrassowitz.de.