About the United States Book Exchange

Policies and Procedures | Ordering | Returns | Donations | Privacy

The United States Book Exchange (USBE) is a 501.c3 nonprofit corporation that supplies back issues of scholarly periodicals, trade journals, popular magazines and other serials to libraries worldwide.

No hidden charges, assessments, or red tape when you use USBE for your periodicals needs. Every periodical USBE supplies is sent for the modest service charge of $10 for STARS Members or $20 for STRIPES Members. The Basic Membership (for Non Libraries) will provide quotes competitive with publisher and market pricing.

Issues ordered in error and cancelled or returned will be charged a Re-Stocking Fee of $5 per issue.

United States Book Exchange
2969 West 25th Street
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
216-241-6960
Fax: 216-241-6966
Email: usbe@usbe.com

 

USBE's Policies and Procedures
Membership Policies
The STARS Membership fee is $150. Join USBE as a STARS Member for $150; USBE will send your library a REBATE COUPON which your library may use on any one order for up to twenty free back issues. That's up to $200 of back issues off any one order!

Each back issue USBE supplies to STARS Members has a service charge of $10 each.

*Please Note : The REBATE COUPON may be used against only one order during the membership year and cannot be carried against subsequent orders.

STRIPES Members do not pay a Membership fee. Every issue supplied to a STRIPES Member is $20.

Basic Membership (for Non Libraries)
USBE will provide quotes competitive with publisher and market pricing.

Back Issue Policies
USBE charges per bibliographic issue.

Double Issues : In cases where publishers have assigned more than one number to an issue, you will be charged pro rata. If an issue is labeled "vol. 2#3/4", the price is $20 for STARS Members or $40 for STRIPES Members.

Complete Volumes
The minimum charge for complete volumes is $40 for STARS Members and $80 for STRIPES Members.

If a volume is complete in one, two or three numbers, it is charged at the minimum rate of $40 for STARS and $80 for STRIPES.

Annuals are charged $40 per number for STARS and $80 per number for STRIPES.

Ordering
Firm orders only! USBE does not quote availability. Our stock changes quickly and constantly.

Order online for fastest service! You can also order by fax or mail.

Orders must include : Institution name, Library name, Contact name, Street address, City, State and Zip.

Please indicate Back Issue title, volume and issue number. Corresponding years are not required.

For fastest service, please alphabetize your list, especially if hand written.

USBE does not accept phone orders.

Rush or Response Service
Same Day Rush Service is available.

Mark your order RUSH SERVICE! USBE will expedite your order and will charge an additional $5 per issue.

Need Confirmation?
The $5 surcharge per issue will also apply to all orders where the customer requests USBE confirm availability.

Shipping
USBE normally ships all orders within five business days of receipt.

USBE ships via UPS to all US addresses. International orders are shipped via UPS Expedited Service or USPS Surface (or USPS Global Priority).

An invoice along with a copy of your library's original order are included in all shipments.

USBE's terms are net 30 days. We appreciate your timely payment.

Payments
USBE accepts payments in the form of check, Mastercard and Visa for membership fees and all purchases.

Deposit Accounts
Deposit accounts may be established in any increment above $100. USBE will invoice your library for a deposit account or you may send a payment indicating it is a deposit for your library's account.

Returns
Orders are checked three times before shipment to eliminate errors. If USBE sends an issue in error, we will take it back and credit the library's account.

Issues ordered in error and cancelled or returned will be charged a Re-Stocking Fee of $5 per issue.

Donations
Disposing of surplus periodicals and books can be a librarian's nightmare. But with USBE, the problem of "what to do with the duplicates" is solved without clogging landfills or dumpsters!

Here's what we do: Since 1948, USBE, the world's largest clearing house for periodicals, has helped both donating libraries and recipients here and abroad. We accept current back issues and older ones as well. There's no limit as to how many you send or how frequently you make shipments. Many corporate, special, and other libraries regularly recycle their surplus through USBE; we hope you'll join the effort. Currently USBE processes over 10,000 incoming issues per week and has the capacity to handle many thousands more.

USBE makes it easy for libraries:

* Either send all of your duplicate and surplus periodicals, serials or books, without notifying us in advance. Your library pays only the shipping charges.

OR

* Send USBE a list of your duplicates. We'll make selections and provide directions for shipping. USBE will pay the shipping charges on the items we select.

In either case, your duplicates will be made available to all member libraries immediately. There are no limits or restrictions. And after members have had time to make selections from USBE's holdings, the remainder are put into the USBE Donational Program from which libraries with no back issues budgets may select at no charge except postage.

Please start gathering your unwanted items today and send them regularly to USBE. Feel free to contact us (216-241-6960) if you need help arranging transportation or if you'd like pre-addressed labels.

 

Due to shrinking storage space and lack of demand, USBE asks that you please do NOT send any of the following as donations to USBE:
JSTOR titles
Medical journal titles published prior to 2009
ALL Abstract titles

Journal titles prior to 2010 published by:
IEEE
American Chemical Society
Institute of Physics (IOP)
American Institute of Physics
Microfilm / Microfiche

 

We thank you for your help in this matter!

 

Privacy
Any information gathered on this Web site (membership, orders and email correspondence) is used for the sole purpose of servicing your request. USBE does not share this information with any third parties.

 

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usbe@usbe.com  Privacy Statement