Seeking the 99% chemistry library: Extending the serial collection through the use of decentralized document delivery

Libraries are successfully seeking, developing, and testing new ways to broaden their collections with materials that are neither cataloged nor stored for anticipated need. Instead, these acquisitions are purchased on demand, ordered and received online, by fax or overnight mail, and delivered to the requestor. At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Chemistry Library, a document delivery project was established to study how this type of acquisition could be mainstreamed into everyday collection development as a traditional user service. A 6 1/2-month pilot project was conducted that provided free document delivery for articles, patents, and conference proceedings, which were available through the Chemical Abstracts Document Delivery Service, a commercial vendor. This pilot study tested the feasibility of decentralized document delivery in a branch library; a follow-up questionnaire was used to gauge user response to the service. Data from the study were also used to evaluate the serials collection and previous serial cancellation decisions. Results showed the decentralized document delivery service (DDS) was a cost-effective way to extend the serials collection; the user survey results showed a high level of user satisfaction associated with the service.     

Boundary Spanners and Serials Deselection

Periodic serials deselection projects are an economic necessity, especially for academic libraries that serve predominantly undergraduate institutions. The dialogue between teaching faculty and librarians accompanying the serials deselection process may be an important learning experience for both, especially if thc library uses subject specialist librarians as "boundary-spanners," a concept explored in the essay. Nonetheless, even the most skillfully conducted cancellation program will reduce a library's ability to support scholarship and impair the working relationship bctween the library and its teaching faculty.     

Evaluating Students' Serials Needs:

Even with the coming of the virtual library, selecting and deselecting serials remains a critical task. College librarians are in a particulary favorable position to evaluate students' serials needs. To help decide what methods work best and to help college library staff assume a leadership role in serials collection management, the authors compared four different methods for gauging need for titles. If defining need broadly, then bibliographies of students' projects or student surveys, not collection use studies, provide the most comprehensive evaluation.     

Citations and Citation Metrics in a Serial Assessment Using Master's Theses

We analyzed serial citations in 72 marine biology master's theses as well as the ranking data of aquatic science serials from six global serial citation metrics, to assess serial use by marine biology graduate students from two perspectives. From 1,035 unique serials, a core of 123 titles was identified and evaluated for access. Citation ages averaged 13.5 years, with 27% of serial citations dated prior to 1996. Students cited serials from disciplines beyond marine biology, demonstrating broad title dispersion compared to several other studies. Recommendations are offered for future investigation to develop a stronger understanding of graduate students’ use of the library's serial collection.