Automated Serials Control Systems A Selected Bibliography (1977 to 1984)

The following is a selected bibliography of recent literature dealing with automated serials control systems. The aim in compiling this bibliography was to (1) complement the papers presented at the 1984 Serials Roundtable. and (2) provide a broad overview of the subject, which in turn might serve as the foundation for an individual's own investigations.     

The Integrated Serials Department

Historically, serials departments have been organized in diverse ways. The integrated serials department arrangement, including all serials functions, facilitates bibliographic control, provides effective service to the library user and promotes better communication. This study maintains the need for the integrated central serials department, with the University of Oklahoma Libraries Serials Department used as an example. The conclusion is reached that the automation of serials reinforces the need for a separate serials department.     

UNIQUE IDENTIFIERS FOR SERIALS

A "shorthand" code system which would uniquely identify serials could speed library operations of ordering and checking in serials, and could facilitate retrieval of information on a worldwide basis, through computerized methods. Each serial would be represented by a brief but unique combination of letters and/or numbers. Four different code systems have been developed. Two of these systems are in growing use today: the CODEN, which are composed of six capital letters having mnemonic significance, and the ISSN (International Standard Serial Numbers), which consist of two groups of four digits each. This annotated bibliography encompasses both the criteria for an ideal code and the development of the existing codes.     

Off-Site Storage from a Cataloging Point of View

This article focuses on the challenges faced by the serials cataloging staff at Texas A&M University Libraries following a decision to move materials to an off-site storage facility. The process of cataloging review developed by serials cataloging staff to address these challenges is described in detail. More specifically, the process that deals with the preparation of the collections for off-site storage, with emphasis on the unique problems created by serials that have been cataloged under pre–Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second Edition (AACR2) rules is described.     

高校图书馆纸质报刊服务提升策略

当前,探讨纸质报刊服务仍有现实意义。本文分析了高校图书馆纸质期刊现状,指出读者利用呈递减现象,纸质期刊数量减少,专业杂志收藏较少。重点从给予读者订购纸质报刊权利,逐步增加纸质报刊种类,积极提供纸质报刊阅读推荐服务,提供短期外借服务等七个方面对普通高校图书馆纸质报刊服务提升给出了可行性建议。     

AUTOMATION OF SERIALS CHECK-IN

This paper discusses what "automation of serials" should mean. It should include the all important check-in function, which is complicated for various reasons. Administrators don't usually know that a central serials file is dynamite. After watching computers we have come to realize how efficient a manual system can be and why. A truly automated system does not yet exist, but there are some semi-automated operations. Since computerization is here to stay, this paper sounds a number of warnings, among them the specter of information inflation and bibliographic overkill. Yet in the future automated serials systems will be effective if they are on-line and comprehensive, including full claiming and binding control, and ideally the ability to write checks. Reasons are given to explain why NOTIS-3 is probably the best system now in operation, although apparently not yet cost effective. This paper ends with a discussion of costs. Good cost studies do not appear to exist; yet a computerized serials system should not cost more than a manual one.     

The Deactivation of OCLC's Serials Control System

This paper uses the literature to trace the history of OCLC's online Serials Control System (SCS), and it describes OCLC's plan to replace SCS with a stand-alone control system, SC350. Fifteen years of reports about SCS portray a system that never met all the needs of serials lbrarians. Reactions to replacement of SCS by SC350 emphasize the problems a library encounters when it changes from one serials control system to another. When considering such a change, a library should take the opportunity to re-examine its serials control needs and plan accordingly.     

Binding dilemma: Changing horses mid stream—Or why we stopped binding periodicals at HKBU

A review of print and print + online English serials conducted at Hong Kong Baptist University Library in 2006 revealed low usage of many print journals calling into question the age old practice of binding serials. With binding costs escalating, serials budgets being reduced, and libraries increasingly purchasing electronic titles, it was time to review current binding practices. On conclusion of the review, it was recommended that binding of more than 85% of serials cease and be replaced by the use of boxes and that usage statistics be reviewed annually with a view to effecting further reductions.     

Digital Information

Summary

“Sometimes the perfect solution is not an option” was the opening attention-grabber for this workshop. From different perspectives, a library director, a serials librarian, and a serials vendor each recognized a trend towards library directors becoming more directly involved in collection development and technical services decision-making. The presenters believe a number of factors are creating this trend, including tighter budgets but higher service expectations, increasing availability and importance of library materials in electronic formats, and their accompanying complexity, costs, and related issues. This interactive workshop explored several scenarios related to the changing roles of library directors, serials librarians and vendors.     

Access to Serials Collections in Four Nigerian Universities

Abstract

The author surveyed four university libraries in southwest Nigeria regarding access to their serials collections. It was found that in the libraries surveyed, undergraduates not in their final year often had at most limited access to the collections. This can be attributed to a variety of reasons including security and a lack of space; however, of more importance still is the fact that the collections are intended to cater mainly to researchers. In addition, it was found that the libraries usually provide open access to their serials collections, the collections are generally understaffed and suffer from a shortage of current, relvant journals.     

The Birth of a New Serials Database

While some bibliographic information on serial publications is abundant and available from various sources, many librarians want extensive and accurate serials data which is convenient for searching. This article describes the genesis and development of a new serials database and subsequent serials reference work.     

Publishing in Bosnia and Hercegovina

Abstract

The article contains several sections, the first of which covers publishing in Bosnia and Hercegovina (including the Muslim-Croat Federation and Republika Srpska) throughout history, focusing on the period 1945-1998. The second section is devoted to a review of recent publications, which are broken down into (1) newspapers and periodicals that appear more frequently than monthly, (2) serials analyzed by subject, (3) significant monographic publications, and (4) a brief survey of publishers and collections.     

Evolution of a processing system in a large biomedical library.

The processing system used in the UCLA Biomedical Library is modest in size and still under development. Its origins date back to a batch mode serials control system begun in the mid-1960s. This was converted to an on-line system which currently has modules for check-in, updating and retrieval, claims, bindery preparation, and invoice information. Titles can be retrieved at the terminal by search of any word in the title, by subject heading, language, country of publication, and type of publication. The system is adaptable to network use and at present is shared with one other library. To the serials system has been added a computer-assisted cataloging and card production system. The latter utilizes serials nucleus software as well as design for data input and data storage. In-house listings and coding procedures overlap in a general way. Work is under way on further integration of the two processing subsystems and a feasibility study has been completed for addition of a subsystem for acquisitions which will combine and adapt features of the other two; for example, information retrieval characteristics from both, catalog coding and programs for acceptance of data, serials programs for claims, and other output programs. Cost benefits of the subsystems are described and discussed.