The Periodicals Perplex

The influence of the increased costs of periodicals on library budgets is well documented. What is not as well understood is the increased need for information in periodicals and its effect on public services. Providing access to the periodicals collection and to the contents of is complicated and labor intensive. Success in using the collection is highly dependent on the skill and understanding of the reference librarian and the determination of the patron to achieve results. A chart, "The Periodicals Perplex," illustrates the perplexing array of information a library user needs to assemble in order to access the contents of periodicals. The chart shows the mazelike relationship of eight levels of information that must be negotiated for success.