The Athenæum decided, with great reservations, to put McSweeney’s in Special Collections. Their formats are just too variable and inhospitable for open stacks to do otherwise.

 

Regards,

 

Robert Kruse

N.E.H. Head of Technical Services

Boston Athenaeum

10 1/2 Beacon Street

Boston, MA 02108-3777

kruse@bostonathenaeum.org

tel: 617-720-7637

fax: 617-227-5266

www.bostonathenaeum.org

 

 

 

From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Bobby Reeves
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2011 12:44 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [SERIALST] What to do with old "issues" of McSweeney's Quarterly Concern?

 

Hello all,

I was wondering if anyone out there would mind sharing what you do with older issues of McSweeney's.  We've been subscribing for a couple of years and have, up to this point, put off making a decision on what to do with it long-term.  The most recently received issue is a flip-top box with multiple smaller pieces inside, some book-like, others not; and inventory control for each piece is kind daunting.  An earlier issue was formatted as a large newspaper.  (Those unfamiliar with the title can see all the creative manifestations here, assuming the link is semi-persistent: http://store.mcsweeneys.net/index.cfm/fuseaction/catalog.list/object_id/9772B00C-B37F-4915-88F8-8ED96E79EBF1/Journals.cfm).

Do libraries generally class these and put them in their general stacks?  Do they go to special collections for want of a way to secure them otherwise?  We've just been shelving them in our alphabetical current periodicals stacks until we decided whether or not we wanted to retain them for more than a few years, and, now it seems how we could store them might impact the retention decision.

Best,
Bobby


Robert K. Reeves
E-Resources Applications Administrator
American University Library
Washington, DC  20016
phone: 202.885.3167
email: reeves@american.edu