Nancy,

Talking just about the bound periodicals, Kansas State Libraries has done it both ways.  Early in  my student years periodicals were interfiled with the books.  Then they were separated.  I started working here during the "separate" years.  It made sense to the staff, but students were always confused as it made one more location and quite often they had not written down a location, only a call number.  When they came to the desk or found staff in the library to ask our first question was "Is it a book or a periodical?" and of course they had no idea. 

We interfiled them again about 10 years later.  There are far fewer questions about finding them now.  Like Katy I have no facts to prove they get more use this way, but they are browse-able as part of the complete collection, rather than in some separate area that most students don't know about.

There were discussions when we changed to compact shelves about how the periodicals would fit into those, but we decided to keep the collection together and for the most part this isn't a problem.  (Art and Music titles can be problematic for compact shelving so that might be a consideration.)

-Mary

Mary E. Bailey
Continuing  Resources Librarian  
Kansas State University Libraries
Manhattan, KS 66506
redhead@k-state.edu
785 532-0678



From: "Katy Ginanni" <ksginanni@EMAIL.WCU.EDU>
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Sent: Tuesday, February 8, 2011 3:33:33 PM
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Periodicals inter-filed with Main Collection

Hi Nancy,

 

You do mean the bound periodicals, right?  And not the current, unbound issues?

 

At one of my previous libraries (a largish, state-supported comprehensive university), we did have bound periodicals interfiled in with the main collection, and we believed that they saw more use that way. But I don’t have any hard statistics, only anecdotal evidence. Plus, that was a looong time ago (late 80s into early 90s). I don’t know that they still do it that way.

 

At my last library (a small, private, liberal arts college; 2008-2010), the bound periodicals were separated, but we actually allowed them to circulate (though for much less time than books). And we believed that helped increase usage, too.

 

Hope you get plenty of responses!

 

Katy G.

 

 

 

Katy Ginanni, Collection Development Librarian

Hunter Library

Western Carolina University

176 Central Drive

Cullowhee, NC 28723

ksginanni@email.wcu.edu

828-227-3729 office

828-227-7380 fax

`Commit random acts of greeness everyday.

 

From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Nancy Bennett
Sent: Tuesday, February 08, 2011 4:10 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [SERIALST] Periodicals inter-filed with Main Collection

 

Hello all.

 

I am still fairly new to Serials (6 months) and my director has come up with an idea of inter-filing the print periodicals with our main collection.  They would still be non-circulating, but he feels that inter-filing them will increase usage because they will be more browseable.

 

What are the philosophical thoughts on having this set-up?  Pros and Cons?  Has anyone made this change and what did you learn?  Did it increase usage of the periodicals?  What would you have done differently?  What timeline did you have?  (He wants this done this summer, which seems unrealistic at best).

 

Any insights would be greatly appreciated.  You can contact me off-list if you wish and I can compile a summary for the list.

 

Thanks so much!

Nancy

 

Nancy A. Bennett

Electronic Resources & Systems Librarian

Carroll University Library

100 N. East Ave.

Waukesha, WI  53186

262-650-4886

nbennett@carrollu.edu