I just started doing serials in July of this year, and I am using Access
for everything.  When I started, serials information was scattered across
several lists and files (mostly print) and I wanted a good way to
centralize all of that information.  I have a serials master database that
contains tables for invoices and subscriptions, collection information
(retention schedules and formats, special notes about giving away
superceded information, titles that we do not subscribe to or that are
gifts, etc.), holdings information (this was on a print list.  We are
gearing up to put it into our system), and claims.  I think it is great.
For example, today I was asked to come up with the various costs of
journals for our academic departments.  One table contains the departments
who use a certain journal. Another table has the subscription information
(including costs for print and fiche and then total cost for the title).
I can run a query that will link those two tables and print out the
journals, departments, and costs for those journals.  I cannot imagine how
hard that would be without Access.

Also, you can easily store the data in the computer for the future.
Imagine running the above report for the past five years.  With Access it
is a cinch!

If you have any specific questions, let me know.  You also might want to
contact your vendor.  We use Faxon, and they can run reports for us
showing the titles we subscribe to and when and how much we paid for them.
They also have a new service called Subscription Depot that will let you
look at all of this information via their website.  I just got my password
and I'm like a kid with a new toy!

Buddy Pennington
Acquisitions/Serials Librarian
Rockhurst University Greenlease Library
buddy.pennington@rockhurst.edu
#816-501-4143
<buddy.pennington@ROCKHURST.EDU>

-----Original Message-----
From: Stefanie DuBose [mailto:DUBOSES@MAIL.ECU.EDU]
Sent: Monday, January 10, 2000 11:03 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Serials payment schedule

Hi everyone,

I have recently starting working with serials at East Carolina University
and have been asked to come up with a serials payment schedule to see what
we pay to whom and when we can expect it.  I am new to serials and have
been told, and think, that MS Access might be the best bet for handling
this. Has anyone done this or have ideas?

Thanks,

Stefanie DuBose
Assistant Collection Development Librarian
Joyner Library
East Carolina University
252-328-2598
duboses@mail.ecu.edu