---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 13 Nov 2000 13:49:07 -0600
From: tracey delillo <tdelillo@FALCON.TAMUCC.EDU>
Subject: database holdings

Hi all,

a while back, I had solicited opinions on the best way to format a
Periodicals Holdings List.  I received a full range of responses;  some
folks advocated eliminating print PHL's entirely, in favor of patrons
relying on the online catalog.  at the other extreme, MANY people felt
that a comprehensive PHL listing all paper, microfilm, and electronic
(full text online) holdings was the best way to go, despite the problems
with keeping database info up-to-date.  at my library, we eventually
decided upon a quasi-comprehensive PHL - including all information, but
placing the electronic holdings in a separate section that could be
removed and replaced as necessary.  now that I have gotten to this point,
however, i realize what an ugly ugly process accumulating all the holdings
information from the online resources is.  I originally thought that
"jake" would make it easy, but I soon realized that while jake will list
all the journal TITLES from a particular aggregator, it does not list them
with detailed holdings information.  only by searching title by title can
i get that data.

so here's my question (finally):
am i overlooking a feature in jake that will provide me with the
information i need in an efficient fashion?  and, if not, is there another
resource that provides this information?  and, if not, has anyone found
useful source lists within aggregators that i could use for this project?
I am most concerned with Lexis/Nexis, Science Direct, IDEAL, JStor,
Project Muse... and possibly ABI Inform and Periodicals Abstracts, which
we get as OVID databases.  Adding to the confusion are varying "packages"
within aggregators (such as the "Johns Hopkins Press" package in Muse)
that make all-access source lists useless.

thanks for letting me rant, and thanks in advance for any suggestions for
how to tackle my problem.

-Tracey

Tracey DeLillo
Serials Librarian
Texas A&M, Corpus Christi