---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 6 Apr 2001 13:03:08 -0800
From: Kay Teel <kteel@sulmail.stanford.edu>
Subject: Summary of responses: OPAC holdings for dead serial runs

Here is the summary of responses for my questions regarding
holdings information for dead (included cancelled,
etc.) serials. The 12 responding libraries included a law
library, a health sciences library, a rare books library, a
governmental library specializing in the earth sciences, and
several academic libraries. Numbers refer to the number of
responses.

1. When you converted your historically dead serials for
the OPAC, did you convert item-level information from the
Kardex?

No: 5
Yes: 3
Yes, at the volume level: 4
No, but converted holdings using Level 4 MARC Holdings: 2
Mixed: 2
The mixed responses were:
1-yes for annuals and irregulars, no for periodicals
1-summary holdings given for everything, and recent issues
barcoded during conversion

2. [...] did you throw away your Kardex, and now the
item-level information is inaccessible, or did you keep
your Kardex for this information?

Threw away Kardex (or other manual check-in system): 2
Plan to throw it away: 2
Kept: 7

3. [...] how has not having item-level information impacted
your institution and patrons?

No impact: 3
Very little impact: 1

4. Do you house dead serial runs in remote storage
facilities, and if so, do you have an item-level inventory
of serial holdings shelved there?

Do not use remote storage: 5
Use remote storage: 7
Notes:
Of those who use remote storage, 4 libraries barcode each
volume sent to storage, and create item records. One
library creates barcoded volumes "on the fly" as they are
retrieved and circulated. One library uses Level 4 holdings
and does not barcode, as serials do not circulate.

5. When you receive a gift of a dead serial, do you keep
track of the individual items?

Yes: 7
Notes:
One library only adds complete volumes, which are bound
immediately. They discard individual issues received as a
gift. One library creates an item record for individual
issues if they are unheld and the serial title is in the
database. One library creates summary holdings with an item
inventory. One library itemizes completed serials unless
they are periodicals.

6. If so, is it through a manual system, through barcoded
items, through online check-in, or--?

Barcode bound volumes: 4
Barcode items: 2
Online check-in: 2
Barcode issues and link these to the bib: 1
Give detailed MARC holdings: 1

7. Do you create MARC Holdings for your dead serials, and
if so, at what Level (Summary, Level 3, or Level 4)? Is
this Level different than for your current, active serial
holdings?

Level 4 for everything: 5
Level 3 for everything: 1
Level 3 for dead serials, Level 4 for active titles: 3
Summary holdings for everything: 1
Level 3 unless run is incomplete, then Level 4 (for both
dead and active titles): 1
Summary holdings for periodicals, itemized holdings for
annuals and irregulars: 1

9. Any additional advice, thoughts, comments?

Comments:
"Administration had to be convinced that we should do as
much itemization as we do.  They are not terribly
supportive of efforts to do more, particularly for
non-current material.  It's rather difficult even to do a
proper Level 4 summary holding to Z39.71 standards if you
can't check the item itself.   When technology catches up
so that we have item-level hooks to holdings from indexes,
there may be more general interest, though how we would
ever find the staff is uncertain."

"If curators/bibliographers are buying issues of dead
serials, you have to give holdings to the issue."

"Hang onto the Kardex for as long as you can.  Space saving
is just not that important as compared to the richness of
information contained in those painstakingly gathered
manual records.  However, when all of the current item
level information and complete summary holdings for each
title have been recorded online, I feel it's time to think
about letting the file go."

"Our system works very well.  Librarians and patrons easily
locate our dead and gift serials.  I think having the
luxury of discarding incomplete gifts has helped a lot.  We
converted our serials in 1988 and kept the kardex for a
couple of years as a safety net.  One day the staff
realized that they never checked it anymore and we got
rid of it the next day."

I want to thank everyone who responded! This has been very
helpful to us, and your responses will help inform our
decisions.

----------------------
Kay Teel
Serials Catalog Librarian
Stanford University Libraries
kteel@stanford.edu