-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: Canceling fiche
Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2002 09:28:31 -0700
From: Pat Meyer <pmeyer@NU.EDU>

Susan,

UMI does offer backfiles which you can purchase at anytime.  We have
frequently
picked up backfiles to fill gaps, replace some of our more pesky paper
holdings
(you know, the ones that require lots of shelf maintenance, etc.), or
extend
holdings further back.   Often backfiles are cheaper than the current
year.
It's a pretty simple process.  I've ordered online, by phone and by
e-mail.  A
good place to start is researching availablity and pricing for your
specific
titles at:  http://wwwlib.umi.com/sim/gateway

Another aspect you might want to consider:

At NU, we seem to be headed toward using microforms for our "archives",
because
so many titles are only available fulltext online for limited periods
(e.g. the
current and last 4 years, which drop the oldest year when a new one is
added).
However the online indexing and abstracts are still available for the
older
issues and hundreds of additional titles that are not offered in
fulltext.

I suspect you are getting Academic Search Elite through EBSCO.  Here's a
snippet
from their database description at their website:
http://www.epnet.com/database.html#af

       full text for nearly 1,560 journals with many dating back
       to 1990
       abstracts and indexing for nearly 2,750 scholarly journals
       with many dating back to 1984

You might want to review a sampling of your titles to see if this is a
concern
for your library.

Good Luck!  This is an evolving issue for almost all of us.

Pat Meyer
Serials Specialist
National University Library
9393 Lightwave Avenue
San Diego,  CA  92123-1447
pmeyer@nu.edu
voice (858) 541-7917
toll free (866) NU-ACCESS ext.7917
fax (858) 541-7997

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: canceling fiche
   Date: Wed, 17 Apr 2002 10:07:14 -0500
   From: Susan C Shelly <susancs@GOSHEN.EDU>

Does anyone know the inner workings of microforms producers who could
advise me on the wisdom of canceling our titles that are full-text on
Academic Search Elite (ASE), with the thinking that if ASE drops the
title (or if we drop ASE), we could request the missing or back issues
formerly covered by ASE, on microfiche?

We are suggesting that our departments cancel fiche subscriptions to
titles now available FT on-line not just in JSTOR and Project MUSE but
also in databases such as Academic Search Elite (ASE).  This is a
calculated risk, since titles can come and go from ASE but the titles
involved are heavily used, such as Scientific American.  Further,  we
are telling ourselves that if we decide we need the fiche format later,
we can order it up from UMI.  Thus my question:  How hard is it to get
past issues on microform if you need to re-subscribe and want to fill in
gaps?  I am guessing that UMI,  or whatever they call themselves this
week, would be able to whip out past issues of a title to do this, but I
have a vague recollection of someone saying it isn't that
easy--microforms sources don't necessarily do that, especially just for
one request, etc.

Sue S.

*******************************
Susan C. Shelly
Librarian, Serials and Services
Good Library
GOSHEN COLLEGE
1700 South Main Street
Goshen, Indiana 46526
574.535.7637