Thank you ALL for your suggestions.  I am considering each one carefully and
appreciate the help.  What a great list!

VAL

-----Original Message-----
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum
[mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU]On Behalf Of Steve Black
Sent: Thursday, January 23, 2003 9:27 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: Newcomer question

Val,

  A partial solution is the periodical index by subject heading that OCLC
can provide you (I'm assuming your holdings are in OCLC).

  But that won't answer the question, "What are all your [discipline]
periodicals?".  If you choose to make a discipline-area list separtate from
your online catalog, make it work for budgeting, too.  That is, if you need
to make departmental budget reports, set up your database or spreadsheet so
that you can create budget reports and create lists from the same file.
Avoid duplication of data in separate files if at all possible.  When
periodicals information is in separate files, you're forced to update
information with title changes, etc. in multiple places.

  If you can do it within DRA, your library system, all the better.  It
depends on the reporting capabilities in DRA, but you may be able to add the
information you need to make your reports in one of the local note fields in
your MARC records.  I have no experience with DRA, so I don't know what's
possible.

  If you're a glutton for punishment, another approach is to make lists of
titles you own for each of the bibliographic databases your library offers.
But those lists can be pretty volatile, so the care and feeding of the lists
can be overwhelming.  We use Serials Solutions to solve that problem, and
have been very happy with it.  However, it doesn't provide any subject
heading access--it just provides an up-to-date list of all the available
journals, online or in print.

Steve Black
Reference, Instruction, and Serials Librarian
Neil Hellman Library
The College of Saint Rose
392 Western Ave.
Albany, NY 12203
(518) 458-5494
blacks@mail.strose.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum
[mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU]On Behalf Of Valerie A. Lang
Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 4:00 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Newcomer question

Hello,

I am a relatively new periodicals librarian at Hudson Valley Community
College.  I would like to group our periodicals according to subject matter,
provide this list in hardcopy format (in a binder), and also via a link off
of our Library web page.

We have a very large, outdated binder titled "Periodicals:  Alphabetical by
Academic Division."  This will not work at this point; it is too outdated.
Our journals are physically arranged in the Library in alphabetical order,
so we really cannot base this prospective subject list of periodicals on the
arrangement of our collection.

Does anyone have experience with creating such a list - and any advice on
pitfalls to avoid, things that worked, etc.  Otherwise, I'll just start
plugging.......

Thanks!
VAL

Valerie A. Lang
Periodicals Librarian
HVCC
Troy, NY 12180
518.629.7319