6 messages, 191 lines: (1)------------------- Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 13:54:44 -0400 From: Elyse Hayes <ehayes@icseminary.edu> Subject: RE: Print vs. online serials -- Jessica Orzechowski Jessica: You will probably hear from some experienced people that serials can disappear from those databases, and you have very little recourse. I think that is why libraries that can afford to, keep their print subscriptions for important titles. Elyse Hayes Seminary of the Immaculate Conception Huntington, NY (2)------------------- Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 11:56:30 -0500 From: "Lafferty, Cindy" <CLafferty@sf.edu> Subject: FW: Print vs. online serials -- Jessica Orzechowski Three issues to consider before deciding to cancel print: What happens when there is some kind of problem with the computers or the server making the databases inaccessible? With print, at least patrons can still browse, and if they already have a citation, they can make photocopies. What if the databases change the titles they have available in full text? What guarantee do you have that the title in question will continue to be available in the database? Also, databases generally do not include photos, charts, etc. that supplement the article. For some publications, these extras are vital. Art journals, for example, lose a lot if all you have access to is text. Cindy Lafferty Librarian Assistant University of Saint Francis CLafferty@sf.edu (260) 434-7454 (3)------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 11:48:59 -0500 From: "Larmore, Dustin" <dustin.larmore@dsu.edu> Subject: RE: Print vs. online serials -- Jessica Orzechowski Jessica, I hope that your institution is not canceling mission-critical periodicals simply because the title is availale in only one database. One of our rock-solid criteria here is that an electronic version of a journal that is needed for our curriculum MUST be in at least two databases from different companies before we cancel the print. We do not rely on one company to provide access to an important journal ad infinitum. Dustin Larmore (dustin.larmore@dsu.edu) Instructor and Technical Services Librarian Karl E. Mundt Library Dakota State University Madison, SD 57042-1799 Office: (605) 256-5204 FAX: (605) 256-5208 http://www.homepages.dsu.edu/larmored (4)------------------- Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 12:50:14 -0400 From: Mary Edwards <edwardme@aii.edu> Subject: RE: Print vs. online serials -- Jessica Orzechowski Jessica, Depending on the type of library and type of periodical, you may wish to have the print versions around for visual reasons. We're art-oriented and feel that there is obvious visual benefit to having many of our magazines around. However, I once worked in an academic medical library, and there was also benefit in having print available as well. Sometimes it is more difficult to see the fine details of a photograph or medical image online. It is also harder to "browse" an online periodical if that is desireable to your students. But, as always, content is definitely easier to obtain with a search engine! You still need to keep track of your subscriptions, online or not. There may be varying levels of access and lengths of time that you can access online periodicals (especially retrospectively), so someone still needs to keep track of that access. Links to periodicals change sometimes, so that needs to be maintained. I used to work for Dialog, and I know that periodicals come and go from database vendors fairly regularly. One needs to monitor that. There's all kinds of stuff that needs care and feeding! This could be a great opportunity for you to broaden your skills to become an Electronic Resources Librarian! A very marketable skill, indeed! So don't fear, just soak it up! Good luck! Mary Edwards Librarian Art Institute of California - Los Angeles 2900 31st Street Santa Monica, CA 90405 310-314-6154 edwardme@aii.edu (5)------------------- Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 09:57:25 -0700 From: "Dalene Hawthorne" <daleneh@stanford.edu> Subject: RE: Print vs. online serials -- Jessica Orzechowski >>From my perspective, I think the biggest issue out there about print vs. online serials is the issue of archiving electronic serials. There are efforts (like LOCKSS at Stanford) underway in various places to archive online serials, but it is all complicated by licensing issues which have to be worked out with publishers. I think my argument would be that print is the most secure method of providing archival access until electronic archiving issues are resolved. Who is handling access for your online serials? Maybe that's something you could become more involved in... Dalene <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> Dalene Hawthorne, Serials Librarian Serials Department Stanford University Libraries Stanford, CA 94305-6004; U.S.A. phone: +1-650-725-1122; fax: +1-650-723-4775 email: daleneh@stanford.edu http://library.stanford.edu/depts/ts/tsdepts/seracq/sa_depts/serials (6)----------------- Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 15:08:21 -0400 From: Werner Lind <wlind@mail.bluefield.edu> Subject: Re: Print vs. online serials -- Jessica Orzechowski Our small academic library is probably fairly comparable to yours (we have around 200 print subscriptions). If print titles which are available in full-text in any of our databases are very expensive (over $100.00), our policy is to cancel the print version. In those cases, however, we channel the savings back into new print subscriptions to titles which aren't so expensive. Online access is not a replacement for a solid print periodical collection. Unlike printed periodicals, online databases tend to be accessed in narrowly-focused searches; they do not lend themselves to cover-to-cover reading to keep abreast of current scholarship and new developments, trends, and issues, etc. Also, computer hardware and software is liable to frequent malfunctions, and students and faculty cannot be expected to put their research needs on hold until these are corrected. -- Werner A. Lind Assistant Library Director Easley Library/Bluefield College 3000 College Drive Bluefield, VA 24605 276-326-4269 http://www.bluefield.edu/library/ -----Original Message----- From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU]On Behalf Of SERIALST Moderator Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2003 12:28 PM To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU Subject: Print vs. online serials -- Jessica Orzechowski Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2003 11:07:12 -0400 From: "Jessica Orzechowski" <jess_ann4@hotmail.com> Subject: print vs. online Hi, I work for a small academic library as the periodicals supervisor. We subscribe to about 175 print periodicals as well as several on line databases. Every time a renewal for the print version comes up, I have to check if it's in one of the databases and if it is, my boss will frequently cancel the subscription. Which leaves me wondering if I'll have a job in a few years. If there's nothing to process they don't need me, right. So I was wondering if anyone else is in the same position. What are others doing in light of the increasing availability of online serials? I think we should keep at least some of our subscriptions in print, but what arguments can I use to convince my boss? Are there other facets of online access that I should know so I can implement myself more? Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks. Jessica Orzechowski