One other point I'd make in this discussion is that just because an ILS
vendor says their system handles MARC21 for holdings, doesn't
necessarily mean it is truly and/or completely MARC21 for Holdings
*compliant*.  Is this a bad thing?  Not necessarily, in my view,
although there are some librarians out there who foam at the mouth about
the lack of MARC21 for holdings compliance with their systems.  Don't
get me started on that ;-)

Having stated that, I think the capability for MARC21 for holdings in an
ILS should be an important deciding factor when choosing a new ILS.
Another factor that's almost as important, in my view, is whether and/or
how well a vendor will succeed in correctly converting your existing
holdings into the new system.  One previous reply alluded to this.

I know these observations don't necessarily answer your specific
questions but I hope they will be of some help anyway.

Steve

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Steve Oberg
Electronic Resources Librarian &
  Assistant Professor
Taylor University
http://www.taylor.edu

Editor, Bits & Bytes Column, _Serials Review_
http://sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00987913

-----Original Message-----
From: Ellen Simmons [mailto:esimmons@UDALLAS.EDU]
Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2004 12:46 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [SERIALST] Questions on MARC for holdings

Dear SerialListers,

We are undergoing a process of selecting a new ILS system, and our
choice has narrowed to two: a system that supports MARC for holdings and
one that does not (as of yet).  We have made several site visits to
libraries using each system, but none of these libraries were utilizing
MARC for holdings even when their ILS system was capable of doing so.
In an effort to find out how strongly I should push for a system that
supports MARC for holdings, I would like to ask any of you out there who
do use MARC for holdings (and forgive my naivete'):

How do you utilize MARC for holdings?

What added value is there for your catalog?  for your staff in serials
processing?

Do you download publication patterns via MARC for holdings?

Does MARC for holdings affect OPAC display at all?

Please share any other thoughts or answers to questions I _should_ be
asking.  I feel very ill equipped to advocate strongly one way or
another when I just don't have a good handle on the purpose and function
of MARC for holdings for my library.

I appreciate very much your responses, and you can send them to me
rather than the list if you prefer.

Best regards,

Ellen Simmons
Periodicals Librarian
University of Dallas
William A. Blakley Library
1845 E. Northgate Drive
Irving, Texas 75062
Phone: 972 721-4130
Fax:  972 721-4010
email:  esimmons@udallas.edu