If your library acquired back runs of several hundred serials titles,
almost all of which are not bound, would you security strip each issue?
Most of these titles have runs from the 1970's to 2001.  ( I will only
keep titles which are not available in full text from our database
aggregators.) There will still be many, many titles left, and I am trying
to decide if I should security strip them. Security strips, apparently,
are expensive.  My inclination is to not security strip them.  I don't
think today's students will use these back years that much anyway.  Even
if they did, stripping them won't prevent issues from getting 'lost' in
the library, leaving gaps in our runs.

 We plan to hire students to cover prior library markings with our library
name, verify the holdings dates, then file the issues in boxes and put
them on the shelves. Of course, we will also need to shift our periodicals
to make room for the new ones. Plus our serials assistant will need to
update our holdings info in our OPAC and alert our cataloger that we need
a bib record for each new serial title.

P.S. - yes, these were security stripped by the previous library, but
their strips don't work with our system.

 I'd appreciate hearing what other librarians think.  Am I being cheap in
not wanting to security strip these things?

 Please reply to me:  pfazio@camdencc.edu

 If others are interested, I can forward a summary.

 Patricia Fazio
Collection Development Librarian
Wolverton Library
Camden County College
Blackwood, NJ 08012
(pfazio@camdencc.edu