Heather,

While I understand the frustration you describe, keep in mind that just
because the catalog says the issue was checked in does NOT mean it's
actually on the shelf.  With some systems, the screen showing receipts
doesn't actually correspond to what might be checked out (if you allow
periodicals to circulate); so all it tells you is that at one time the
library had it, but it's anyone's guess where it is now (could be checked
out, could be at the bindery, could be on a study carrel, could be stolen,
etc.).  Even if you have a system where the screen showing receipts also
shows circulation status, there's still no guarantee it's on the shelf.

Kim
_______________________________________
Kim Maxwell
Serials Acquisitions Librarian
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
MIT Libraries, Room 14E-210
77 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
phone: 1-617-253-7028
fax:   1-617-253-2464
email: kmaxwell@mit.edu

At 10:02 AM 8/5/2004 -0500, you wrote:
>As a recently graduated grad student, I have to applaud your answer here, Max.
>
>The university I attended did NOT check-in serials and it meant that I
>(and other students and faculty) never really knew what the library had
>available.  The university is primarily a commuter school and it was very
>frustrating to look at the online catalog from home, see that the library
>subscribed to most of the journals needed, and then drive 30 minutes to go
>to the library and find out that almost all of the issues needed were
>missing.  It was extremely frustrating.
>
>
>Heather Cannon
>Serials & Electronic Collections Librarian
>Loyola University Health Sciences Library
>708-216-5302
>hcannon@lumc.edu
>
> >>> MShenk@MC3.EDU 08/04/04 12:34PM >>>
>"A little inaccuracy, disorder and instability are not always bad."
>
>????!!!!
>
>Try telling this to a student who has a paper due, who cannot get
>online access, and who needs an article in a missing journal NOW.
>
>The main reason we continue to check in is so that there's a record of
>our library's periodicals holdings for our students and other patrons.
>Other secondary considerations (knowing what to claim, knowing if there
>are missing issues come bindery time, etc) all serve that main
>objective: having the materials available for students when they need
>them, and letting them know if an item is (or isn't) available, and in
>what form.
>
>I could be wrong, but isn't that why we're here?
>
>Max Shenk
>Periodicals Assistant
>Montgomery County Community College Library
>Blue Bell, PA