Dear John,

The library at NJ Historical Society in Newark, NJ still uses a
Cardex.  You can contact their director, Chad Leinaweaver, at
cleinaweaver@jerseyhistory.org .  The work you're doing is a good
lesson in why we shouldn't throw out earlier methods with the
bathwater!  Good luck with your very worthwhile project.

Lindsey Meyer
MLIS Candidate, Rutgers University
Lkmeyer@earthlink.net

-----Original Message-----
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum
[mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of John Lucas
Sent: Friday, November 05, 2004 11:30 AM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [SERIALST] Need expert advice from "Cardex" users or with
small stand alone check in modules

Hello Fellow Serialists:

Next year, our library will be hosting 3 librarians from Iraq, with
the purpose helping them get an idea of what is available to them with
the amount of connectivity they hope to have in the near future. As
they are starting from scratch, one of my immediate problems is to get
them started on a minimal, manual check in system for what journals
they do have and will be getting to start them off.  An ILS appears to
be a few years away.

I am referring to the 'visible card' or Cardex system as most know it.
I have worked in larger medical school libraries throughout my career
and have really no experience with this formalized system. Even this
would give them a sense of forward progress.

In my  P.F. (pre-fire) career, we used a very primitive index card
system, but I have had to dump those experiences due to insufficient
RAM and my current memory is none to reliable.

Now I know it is not 'rocket science' but I have some questions on how
some basic titles might be handled and how others might do it
differently. (ie.) Do you use check marks or write in the issue
numbers? What are the 'colored signals' used for, Claims and if so
how?  What parts of the card do you use, and what you ignore? And
things like that.

There still must be libraries, using this, or the library suppliers
would not have these products. I am looking for some libraries who are
willing to share their experience, and maybe their check in procedure
pages. (Gaylord, Demco and the others do not have instruction sheets,
so I guess that everyone should know how to use it to its fullest)

Also I thought at one time there were some small, stand alone serials
modules out there.  I have been unable to find them to date.  The
small "periodical manager" programs the library suppliers have seem to
be nothing more than an accession list. Even these might be currently
beyond their capability at the present but would be another interim
step towards an ILS system.

Any knowledge would be greatly appreciated.

John Lucas

Serials Librarian
University of Mississippi Medical Center
2500 North State St
Jackson, MS 39216-4505

(PH) (601) 984-1277
(FAX)  ( 601) 984-1262
JLUCAS@ROWLAND.UMSMED.EDU