Having been thoroughly confused by the previous messages, I sent Stephen Brasher (New Statesman Subscriber Services) the following:

        But the issues I have received are:

        Dec 13   4718
        Jan  1    4719/4720
        Jan 10    4721
        Jan 17    4722

        Why, then, is "Jan 10th actually 4722 and January 17th ... 4723"?  What issue am I missing that was supposed to be 4721?

He responded almost immediately with the following:

        From: Stephen Brasher [mailto:sbrasher@newstatesman.co.uk]
        Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2005 9:11 AM
        To: Lynne Weaver
        Subject: RE: Issue numbering

        Dear Lynne,

        Thanks for your e-mail.

        This is because I had assumed that the person who changes the issue numbers had done a double number for both Dec13th/20th (which should therefore be 4718/4719) and the double new year edition (which should be 4720/4721). But he hadn't thus confusing the issue even further.

        so the numbering after that should be:

        Jan 10th (4722)
        Jan 17th (4723)
        Jan 24th (4724)

        The last of these is the first in which the sequence has actually been corrected.

        Apologies once again for this. Not that it is any consolation but it has made my life a misery too.......

        best wishes,

        stephen brasher

Thanks, Stephen, for your prompt response.  We serials folk do like it when things make sense!

Lynne N. Weaver
Serials Coordinator
Lipscomb Library
Randolph-Macon Woman's College
2500 Rivermont Avenue
Lynchburg, VA  24503
434 947-8396
434 947-8134 (FAX)
lweaver@rmwc.edu