>Our Science Librarian would like to have the online "exact"
  >publication date used, which will mean that we must look-up the title
  >each time a new issue is received.  We will also be hand-writing the
  >exact date on the issues.  What are others doing?

I may be an old grouch, but if the exact date is no longer being provided on the piece, and people will presumably cite by the information on the printed issue (assuming they're reading the print instead of the online), why bother.  I'd say to him/her that if it is so important to look up and handwrite the data on the issue, then the Science Librarian is free to do so.  I'm quite sure you have better things to do that actually make a difference in service. If they want to be really "professional" and "fancy" they could actually print out a label with the date on it, which would be much more readable than the handwritten date.

What do your catalogers say?  How are you handling it on your checkin system?

I'm a total public service person, but there are limits to what you can do for public service, assuming the public even cares about this.

And of course the most important question is: if you're getting it online, why in the world are you still getting paper?

dan

Lord, I never complain, never ask why, but please don't let my dream run dry
dan@riverofdata.com
Dan Lester, Boise, Idaho, USA