This is my interpretation of the responses to my questions.

While there is an automated way to check for broken links, there is not currently an automated way to make sure we are getting actual article level access. Checking has to be done manually.

Some may differ on the importance or value of doing a title by title check, but most agree title by title access checking is a job for student employees. And when a problem is found, a skilled staff member or a librarian is needed to resolve the problem.

10-25% is about a normal error rate.

Thank you all for your input. I don�t know that I learned anything new but some times it is nice just to have confirmation.

Michael--- On Thu 11/29, Michael < michaellampley@MYWAY.COM > wrote:
From: Michael [mailto: michaellampley@MYWAY.COM]To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDUDate: Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:34:01 -0500Subject: [SERIALST] Online Work load vs PrintHi All, One of my practices as a Serials Librarian is to verify that online access to already purchased and activated journals remains activated and accessible at the article level. I evaluate e-journal titles hosted on any given publisher site but do not check those links to aggregator databases like Academic Search Complete and such. I make sure that what the publisher has turned on is within our holdings statements and that I can get article level access. I do this title by title because I don�t know of a robot or link checker that actually verifies that I am getting into an article not a table of contents, offer to buy the article, or some other non-article page.My practice is to generate a list of titles by publisher host site and then go through our OPAC clicking on links until I�ve viewed the oldest and newest
article I believe I should have access to. My best estimate is that 10 to 25 percent of titles have some kind of difficulty that requires my intervention.My questions are these: Is there a better way to make sure I have the access I am supposed to have? And if others do it the same way I do, is 10 to 25 percent your perception of the error rate? And finally, is it your opinion that this activity requires from non-librarian staff a higher skill level than troubleshooting print? Or, asked another way, is this something staff can do or should it be left to a librarian?Your thought will be appricated.Michael LampleySerials LibrarianTexas Christian UniversityTCU Box 29840002913 West Lowden St.Fort Worth, TX 76129817 257 6485_______________________________________________No banners. No pop-ups. No kidding.Make My Way your home on the Web - http://www.myway.com

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