We have had a similar system for tracking use of items in our current periodicals area.  We have a looseleaf notebook which lists every title to be found on our current periodicals display.  Each has a barcode attached to a dummy item record which acts as a deposit for recorded use.  IW

I.  Woodward
Serials Office
Colgate University Libraries
Case Library and Geyer Center for Information Technology
13 Oak Drive
Hamilton, N.Y. 13346
Ph.:   315-228-7306
Fax:   315-228-7029

Half the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm -- but the harm does not interest them. Or they do not see it, or they justify it because they are absorbed in the endless struggle to think well of themselves. -  T.S. Eliot

-----Original Message-----
From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Virginia Lingle
Sent: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 3:00 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [SERIALST] Tracking usage of non-circulating periodicals

Hi Rochelle,
For our unbound issues that do not circulate, we have a single barcode record in the system for that journal title that says "current issues". For each journal title, the barcode is attached to a title card in a rolodex file at our circulation desk.  We have signs around the library saying do not reshelve books and journals when using them, and then several times a day, we collect the issues and books that have been used, and then for unbound issues, we enter an in-house use in our ILS system using the barcode at the circulation desk.  It's not 100% percent accurate, but it does give us some statistics.
Hope this helps.
Gin Lingle

Virginia A. Lingle, M.S.L.S., AHIP
Librarian for Collection Access and Development George T. Harrell Library - H127 Penn State University College of Medicine Milton S. Hershey Medical Center 500 University Drive Hershey, PA  17033 val3@psu.edu
717-531-8581 (voice)
717-531-8636 (fax)

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>>> Rochelle Van Erem <rochelle.vanerem@SNC.EDU> 11/12/2008 2:28 PM >>>
        At my institution, we do not circulate our journals and they are not
        barcoded. Could someone provide some ways to track usage?
        We are considering the idea of wrapping them in paper and then
        counting
        broken seals at a later date; has anyone tried that method?

        It sounds messy. Could someone suggest something better?

        Thanks,

        Rochelle Van Erem
        Serials
        St. Norbert College Library
        100 Grant Street
        De Pere, WI 54115 USA
        phone (920) 403-3270
        fax (920) 403-4079

--

Thanks,

Rochelle Van Erem
Serials Specialist
St. Norbert College Library
100 Grant Street
De Pere, WI  54115 USA
phone (920) 403-3270
fax (920) 403-4079