When you assign a classification number to a periodical, you assign
it to the title, not to individual volumes or issues. Usually the
item records for the bound volumes (or the checkin record or holdings
record or whatever kind of record your system uses to keep track of
the issues) is attached to that bib record. There should be someplace
you can insert a classification number that will display on your
screen for the periodical title. If your system requires that call
numbers have to be in each item record, and will not display a
bib-level call number, then perhaps there some kind of "rapid update"
function which makes it relatively easy to insert a field into a
group of item records, so you would not have to type that call number
into the record for each volume.

Or, if your system does not have that, then take a look at the
display in your public catalog. Usually people will not be looking at
the record for an individual volume of a periodical. They will be
viewing the record for the title. Usually the holdings record will
show first, before the list of all the bound volumes, and perhaps the
call number can display from that.

How it shows up on the screen to the user depends on the system, but
regardless of whether each volume has a classification number, you
are classifying the entire title. You just don't have to print labels
so the bound volumes won't require any work.

Pat Thompson

At 10:04 AM 3/10/2009, you wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>
>
>Our periodicals are currently on open shelves and are arranged by title.
>We are in the process of building an automated storage and retrieval
>system (ASRS) that will house all of our bound periodicals. We were
>planning on classifying the currently received print periodicals to
>create a periodicals reading area that would be browsable by subject. We
>were not planning on classifying the bound volumes.
>
>
>
>However, one of our public services librarians is now proposing that all
>of the periodicals be classified for the library catalog (we wouldn't
>print labels because the ASRS will not physically house the materials by
>call number). Her argument for doing this project is that if most of the
>materials are in closed stacks, users will browse virtually by call
>number in the catalog.  If the noncurrent periodicals are not classified
>they will not be included in this virtual browsing.  I have some doubts
>as to the real benefits of this project.  My experience with browsing
>has been that users either want to know what's current (browsing current
>periodical issues) or are browsing for something they can pull off the
>shelf and check out (books, DVDs, etc.).  I am not sure that users are
>interested in browsing bound periodical volumes.  They typically have a
>citation in hand when they need to get their hands on a bound
>periodical.
>
>
>
>I would like to know if any libraries out there have either done this or
>considered doing this (classifying periodicals prior to moving to closed
>stacks or remote storage) within the last five years.  If you did so, do
>you feel like the benefits were worth the cost of the project?  Thanks.
>
>
>
>Buddy Pennington
>
>Serial Acquisitions Librarian
>
>University of Missouri - Kansas City
>
>800 East 51st Street
>
>Kansas City, MO  64110
>
>Phone: 816-235-1548
>
>Fax: 816-333-5584
>
>Email: penningtonb@umkc.edu
>
>
>
>UMKC University Libraries: Discovery. Knowledge. Empowerment.
>
>

Patricia R. Thompson
Assistant University Librarian for Resource Management Services
duPont Library
University of the South
Sewanee, TN 37383
931-598-1657
pthompso@sewanee.edu