I look forward to seeing the article that Judith Hopkins mentioned, but
don't recall receiving that survey.  We did respond to a survey from
Gary Hyslop and Jim Segesta at Cal State Univ-Bakersfield in May 1989;
it was on arrangement of periodicals in college and university libraries.
Also, in May 1990, Elaine Rast, Northern Ill Univ, conducted a "survey
of the cataloging of journals in selected academic libraries".  She
presented the results in a NASIG workshop in June 1990 "Improving Physical
Access to Periodicals Collections: Cataloging and Management Considerations".
Glenda Thornton, Univ of North Tx, was the workshop co-leader and has since
done a survey on journal shelving.  As I recall from the discussion, it
seems that arrangement (title vs. classification) is closely related to
size; the cutoff point seemed to be about 3,000 titles.  Anyone out there
recall more details?
   At LSU, we shelve both bound volumes and current journals by call number.
We hold "the current year and two previous years" (presently 1989 to the
present) in our current area; this location and the retention period are
listed in our OPAC.  During the Dec-Jan intersession, the prior year is
shifted to the book stacks.  The only periodicals in title order are
our 150 high use controlled circulation titles held at the Serials  Desk.
It is time consuming to write call nos. in each piece during check in,
but the system is wildly popular with users, particularly grad students
and faculty.  (We have lots of student help and they do routine check in.
We have 15,000 total serials; 7,000 in the reading room.)
   This practice differs from UNC (where I was previously employed).
There, only unbound issues are shelved by title in the reading room; when
bound, volumes are shelved in the book stacks by classification.  An earlier
arrangement also held the bound volumes of high use titles in the reading
room, but that was changed with a move to a new building.  UNC has probably
18,000 active titles with only about 5,000 in the current reading room (more
branch libraries than LSU).
-- October Ivins, Head, Serials Services, Louisiana State Univ Libraries