In reply to Tjalda Belastock's query regarding how to count reference serials
use, at MIT we would affix "scan" labels to the front cover of issues as we
checked them in.  The "scan" label read:  "When you scan or use this title,
please cross of the next number below" and gave a string of numbers from 1 -
15.  By knowing the date which we processed a piece for reference, we could
therefore determine an approximate number of times it was used.  Obviously,
some users would miss this instruction.  However, if you inform people who
use your reference collection (including reference librarians) of the
importance of gathering use information via this mechanism, you get a
relatively accurate picture of use.  Reference titles are often among the
most expensive purchases for a library and should definitely be evaluated in
terms of their usefulness whenever possible.  Kate Herzog, University of New
York at Buffalo, Science and Engineering Library