To: Serialst
From: Joyce Ann Tracy <bm.aap@rlg.bitnet>
Subject: shelving
The American Antiquarian Society is a rare book research library
specializing in American history and collecting materials printed
before 1877 for the most part in the United States, Canada and the
Englishg
English-speaking Caribbean nations, and British periodicals printed
before the mid-nineteeth century.  It subscribes to currently
published periodicals in Americana, Canadiana, genealogy, printing
and publishing history and to journals from local, state and
national historical associations from the United States and
Canada. The Society has its own idiosyncratic classification
system and closed stacks and does not circulate any materials
except positive microfilm it might own.  Its periodicals are shelved
in various ways and invarious areas. Genealogy, local, state history
journals and those from learned societies are classified and shelved
with those collections.  The remaining periodicals are divided by
size and shelved on one floor in the periodicals section or on the
two floors of newspapers.  The periodicals area is divided into PR
for octavos and PRQ for folios and within these divisions are
shelved by title.  Periodicals in a newspaper format are shelved
alphabetically by state, town and title as are all newspapers.  The
Society differentiates among newspapers, periodicals and other
serials quite strictly when cataloging them and deciding where to
shelve them.