Like you, the two libraries I worked at had a "discard" file sitting at the
check-in station.  This seemed to be quite a anomoly with everything else
moving towards automation.  Luckily, I didn't have to deal with NOTIS's
serials system.  SC350, being an interfaced system, allows for the serials
staff to decide which records will appear in the online catalog and which will
not.  So, we've set up short bibs in SC350, with information on the check-in
screen to discard the troublesome issues.  The issue information does not
transfer to the OPAC, and we've been able to get rid of the discard lists.
Not all is rosy; we still have to decide whether its worth putting a title
on the system, and when disk space crunches come (as they invariably do!),
I've doubted the wisdom of "cluttering" up the system with discard records.
Still, they don't take up much space, and since they have a status of "not
checked in", they don't appear in lists generated by the system (assuming we
provide a boolean "not" in the search strategy).

James Huesmann
Serials Librarian
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
huesmann@uwlax.bitnet
huesmann@lax.wisc.edu