I hope we will see lots of replies to Birdie MacLennan's question
about serials departments' responsibilites and workflow.  Wasn't
there an issue of The Serials Librarian a few issues ago called
"The Good Serials Department"?  It had descriptions of quite a
few libraries.  In brief, the Serials Department at Western
Michigan University--which has just actually become the Acq. and
Serials Department--handles the usual orders, payments, checkin,
claims, but not cataloging;  on the other hand, while the Serials
Cataloger belongs to the Cataloging Dept., the Serials Dept. does
does a lot of related tasks--checking the merged serials records
reports on OCLC, all the maintenance of volume-holdings and item
records for serials records on NOTIS, etc.  Anyway, our variation
works about as well as most libraries' arrangements.  HOWEVER, we
are becoming more allied with the Public Services division.  We
will be initiating a Serials Information Desk, taking over re-
sponsibility for maintenance and service in the Current Per. area
and the Microfilm Area, being responsible for interpreting Info-
trac references and helping patrons find material in the "Mag-
azine Collection" and "Business Collection" on microfilm cart-
ridge. At the moment, public service is the name of the game,
and the only way to obtain new staff and equipment is to
enhance public service (in this library).

During the 1980's I felt that Tech. Services was the darling,
and anything that would help get the online catalog up was
high priority in several libraries where I worked.  Maybe
the pendulum is swinging back.

While I don't think that the 1.5 staff and the additional
student assistant money we'll be getting will compensate
for all the work involved in covering the new responsib-
ilities, I like to think that all serials' staff will be
more aware of user concerns.  And I think the users will
be getting excellent assistance.
  Marcie Kingsley
  Head, Acquisitions and Serials
  Western Michigan University