6 messages, 145 lines:
-------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1992 13:13:00 EDT
From: Steve Murden <SMURDEN@VCUVAX.BITNET>
Subject: librarian who keeps professional journals
Regarding librarians who do not return routed library journals. The obvious
solution would be for someone to bite the bullet and actually speak to the
individual. After all, the behavior shows a certain amount of disrespect for
colleagues. If that is not a realistic approach (after all, it might be the
director), you might try our approach. We do not route any library subscrip-
tions. Unless you have duplicates (and who can afford those any more?), rout-
ing journals deprives the patrons of access to the materials. Our journals
are available to everyone in the current periodicals room as soon as they are
checked-in. Those who are really interested will make the time to regularly
seek out titles of interest. I think it also can tell you what you really
_want_ to read, rather than what someone else has decided you really
_ought_ to read.
Steve Murden
Va. Commonwealth University
smurden@vcuvax.bitnet
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1992 10:34:22 PST
From: Maggie Freed <mwfreed@PHAD.HSC.USC.EDU>
Subject: librarian who keeps professional journals
How about putting her last on the route list!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* Maggie Freed 213/342-1973 (voice) *
* aka Margaret Wineburgh-Freed 213/221-1235 (fax) *
* Norris Medical Library mwfreed@phad.hsc.usc.edu *
* University of Southern California *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1992 10:28:22 PST
From: Mark Braden <marker%cheshire.oxy.edu@SDSC.BITNET>
Subject: librarian who keeps professional journals
I behave something like that packrat colleague, but am not sympathetic to your
colleague's inertia. Hence, if she does this, and if the rest of you feel like
you don't want to bell the cat, then find some passive/aggressive techniques
("I hear there's an article in the latest LQ that would help me save a million
dollars on the bindery budget--do you have that issue? Mind if I dig through
your pile? Got a shovel?").
Sadly, the best technique *may* be the hardest--just tell her, and be willing
to ask her for issues when you honestly need one.
If discussion ever does arise about this, you can suggest to/demand of
her that she send items along that she won't read immediately. Here at
Occidental, as long as my line in the routing slip is empty (i.e., no
initial), it comes back to me at some point. So when I get a big pile
in my office, I ship anything back into the mailboxes which has not
been seen by others. My colleagues get to see the stuff, and anything
that I really want to see comes back to me ("ah, that 1968 issue of
Library Journal--here it is again, that old friend!")
Good luck.
--Mark
Mark E. Braden Internet: marker@oxy.edu
Social Sciences Librarian
Occidental College Library "Decency is not a tourist attraction."
1600 Campus Road Garrison Keillor
Los Angeles, California 90041
(213) 259-2668
These are my own views.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1992 13:46:00 CST
From: Jim Mumm <9724MUMMJ@VMS.CSD.MU.EDU>
Subject: librarian who keeps professional journals
If the problem is that the journals do not get beyond the offending
librarian's desk when they are being routed, the solution is to put
that librarian at the bottom of the routing list and inform everyone
that materials are to be routed in the order of the list.
If the problem is that this person takes journals off of the shelf
and keeps them, the solution may be a little more tricky. One idea
might be to make a general statement to everyone that materials are
to be returned to the shelf in a timely fashion. Another idea might
be to require that everyone check out any material that goes to their
desks.
Another approach would be to simply confront the offending librarian
and explain that other people need to see the material. This may be
the hardest approach, but nobody ever said that life would always be
easy.
I hope the problem works itself out, and I think I will apply for
Ann Landers' job.
Jim Mumm
Acquisitions / Serials Librarian
Marquette University Law Library
9724mummj@vms.csd.mu.edu
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1992 16:16:56 -0500
From: "SUZANNE ELLISON, LIBRARY, MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY,
EXT. 7434" <sellison@KEAN.UCS.MUN.CA>
Subject: librarian who keeps professional journals
Does she subscribe to SERIALST? Perhaps she's seen it and is already
cured. The University Librarian is the worst offender in this library
and he admits it. He has requested no one send him the journal until
everyone else has seen it. Do you have a routing list attached to
each journal? How about rearranging the order of the names?
Suzanne Ellison
Memorial University
of Newfoundland
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 5 Mar 1992 12:31:15 -0800
From: Cynthia Clark <CCLARK@UCI.BITNET>
Subject: Re: librarian who keeps professional journals
We had the same problem here at UCI. Several years ago we began routing
tables of content pages only, instead of the actual journal issues. Every
1-2 years, we ask all the librarians to choose the titles that they are
most interested in reading out of all those that we currently receive.
Each title that gets 10 or more votes is included on our tables of content
routing and flagged in our automated system. When each issue is received,
a student photocopies the appropriate page and once a week distributes
the collected pages to defined groups of librarians (by department or
physical proximity). This has worked pretty well for us and reduced the
disappearance of the journals. We still have a few problems with librarians
forgetting to return issues that they "borrowed for a short time" from the
Current Periodicals Room.
Cynthia Clark
Head of the Serials Dept.
UC Irvine
(715) 856-7221
cclark@orion.oac.uci.edu
