Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1992 17:31:00 LCL
From: SULLP <SULLP.ILS@MHS.UNC.EDU>
Subject: RE: Library school serials in

I am about to graduate from Library School and thought I would put my two
cents worth in about this issue.  Last summer, a serials course was offered
here at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill for the first time.
Before that, Chapel Hill was very much like Bob Persing's description of
Simmons.  Serials cataloging is taught for one or two sessions in the
"Advanced Cataloging" class, and for two or three sessions in the
"Administration of Technical Services" course.

Marcia Tuttle, Serials Librarian here at Chapel Hill, taught a two-and-half
week course called "Serials Management" which she will also teach this
summer.  The class quickly filled, as you can imagine, and I am sure she is
having no trouble attracting students again this year.  There are hopes
that it might one day be a regular part of the curriculum, instead of a
"Special Topics" course taught only once or twice.

Marcia was very thorough and covered prices, relations with publishers,
vendors, other library depts., cancellations, etc.  She brought in speakers
to give other perspectives, such as one of our Bibliographers, a publishing
representative, a serials cataloger, and a vendor.  It was a great class
and I am very glad I took it, as was everyone else.

I wish this type of course could be made a part of every curriculum.  I do
not understand Bob Persing's statement "I don't think a whole course on
serials would fit into the Simmons program."  How can one of the most
important facets of the library NOT fit into the curriculum?

I count myself fortunate for the experiences I have been able to take
advantage of.  Since September, I have been the Serials Cataloging Graduate
Assistant and I worked on my master's project in the Serials Dept.  Before
coming to Library School, I was sure I wanted to be a cataloger.  Now that
I know that such a thing as SERIALS cataloging exists, I can't imaging
being a monographic (yuk) cataloger.
I am sure that I would not have developed an interest in Serials without
that assistantship and Marcia's class.  Serials really just are not talked
about that much in Library School.

Paula Sullenger
Soon-to-be Serials Cataloger at Auburn University