I would like to get an idea of how other libraries have handled the conversion
of retrospective manual check-in records/holdings.

We have always had a summarized holdings statement (a non-standard level 3
type) in our online records, but check-in has been done using manual records,
therefore we only have detailed holdings in manual form. The expectation has
been that once we start online check-in we would not maintain manual records,
and that we would eventually get rid of them. The question is what do we do
about the online holdings statement. One option is to summarize retrospective
holdings, get rid of manual records and tell people that we have whatever is
on the shelf unless it has been checked out. This approach is quite unpopular
with our Public Services and Collections staff, and understandably so. We
would try to provide detailed holdings for currently received materials.

The other approach is to gradually convert manual holdings and provide
detailed holdings. (Gradual would probably mean the rest of my professional
career, i.e., 25 - 30 years if I live that long) Getting all of our holdings
converted in detail would take a very long time. It has many implications for
staffing, other units in the Library, workflow, maintenance of manual as well
as online records, and generally seems to be the less desirable approach, at
least from the Technical Services point of view.

How have the rest of you coped with this problem? We have approximately 30,000
serials in the collection, of those about half are active. In addition to
check-in of all currently received serials including gov. docs. and many
monographic series, we also do the serials cataloguing, processing, barcoding
of non-periodicals, and we input all of our records and changes into NOTIS.
The Unit consists of 6 1/2 support staff and one librarian (me).

If any of you out there have relevant documentation which you would be willing
to share, I would appreciate seeing it.  My fax number is 604 592-3084.
Thanks.

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Elena Romaniuk
University of Victoria, McPherson Library
Victoria, B.C., Canada
(604) 721-8261     BITNET: ENGIN@UVVM     Internet:  ENGIN@UVVM.UVic.CA