---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1993 13:38:50 -0500
From: Mary Youmans <YOUMANS%WCUVAX1.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: Journal security

Our periodical collection basically serves an undergraduate population of
5,000, graduate population of 1,000 and faculty of 350--all figures are
guesstimates.

Our periodical collection has diminished to 2200 titles.  We probably "strip"
90% of current issues.  Decisions are made for each title and the check-in
card or pc is coded for stripping all issues (bind titles), odd numbered issues
(most microfilm titles and weekly publications which have low usage), or none
(D-1 titles, ephemerals).  All bound volumes are treated as they return from
the bindery even though there may have been individual strips in each issue
when it was received.

We have a part time employee from the local sheltered workshop who has done
our stripping for ten years.

There is nothing quite as satisfying as having someone rip out an article and
get caught because the security strip was on those pages.  We once had an
embarassing "catch"--wife of local politician pulled posters from INSTRUCTOR
and was caught as she left the building.

Mary Youmans, Serials Librarian
Hunter Library, Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC 28723
704 227-7155
YOUMANS@WCUVAX1.BITNET