Routing Journals 9 messages responding to Rosann Bazirjian's message of
April 21
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Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1993 08:15:55 -0400
From: Diane ALTIMARI <altimari@NOVAVAX.NOVA.EDU>
Subject: Re: Routing journals (Rosann Bazirjian)
Our routing slip advises that each person who is routed a journal, has
three days to return it to the library or forward it to the next person on
the list. We route one copy to a group of only four people. If there are
more than four people requesting a journal to be routed, we will usually
order a second copy.
Diane Altimari
altimari@novavax.nova.edu
Nova University Law Library
3305 College Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33314
(305)452-6216
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Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1993 08:24:47 EDT
From: Susan Davis <UNLSDB%UBVM.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: Routing journals (Rosann Bazirjian)
Our routing slip states "NOT TO BE HELD MORE THAN 3 WORKING DAYS." Ha!
Some collection development folks are pretty good at returning the
material promptly (usually when only one person is scanning the title).
However, the worst offenders are the library science titles sent to
collection development and our systems/director's office. When it comes
time to bind and there are no issues of CHOICE or only half the issues of
LIBRARY HI TECH in the public areas, we call or email those on the routing
list. Responses have ranged from apologetic to downright angry that we
would be bothering these "hallowed" folks for these issues. We have tried
to talk CD into their own copy of CHOICE, but it's too "expensive". They
did shorten the routing list for it, but our biggest offenders are the
ones remaining on it! These people seem to have no concern for the
"public" access for which these titles were purchased, or the expense in
staff time and replacement costs for tracking down these issues. We have
jokingly talked about publishing a list of "johns" on our library wide
email listserv, or sending out overdue notices (we're trying to buy a
microwave), but we feel completely frustrated because the routees just
don't seem to give a damn. Its another case of technical services petty
power plays, harrassing people who are too busy, too important or too self
absorbed to be cooperative. I wish you luck, Rosann, in establishing and
then ENFORCING any policies you may develop.
I guess today is sour grapes day, but my staff has better things to do
with their time than chase down delinquent journal issues or to be
treated rudely and with contempt by some of our librarians.
Susan Davis/Head, Periodicals
State University of NY at Buffalo
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Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1993 09:27:00 GMT
From: John Radencich, Library Cataloging Dept
<RADENCIC%SERVAX.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: Routing journals (Rosann Bazirjian)
We used to route any journal to any staff member who requested that
journal be routed to him/her. The note "Route to [name/s]" was posted on
the kardex record. After years of having all sorts of travel magazines,
fashion magazines, cooking magazines, etc. remaining away from public use
too long, we changed policy to only library science literature could be
routed. The criterion was any journal with a Z classification number. By
then the kardex was in its last days so we also used Wordstar to generate
routing slips unique to each journal, in which names requesting routing to
that journal were printed on the routing slip. Names were added or deleted
as necessary. It was extra work setting it up, but once set up, made rout-
ing more convenient and rational. However, that has since been changed.
Now, NOTHING is routed to staff. If they want a journal staff members go
to the shelves themselves or subscribe. (Too complicated to explain how
that policy came about, along with memory fade on the details, etc.)
John Radencich
Florida International University
Miami, Floridla 33199
RADENCIC@SERVAX.BITNET
RADENCIC@SERVAX.FIU.EDU
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Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1993 08:38:45 -0500
From: "Joe Edelen, University of South Dakota" <JEDELEN@CHARLIE.USD.EDU>
Subject: Re: Routing journals (Katherine Malmquist)
We started a Table of Contents routing service to our faculty about 3
years ago. It has proved to be very popular with about 1/4 of our total
faculty using it. This way we do not have complete issues going out of the
library. If the faculty wishes to read a complete article, they can come
to the lib rary, or, as some do, make a copy of have their TA or other
assistant come to the library and make a copy.
*****************************************************************************
** Joe Edelen I.D. Weeks Library **
** Bibliographic Control Librarian University of South Dakota **
** 605-677-6082 414 East Clark Street **
** 605-677-5488 (fax) Vermillion, SD 57069-2390 **
** Internet: JEDELEN@CHARLIE.USD.EDU **
** **
** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **
** The views herein expressed are mine alone and not necessarily those **
** of my institution. **
** **
** ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ **
*****************************************************************************
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Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1993 09:45:21 -0400
From: Steve Murden <SMURDEN%VCUVAX.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: Routing journals (Rosann Bazirjian)
We solved the routing problem; we don't route anything. This policy was
instituted long before I came to VCU.
We do get the Current Contents that contains library-related tables of
contents. I have that routed to me, and I photocopy that section for the
director and each of the Assistant Directors. They then have the option
of routing the list among the librarians in their division. That way, if
people really want to read something, they have to make the extra effort
to retrieve it for themselves. Sometimes new folks question the policy,
especially if it differs radically from what they are used to, but in
general, it seems to work.
Steve Murden
Va. Commonwealth University
smurden@vcuvax.bitnet
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Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1993 08:56:51 -0600
From: "CYNTHIA M. COULTER - (319) 273-2801" <COULTER@ISCSVAX.UNI.EDU>
Subject: Re: Routing journals (Rosann Bazirjian)
Rosemary,
You asked for libraries' policies about routing periodicals. The Acquisitions
Department at the University of Northern Iowa raised this question when
implementing the INNOVACQ system. We currently have a table of contents
service for all university faculty and library staff in which we photocopy the
table of contents for up to 20 titles per person.
Our routing policy follows:
"Periodical titles which can be routed to library faculty and staff include
those titles without a table of contents, second copies, and those periodical
titles not added to the collection such as newsletters and bulletins (note: we
attached a list of those titles). In addition, library faculty and staff can
request that up to two periodical titles from Current Periodicals Section 33
(library science subject area) be routed to them. This list includes titles in
professional library literature which reflect the areas of youth, special
collections, government documents, and art and music librarianship. Titles not
included in this list are available through the table of contents service
offered by the Circulation Department. Library faculty and staff members
having materials routed to them are asked to route them promptly to the other
staff members on the routing list. Once a year, library faculty and staff
members will be asked by the Acquisitions Department for the titles they wish
to have routed to them. New library staff members will be informed of the
routing service by the Library Associate in Periodicals Processing and
Binding."
That last position is a paraprofessional supervisory position in the
Acquisitions Department.
So far, the policy has worked well. As time goes on and student budgets get
tighter though, I predict that the table of contents service might come under
very close scrutiny. If we discontinue that service, I don't know if we would
then reconsider our routing policy. As currently written, the routing policy
(stricter than before) works primarily because we have a table of contents
service in place to provide some form of access to the latest in the serial
titles we have. I have wondered about doing more publicizing of some of the
email citations sources I have seen. I currently subscribe to SERCITE for
serials titles, but I don't know of others. If they exist, they might serve to
fill the void if we discontinue our table of contents services. Email
citations would just be another form of the table of contents.
Hope this helps.
Cynthia M. Coulter
Head, Acquisitions Department
University of Northern Iowa
Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613-3675
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Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1993 10:20:24 -0500
From: Jim Mumm <9724MUMMJ@VMS.CSD.MU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Routing journals (Rosann Bazirjian)
In addition to Contents Pages, perhaps you could institute a policy that
new titles go on a "New Title" shelf for a certain period of time
(probably somewhere between 1 day and 1 week) before they get routed.
This would ensure that regular users of the library will have a chance to
see the title before it becomes unavailable.
Jim Mumm
Acquisitions / Serials Librarian
Marquette University Law Library
9724mummj@vms.csd.mu.edu
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Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1993 11:49:00 EDT
From: Carolyn Gaswick <CGASWICK%ALBION.BITNET@mitvma.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: Routing journals (Rosann Bazirjian)
We simply stopped routing journals within the library, period. We photocopy
the tables of contents of the journals which are of interest to individual
library staff and let them use the journals when they want them. This
procedure has saved a lot of hassles in our library, and has worked out far
better than I ever thought it would.
Carolyn Gaswick
Albion College
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Date: 22 Apr 1993 12:59:10 -0500 (EST)
From: "Koretzky, Henry" <HRK@PSULIAS.PSU.EDU>
Subject: Routing Journals
Have you tried a Table of Contents service, in which TCs are photocopied
and mailed? It might be difficult to sell if faculty are spoiled by the
actual issues in hand, but perhaps they can be eased into it by some type
of bribery, such as an increase in the number of titles available via TC
rather than routing [assuming you have a limit on the latter].
-Henry Koretzky
Penn State at Harrisburg
hrk@psulias.psu.edu
