This message is being posted to both AUTOCAT and SERIALST.

At Northwestern University Library, we are trying to decide how
best to handle the various publications in the RAND Library
Collection (reports, memoranda, notes, joint notes, etc. etc.).
Initially they were all housed in filing cabinets and arranged in
numerical order.  At some point we started cataloging the Reports
as separately classed monographs; some other series started
getting that treatment along the way, too.  We want these things
to be easier for the patrons to find and use, since we're
bothering to get them.

Some issues are:

1.  Selection (shall we keep all or only some of the pieces we
receive?)

2.  Cataloging (shall the pieces in a series be classed together
or separately?  if together, shall the monographs be analyzed?)
(nearly all of the serial and monograph titles appear to be on
OCLC, so the issues are staff processing time and patron access,
not the availability of copy)

3.  Binding (shall the pieces in a series be bound together?
shall they be pamphlet bound separately?  shall they be hardbound
separately?  shall they be shelved unbound?)

I would be very interested in hearing what other libraries that
receive these things are doing--or not doing!--with them.

Thanks.

Kevin M. Randall
Head, Serials Cataloging Section
Northwestern University Library

k-randall@nwu.edu