I just sent the e-mail letter below to outmag@aol.com.  And since it's
Friday, I thought that maybe it would be something interesting to contribute
to the list.  (And maybe somebody else on the list has some insight into the
issue...)

[original letter follows:]

To the editor, OUT magazine:

The latest issue of OUT has become quite popular in the serials dept. at
Northwestern University Library--it turned into a game of "How many
librarians does it take to find the volume number?"  In the past, it seems
that the magazine carried two separate numbering schemes:  volume and
number, and whole number (e.g. v. 2, no. 1 was called also no. 6).  I have
never understood why publications have adopted dual numbering schemes like
this, but I have learned to live with it, at least when both numbers appear
somewhat prominently.

However, the Nov. 1994 issue of OUT carries only the "whole" number (no. 17)
and it is on the spine.  We think the issue is v. 3, no. 4 (based on the
fact that the Oct. issue was v. 3, no. 3), but although a few people have
tried, no one in our dept. yet has been able to find the other numbers.  The
numbers used to be buried near the back of the magazine in the classified
ads, but they do not seem to appear there in this issue.  Since the title of
the magazine is OUT, maybe it would be a good idea for the numbering to come
out of the closet.

It would help us (and perhaps many other librarians in the world) if you
could advise us about the "definitive" numbering scheme of your magazine.
Your help will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Kevin M. Randall
Head, Serials Cataloging Section
Northwestern University Library
Evanston, IL   60208-2300

internet: kmr@nwu.edu
   phone: (708) 491-2939
     fax: (708) 491-7637