Date: Fri, 12 Apr 1996 11:12:19 -0400
From: Steve Murden <SMURDEN@GEMS.VCU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Serial Holdings Lists (Deborah Harrell)

In response to Deborah Harrell's <dharrell@WESTGA.EDU> posting
re. Serial holdings lists.

We haven't had a printed serials list for 7 or 8 years.  We
determined that it was far too labor intensive to maintain a
list that essentially duplicated our holdings online (in our
case, NOTIS).  We never considered using an OCL print product,
since the holdings on OCLC are open-ended and we cite our specific
bound volumes in our NOTIS holdings records.  Even without that
discrepancy, the cost alone would have been a determining factor.
>
With subject searches or keyword searches limited by serials format,
easily performed online, we felt that continuing to provide a print
list was doing our patrons a disservice.  I can truthfully say,
however, that many of our patrons disagreed (and continue to
disagree) with us.  Ultimately, most patrons really do not want a
list of all serial titles, anyway (and you have to decide if you
want only current titles, or all ceased titles, too in such a list).
What they really want is either information about a certain title
or titles, or they want to know what titles we carry in a particular
subject area.  And those searches are easily done online.

> Cost of the printout is just in personnel because the product
> is printed in our computer center at no charge.

This is the same argument that faculty use when they want to take
out items that don't circulate so they can copy them "free" in their
offices.  There ain't no free lunch.  The institution is ultimately
paying for the costs, even if it is not coming out of the library's
budget.

I would be curious to hear if others have followed our logic.

Steve Murden
Virginia Commonwealth University
smurden@gems.vcu.edu