---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 10:00:23 -0500
From: Steve Black <blacks@ROSNET.STROSE.EDU>
To: SEREDIT@uvmvm.uvm.edu
Subject: Summary: collection development and indexing

Thank you to the 21 SERIALSTers who responded to my question: "How
important is 'where indexed' in your collection development decisions?".
The responses posted to SERIALST were representative of the whole.

My unscientific assessment of the replies is that of the 21, 16 use "where
indexed" as a critical or very important factor, 3 said it depends but
does count, and 1 said it didn't matter.  Eight people specifically
mentioned cost factors.  I got the general impression from the responses
that the importance of indexing rises as the budget belt tightens.  Some
respondents mentioned that with the broader indexing available via e.g.
First Search, fewer titles in collections are left unindexed.

The reason I asked is we recently completed a use study, and I've been
working on correlating CD-ROM index use with journal use.  My initial
analyses surprise me, because the correlation is less than I expected for
the collection as a whole.  But I've got quite a lot of work left to try
to find out whether I have a problem with my methodology, or whether
journal use is less connected with CD-ROM use than I presumed.

Thanks again for all the thoughtful replies,

************************************************************************
Steve Black
Reference, Serials and Instruction Librarian
Neil Hellman Library
The College of Saint Rose
Albany, NY  12203                                  "Cogito eggo sum"
blacks@rosnet.strose.edu                     (I think, therefore I waffle)