The Ohio State University Libraries is about half the size of the library
asking this question -- at least in regards to having 23,000+ active
subscriptions.  Beginning in 1987, we implemented serials check-in on the
Innovative Interfaces system from a manual system.  We had to build
individual check-in records and cards for each of those titles including
predictive check-in parameters.  At III's advice, we built each record with
piece in hand. Thus, when a piece came in, we built the new online record
and checked the piece in and marked the old card as converted.  At the
beginning it was very hectic because you are getting more pieces than you
have staff to build records but eventually it begins to taper off as more
and more of your receipts have already been set up.  In order to do this, we
set default settings for the predictive part of records, i.e. if a title was
a monthly we set defaults about when to claim etc.  This makes the process
easier at the beginning and (in our system) those elements can be refined on
a title by title basis later.  We also trained almost every person in the
Acquisition Department (serials and monos) to check-in and build records.
Each person was to work a certain percentage of their time on the conversion
project in addition to their regular responsiblities -- such as 1 hour a day
or 4 hours a week.  This approach focused our efforts on the pieces that
were actually received most often.  Then as the project tapered off, we went
to our kardex and worked through the remaining titles.

It's been such a long time now, that I can't remember but we definitely had
a large percentage of our most frequently received titles set up
predictively and being received online within a year.  It can be done and
the pay off is worth it.  We now have much more effective control of our
serials, and can use electronic claiming to claim those issues missed.

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Carol Pitts Diedrichs
Interim Assistant Director for Technical Services and
      Head, Acquisition Department
Editor, Library Acquisitions: Practice & Theory
The Ohio State University Libraries
1858 Neil Avenue Mall
Columbus, OH, 43210-1286
tel: 614-292-6314
fax: 614-292-2015
Internet: diedrichs.1@osu.edu
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