2 messages:

1)_____

Date: Thu, 14 Jan 1999 09:37:33 +0000
From: Carol Holliger <chhollig@CC.OWU.EDU>
Subject: Core Journals revisited

Dear Colleagues:

I have received many e-mail messages asking for a summary of the discussion
regarding core journals, but I'm also hearing that people want to see the
original postings. I have asked the respondents to post their responses
directly to the list so that we might all learn from this discussion. May
we open this up to the entire list for discussion as of today?

In the event that the original messages don't get posted, I will still try
to summarize. :)

Carol Holliger
Serials Manager
Beeghly Library
Ohio Wesleyan University
43 Rowland Avenue
Delaware, OH  43015
(740)368-3252
FAX (740)368-3222
chhollig@cc.owu.edu

2)______

Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 09:30:42 -0500
From: Linda Tilly <tillyl@MARIAN.EDU>
Subject: Re: core journals

I sent this to Carol last week, but since there appears to be a lot of
interest I will resubmit to the list.
________________________________________

Hi Carol,

 We went through a collection evaluation over the last few years and I tried
to find such core lists to help with the cancellation decisions, but I found
very few.  One helpful one I used for our nursing titles  was the
Brandon-Hill List a.k.a. "Selected List of Nursing books and journals" which
is usually published in the Jan/Feb. issue of Nursing Outlook in even
numbered years.  The most current one is Jan/Feb. 1998.   The other "list" I
used was Katz's Magazines for Libraries, especially their designation for
the "basic periodicals" for academic libraries within each discipline.   I
would be interested in hearing of more core lists if you receive any!  Thanks!

For our evaluation process, we did several things.   First we conducted a
usage study for one year (students recorded each issue/volume in a central
book before reshelving). I then used these stats to calculate a cost-per-use
for the current year's issues.  We also surveyed the faculty and had them
rank the titles in their discipline from 1-5 and then I compiled an average
rank for each title.  I also compiled information about whether each title
was included in any indexes or databases that we had access to and whether
the title was available in fulltext or not.  Also, what area libraries also
had current subscriptions to each title.  And of course I included whether
each title was on a list, such as Brandon/Hill or Katz.  I also researched
the cost of getting each title in microform.   I was never able to develop a
formula to weigh all these factors and determine one "score" for each title
to make a hard-and-fast determination.  But instead I used all the factors
together to make a recommended list to the faculty of which ones should be
kept, which should be acquired in microfilm only, and which should be
discontinued.  Usually the main determining factors for discontinuation were
low use and high cost-per-use.  We gave the faculty the chance to respond to
our recommendations and usually if they could justify why the title should
be maintained we did, as long as their budget allowed.  And we did give them
the option to suggest titles to replace those that were on the discontinue
list, as long as they were affordable and they could justify why they were
needed.   We ended up trimming our periodical expenditures by about 22%.

I know I have rambled on and may have only confused you.  If you would like
more clarification of any of it, please let me know and I will try!  Hope
this helps in some way!  : )

Sincerely,

Linda Tilly

P.S.  We are a small private liberal arts college with an enrollment of
about 1300.  Our current periodical subscriptions number about 500.

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Linda S. Tilly
Assistant Librarian
Marian College Library                     (317) 955-6223
3200 Cold Spring Road                   (317) 955-6418 FAX
Indianapolis, IN  46222                    email: tillyl@tuvok.marian.edu

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