Susan,

        I am the Serials librarian for the largest public library
cooperative in Michigan. We handle all the subscriptions for over 40
libraries. I have a few suggestions which may help.

        1.) Reorganize your group according to processes performed
(ordering, claiming, binding, etc.). Some tools that may be helpful are
Activity-Based Management guides and business reengineering books like
Hammer's Reengineering the Corporation and Senge's Fifth Discipline
Fieldbook. Also look into thid article:The cost of library services:
activity-based costing in an Australian academic library. By Ellis-Newman,
Jennifer.; Robinson, Peter. Citation: The Journal of Academic
Librarianship. v24:5 (Sept. '98), 1998. pp. 373-9. Number: BEDI98033128.
ISSN: 0099-1333.

        2.) Document these processes and encourage cross-training. It will
make the staff more flexible to handle workloads that may cause delays or
backlogs, such as annual renewal of periodicals for the entire
institution.

Hope this helps.

 Michael Maiers <mmaiers@TLN.LIB.MI.US>

-----Original Message-----
From:   Susan Scheiberg [SMTP:scheiber@USC.EDU]
Sent:   Thursday, September 09, 1999 7:40 PM
To:     SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject:        Organizational structure in serials acquisition units

Dear all,

We are at the stage where we need to restructure our serials acquisitions
operation, and I am wondering if you'd be willing to share/discuss how your
serials acquisitions units are organized.  We are a large research
university, and I have 5 staff members (with hopefully another one added at
some point) in my department, and each has a rather complicated array of
responsibility, based on alphabetical breakdowns of titles (subscriptions)
and vendors (standing orders), as well as a few things thrown in at random.
 This is very complicated not only for us internally (!), but the units we
serve are never quite sure who does what, and it is frustrating for them as
well.  I'd be curious to see how others assign or divide up the
work/responsibilities in their departments.  In addition, does anyone know
of good reading on the subject?  Most of what I'm finding is too general
for my purposes.

*Thanks* in advance,

Susan

Susan Scheiberg
Team Leader, Serials Acquisitions (aka Serials Librarian)
Doheny Library G24A
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0182
Telephone: (213)740-7355
FAX: (213)740-0959
E-mail:  scheiber@usc.edu