Re: Alpha or Subject (i.e., call number) order? Sarah Sutton 04 Sep 2003 16:23 UTC
Dear Valerie, We're about a year in to a project to convert our print and microform collection of about 2000 titles from arrangement in alphabetical order by title to arrangement by call number. We made the decision to convert for consistency sake (the rest of the collection is shelved by call number) and based on growth and changes in the university's mission and goals. We're moving slowly because I don't want to have to do this twice! And because, as is typical, there's far more work than there are people to do it. We decided to work on the microform collection first because it's smaller and we hope to establish a work flow that we can apply to the conversion of the print collection. We've inventoried the collection and are in the process of assigning call numbers to those titles that don't already have them. When that's finished, my intention is that I and the Serials Assistant will barcode and create item records for each roll of microfilm. Then our student assistants will create and apply call number labels to each roll and reshelve them by title. Once the whole collection is labeled, then we'll rearrange it by call number in one fell swoop. I'm hoping that the rearrangement will take less than a week and that we can do it during winter intersession so we inconvenience as few patrons as possible. Whew, that's a bit more than you asked for, I hope it helps. Feel free to pick my brain if it will help, I'm happy to share ideas. I'm also anxious to hear how your informal survey turns out...I've always heard that it's about 50/50 between libraries that shelve by call number and libraries that shelve in alphabetical order. Sarah Sarah Sutton Serials Librarian Mary and Jeff Bell Library Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi 6300 Ocean Drive Corpus Christi, TX 78412 phone 361.825.2355 fax 361.825.5973 sarah.sutton@mail.tamucc.edu >>> langval@HVCC.EDU 09/04/03 08:56AM >>> Hi all, I am the one who sent the message below some months back. My sincere thanks for the many responses received. The responses spurred another question: How many of you actually have your periodicals in call number or subject order? The prospect of converting our periodical arrangement from alpha to subject matter (hence call number) order has many implications and is surely more complicated than originally anticipated. Frankly we are wondering what other academic libraries are doing out there re: arrangement of their periodical collections. If you would simply send me a quick e-mail off the list indicating whether your periodicals are in alpha or subject matter order, that would be wonderful. If there is interest I'll summarize for the listserv. Thanks, Valerie A. Lang, J.D., M.L.S. Hudson Valley Community College Troy, NY -----Original Message----- From: Valerie A. Lang [mailto:langval@HVCC.EDU] Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 4:00 PM To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU Subject: Newcomer question Hello, I am a relatively new periodicals librarian at Hudson Valley Community College. I would like to group our periodicals according to subject matter, provide this list in hardcopy format (in a binder), and also via a link off of our Library web page. We have a very large, outdated binder titled "Periodicals: Alphabetical by Academic Division." This will not work at this point; it is too outdated. Our journals are physically arranged in the Library in alphabetical order, so we really cannot base this prospective subject list of periodicals on the arrangement of our collection. Does anyone have experience with creating such a list - and any advice on pitfalls to avoid, things that worked, etc. Otherwise, I'll just start plugging....... Thanks! VAL Valerie A. Lang Periodicals Librarian HVCC Troy, NY 12180 518.629.7319