Date: Mon, 27 Apr 1992 09:06:00 EDT
From: PERSING@BCVMS.BITNET
Subject: Library school serials instruction

In response to Laurie Mackellar's query about how library schools are
teaching serials:  I am just completing my MLS at the Simmons library
school in Boston.  I tried to take everything they offered which related
to serial issues.  The total was:
3 hours on serials acquisitions and control in the "Technical Services"
class;
2 1/2 hours on serials cataloging (mainly AACR2, but a little on the
MARC serials format) in the "Advanced Cataloging" class;
and about 3 hours of discussion on serials issues (mainly pricing and
publishing factors) in a seminar called "Academic Librarianship:
Perspectives for Change."

While I don't think a whole course on serials would fit into the Simmons
program, I would like to see some more attention given it, both in terms
of cataloging and acquisitions.  (But my perspective may be skewed -- most
library school students don't have dreams about 78X fields....)

Bob Persing
Serials Supervisor
O'Neill Library, Boston College
(617) 552-3213   PERSING@BCVMS (Bitnet)