---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 16 Jul 1996 10:30:58 -0400
From: Charles Oates <charoat@REGENT.EDU>
Subject: Results of Survey

I would like to thank everyone who responded to my request for information
on your treatment of "virtual" holdings.  Since there was a considerable
amount of interest expressed in the results, I'm posting the summarized
results to the listservs.

Because the subject of "virtual" holdings is relatively new to many
libraries, there are many more questions than answers.  Only a couple of
responses addressed all 8 questions.  Most of the responses dealt with only
1 or 2 questions.  Many respondents said that they were struggling with
these issues, and were interested in knowing the results.

Here are the results of the survey regarding treatment of "virtual" holdings
in the academic library.  The responses have been summarized.
*****************************************************************

Question 1  Do you provide "seamless" access to electronic serial holdings
accessed through the Internet?
1) We provide cataloging records to materials which collection development
staff have selected and we have linked to our university's homepage, our
library's homepage or a homepage of a department, branch library, etc.  In
our current system, we do not have a hotlink to click on an item, and
immediately pull up the item itself although we hope to have this in the
future."
2) Yes, CD-ROMs only so far.
3) We are in the process of migrating to an Innovative Interfaces system
which we hope in time will allow for seamless access to publications on the
Internet.
4) We provide access to virtual holdings both via the OPAC and our Web page.

Question 2  When does something to which you have electronic access become
defined as part of your "holdings"?
1) As soon as it is cataloged.
2) Only when it is a purchased item.
3) We haven't yet grappled with the concept of considering these our
'holdings'.
4) When it is listed in our online journal directory and cataloged on the OPAC.

Question 3  Do you feel that electronic serial resources are a type of
"holdings"?
3  Yes.
1) Only CD-ROMs so far (Also Westlaw and Lexis).
2) Those to which we subscribe clearly are holdings.  Several have replaced
paper subscriptions.
3) ...but we do not yet count them in with our print subscriptions.

Question 4  Do you provide access to electronic serial holdings through the
OPAC?
4 No.
8 Yes.
(4 a) If not, do you provide any type of "access"/cataloging to
electronic serials holdings?
1)We provide patrons with access to a separate searchable list of several
full text sources by the Internet and by CD-ROM over the LAN.  We do not put
these titles into our catalog.
2)We catalog full-text titles in our OPAC, providing the 538 & 856, even
though our catalog cannot link to the site.  This region has links to the
actual homepage of the journal.  The URL for our libraries homepage is:
http://wings.buffalo.edu/libraries/e-resources/ejournals/.
3)We have 2 kinds of electronic serial publications: on diskette/CD-ROM and
online resources which are WWW full-text serial publications.  Those on
CD-ROM and diskette are catalogued like traditional print serial
publications.  As to online resources on the Internet, we currently catalog
only serials or bulletins which are published free of charge and some
serials or journals which are published by a university.  In the near future
we plan to make commercial Web magazines accessible to our users.  In the
bibliographic description we might  make a link by means of the URL to the
homepage of the online resource.  This URL could be seen in hypertext in our
web-OPAC, so by clicking on it, the user could see the full-text publication.
4) We are a law library and have access to Lexis and Westlaw.  There are 2
labs (Westlaw and Lexis) in the library which are staffed by Westlaw and
Lexis.

(4 b) If so, how/where?
1) If the title is one which we either own (i.e. its URL has our library as
its host) or to which we actually subscribe, we maintain holdings on the
cataloging record.  If we merely have a title linked to one of our
homepages, we do not list the holdings in the OPAC record but instead
provide a message such as 'See WWW for available issues'.
2) Only CD-ROMs and WWW addresses imbedded in the bib records--these
addresses are not 'connected' to anything.
3) a) direct links on library web page, b) cataloging records with notes on
how to access/ when we get our catalog served on the web, these will be hot
links to the sites, c) gateway links (remote login) from menus within our
catalog.
4) Information regarding the existence of an online version is incorporated
into the record for the paper-based serial.  It is less resource-intensive
to add 1 or 2 fields to an existing record than to create separate records.
It is also easier for users to access 1 record describing a resource and be
offered a choice of format than to have to search a catalog for multiple
records.
5) We are only making notes in our online catalog and making them accessable
through the library homepage.
6) Electronic holdings we pay for are cataloged in our OPAC.  A note appears
referring to the URL.  For free resources, we post on the College's web page
only.

Question 5  How and when do you show the beginning and ending of electronic
serials holdings?
1) We show the holdings as open-ended (although the rest of our holdings are
Level 4) unless we are notified that coverage has stopped, in which case we
close the holdings.  We work from lists provided annually by UMI.
2) Our holdings for materials we own generally have an open holdings
statement beginning with the first issue we have.  However, quarterly we
have staff check to make sure we are still receiving the material, and
update the holdings.
3) CD-ROMS show latest issue received by cover date.
4) Holdings cataloged in system have full holdings records and checkin.
5) At the present time with an open entry in OPAC.

Question 6  Do you count electronic serial holdings along with print serials
holdings in determining total subscriptions for statistical reporting?
2 Yes.
1) Yes, for paid subscriptions only.
2) Not yet decided how to count them.

Question 7  If not presently, do you plan to do any of the above in the
immediate future?
1) No increased coverage in immediate future.

Question 8  Do you have policies/procedures for any of the above which you
would be willing to share?
NOTE:  Several CD policies (and drafts of policies) are available at:
http://www.indiana.edu/~libsalc/policies/e-policies.html.
1) Our procedures for cataloging computer files is chapter 12 in our
Cataloging Procedures Manual which is available on the WWW.
(http://www.lib.virginia.edu/cataloging/manual/chapxiiin.html for the
introduction to cataloging computer files; chapxiia.html for cataloging
computer file monographs (primarily direct access--getting out-of-date);
chapxiib.html for cataloging electronic texts (monographs); chapxiic.html
for cataloging serials (out-of-date; this will become cataloging direct
access serials); chapxiid.html for cataloging remote access serials; and
chapxiip.html for appendix of examples (primarily serials, both direct and
remote access).  The sections people cataloging remote access materials
would be most interested in would be the introduction, xiib, xiid, and the
appendix.
2) We hope to document our practices this year.
3) A collection development policy will not be formulated until our Pilot
Project concludes.
4) Policy for selection is under discussion, but we have established
procedures for all electronic products and services.

*****************************
Charles H. Oates, Director of the Law Library
Associate Professor of Law
Regent University School of Law
1000 Regent University Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23464-9897
(757)579-4452 or fax (757)579-4451
charoat@regent.edu