Re: Subscriptions added/cancelled (2 messages) Birdie MacLennan 03 Nov 1998 18:37 UTC
2 messages, 96 lines: (1)--------------------------- Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 08:46:34 CST6CDT From: Deborah Lee <dlee@LIBRARY.MSSTATE.EDU> Organization: MSU Mitchell Memorial Library Subject: Re: Subscriptions added/cancelled We've found that keeping a "manual" accounting of new titles, title changes and title cessations the most effecient way to maintain this data. We've had problems retrieving reports field information out of DRA, so I designed a form that we use. This form records the database control number, the owning location, source of the title, whether the title is being added or deleted to the current title count and why (reasons include title changes, new title, new "comes with" title, etc...). Each staff member that has the authority to change the status of title maintains this form; the forms are turned into me at the end of the month. I use this data to compile a monthly report on the status of our current serial titles. So at any given time I can produce information concerning the number of Direct titles, gift titles or Ebsco titles that we have current subscriptions for. This also allows me to go through and identify the number of gift titles that we added during the year---something we had never been able to produce a count of before. Hope this helps! Deborah Lee ----------------------------------------------------- Deborah Lee Coordinator of Serials/Assistant Professor Mississippi State University dlee@library.msstate.edu work: 601-325-8184 fax: 601-325-2895 url: http://www2.msstate.edu/~dol1/index.html ------------------------------------------------------ (2)---------------------------- Date: Tue, 3 Nov 1998 10:40:15 -0600 From: "L. Hunter Kevil" <mulkevil@SHOWME.MISSOURI.EDU> Subject: Re: Subscriptions added/cancelled My two cents on this problem: In software there is a big difference between maintaining running counts and performing a new count whenever a total is needed. Generally the latter is the better option, because running totals can easily get off and cannot be corrected. Our mistakes simply cumulate. The better choice might be simply to calculate the figures you need each time you need them. Perhaps using an Innovative SCODE to indicate whether a check-in record is for an active, currently received serial would be enough. When a title becomes no longer current, either by reason of cancellation, cessation, or cancellation, you simply change that one code. Then whenever you need to know the number of currently received serials you would use that field to compute the total. L. Hunter Kevil University of Missouri-Columbia internet: mulkevil@showme.missouri.edu tel: 573-884-8760 fax: 573-884-5243 -----Original Message----- From: Lee Cheng Ean <clbleece@NUS.EDU.SG> Sent: Monday, November 02, 1998 11:03 PM Subject: Re: Subscriptions added/cancelled Great!, Now that we know how complicated it can get with counting serial subscriptions added and cancelled, how do you keep track of the counts? Do you keep a manual record or do you insert a code in each record and have a system generated report? If it is automated, where do you keep the data to generate a report for a specific reporting period? In our case, we have two fields (variable length) created in our checkin records for us to enter the reporting year, eg. 1998/99 etc. One field is for Year subscription was added and the other Year subscription was cancelled. By the way we are using Innopac. Instructions have to be given to staff regarding when they need to add data to the field and when not to. Hence my earlier questions. It tends to get too complicated since a serial title can change and take so many variations. You may ask, wouldn't it be easier to keep a manual tab than to get the system to count??? I know, I know, but.... Any further "insights" would be helpful. Ean Mrs Lee Cheng Ean Head, Serials ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Technical Services Division, Central Library, National University of Singapore, 89 Kent Ridge Crescent, Singapore 119275 Email: clbleece@nus.sg Tel: (65) 8742035 Fax: (65) 7747180 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~