Serials Shelving Schemes (3 messages) Marcia Tuttle 29 Apr 1999 12:56 UTC
----------(1) >From amiller@BU.EDU Thu Apr 29 08:52:07 1999 Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 15:14:57 -0400 From: Anne Miller <amiller@BU.EDU> Subject: Re: Serials Shelving Schemes (Kathleen Thorne) I've worked in three or four large academic libraries, one of which did not assign call numbers to journals, one of which assigned partial call numbers only (indicating the broad LC class such as QC, only, and then a cutter for the title) and my current library which fully catalogs and assigns LC call numbers. I can see the advantages to each. Oddly enough, I think the advantage of call numbers is mostly a practical one, making it easier to keep changing and related titles together. But it is slightly more work for the catalogers, and not all that useful to people in the sciences, I think. On the other hand, I suspect it IS helpful in the humanities, especially if the bound issues are integrated in the book collection, where patrons appear to do more browsing. But I suppose the issue of call numbers and the issue of integrated book/journal collections are separate ones. I feel more strongly about government documents, which I feel benefit greatly from being integrated into regular collections, via LC or whatever. --Anne Miller Serials Cataloger Boston University ----------(2) >From crissinger.5@OSU.EDU Thu Apr 29 08:52:07 1999 Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 17:51:41 -0400 From: "John D. Crissinger" <crissinger.5@OSU.EDU> Subject: Re: Serials Shelving Schemes Amen Kathleen! Also having been there with both systems as a librarian and as a student, I much prefer the LC system over alphabet soup. I am constantly amazed at how many alphabets we operate from in a library. The comments about all the "extra" words that may or may not be part of the title are so true. Journals of Gerontology almost invariably get shelved with the singular "journal," and the acronyms - UGH! My routine took me to something like 4 places for one of the major medical journals because each shelver had their own logical place for it. And, no, a master shelving list was not effective. Patrons use call numbers for everything else, seems logical to use them with periodicals too. But I also realize some folks do the alphabet better. It's impossible to please everyone, so decide who you want to please and go from there. I found very quickly that interfiling bound volumes was no problem, but LC order for current issues really raised a stink. Then I discovered that alphabetizing the currents gave patrons another means of gaining access to the bound ones (call numbers written on loose issues told patrons immediately where to go). What ever choice you make, don't fret over what could have been. Both systems have their strengths and shortcomings. Neither is necessarily the best or the worst, just different. Just pick one and stay with it. At 02:43 PM 4/28/99 -0400, you wrote: >---------- Forwarded message ---------- >Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 10:25:05 -0500 >From: kathleen <kathleen@sjsuvm1.sjsu.edu> >Subject: Re: Serials Shelving Schemes (Peter Washkevich) > >We have had our periodicals shelved in LC call number order since about >1980, and it really does work.... ************************** * JOHN D. CRISSINGER * NEWARK CAMPUS LIBRARY * Tele: 740-366-9306 OSU-N/COTC * Fax: 740-366-9264 1179 UNIVERSITY DR. * email: crissinger.5@osu.edu NEWARK, OH 43055 * * ************************** "Optimism: a cheerful frame of mind that enables a tea kettle to sing though in hot water up to its nose!" (with thanks to a fortune cookie) ----------(3) >From BECQC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU Thu Apr 29 08:52:07 1999 Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1999 21:03:05 EDT From: Belinda Chiang <BECQC@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU> Subject: Re: Serials Shelving Schemes (Marilyn Haskell) Our faculty requested over ten years ago to change periodicals arrangement from alphabetical to call no. order. This is very convenient for the user for gathering titles on the same subject together. Further, it is also good in case of change titles comparing to alphabetical shelving. While it is beneficial to the user, periodicals check in staff must produce labels with call no. either by printer or by hand. Unless you have a system which also prints title with call no. on the labels, you must find a way to match printed labels with titles. We devised a way of inputting brief title in Notis item record so that we can match each label correctly with the periodical after checking in a large amount of titles.