Re: Newcomer question Steve Black 23 Jan 2003 14:27 UTC
Val, A partial solution is the periodical index by subject heading that OCLC can provide you (I'm assuming your holdings are in OCLC). But that won't answer the question, "What are all your [discipline] periodicals?". If you choose to make a discipline-area list separtate from your online catalog, make it work for budgeting, too. That is, if you need to make departmental budget reports, set up your database or spreadsheet so that you can create budget reports and create lists from the same file. Avoid duplication of data in separate files if at all possible. When periodicals information is in separate files, you're forced to update information with title changes, etc. in multiple places. If you can do it within DRA, your library system, all the better. It depends on the reporting capabilities in DRA, but you may be able to add the information you need to make your reports in one of the local note fields in your MARC records. I have no experience with DRA, so I don't know what's possible. If you're a glutton for punishment, another approach is to make lists of titles you own for each of the bibliographic databases your library offers. But those lists can be pretty volatile, so the care and feeding of the lists can be overwhelming. We use Serials Solutions to solve that problem, and have been very happy with it. However, it doesn't provide any subject heading access--it just provides an up-to-date list of all the available journals, online or in print. Steve Black Reference, Instruction, and Serials Librarian Neil Hellman Library The College of Saint Rose 392 Western Ave. Albany, NY 12203 (518) 458-5494 blacks@mail.strose.edu -----Original Message----- From: SERIALST: Serials in Libraries Discussion Forum [mailto:SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU]On Behalf Of Valerie A. Lang 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 We have a very large, outdated binder titled "Periodicals: Alphabetical by Academic Division." This will not work at this point; it is too outdated.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