Re: How were holdings kept in the old days? Oberg, Steve 03 Jun 2004 19:27 UTC
This thread is definitely taking me down memory lane...My first job out of library school was as a serials cataloger for a large, Chicago-area ARL institution. It was a great introduction to the profession, I must say. However, at that time, serial holdings were maintained on 3x5 cards in what was called the "Serial Record" -- a series of open, waist-high, wooden tables with a bazillion cards interfiled alphabetically. There was also an inactive file kept in an old file-type machine whose name I've forgotten (wish I could remember), which kept cards in drawers that revolved in much the same way as a ferris wheel. There are SERIALST subscribers from that institution who are more familiar with this than I am and could no doubt provide clearer details. Up to about 1992, maybe 1993, if there had been a fire or some other disaster that destroyed that very large collection of 3x5 cards, the library would have really had a challenge on its hands :-) I think it was close to the time I started working there that planning began on converting this information into online form. Yet we still had a heavily-paper-based workflow when I began there in 1992. Part of the job of serials catalogers at the time was to type up a serial record entry card (for recording holdings by hand) as one of the final steps of cataloging a new title. There were strict regulations for how to fill these out, and how to file them. For that reason, every serials cataloger had a typewriter on his or her desk as standard equipment. I can still recall with humor (although it wasn't funny at the time) my first day on the job, being told "how lucky I was" that I had been given a *brand new* electric typewriter. I was shocked, somehow naively expecting that I might have my own desktop PC (which I didn't get until several years later, btw). At the same time, as a new UIUC GSLIS grad, I was used to using email and desktop PC applications. At that time, it seemed that this institution's idea of high tech was an IBM XT compatible dumb terminal, and very few people used email. In the first year or so of employment, in order to read my email I had to go to a student computer lab. Things have dramatically changed since then, at that institution and elsewhere! Now, I look back on my experience with a largely paper-based workflow as a good experience to have had. When I told students in a tech. svcs. course I taught at the Univ. of Illinois last fall about my experience, it boggled their minds ;-) Steve ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Steve Oberg Electronic Resources Librarian & Assistant Professor Taylor University www.taylor.edu -----Original Message----- From: Carol Morse [mailto:MorsCa@WWC.EDU] Sent: Wednesday, June 02, 2004 12:52 PM To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU Subject: Re: [SERIALST] How were holdings kept in the old days? We still produce a printed list, updated every year, several copies of which are spread around the library. It's quite popular. Sometimes it's faster to look on a list than log onto a catalog. It's not too hard to revise it, since the files are all saved from year to year. Carol Morse >>> otto.sillius@SHERIDANC.ON.CA 6/2/2004 8:47:15 AM >>> We produced a "Union List of Periodicals". It showed title, start date volume and end date if not currently received. A copy was kept at the circulation desk and reference desk. I also included a Subject Guide to the holdings. That was a long time ago.... "STEVE BLACK@FACULTY@ACADEMICAFFAIRS" wrote: > > Back when libraries still had card catalogs, and even before word > processing, how were periodicals holdings lists kept? Were there > annotations on the cards in the catalog? Was the Kardex kept near > reference? Some other method? > > Curious, > > Steve Black > Reference, Serials, and Instruction Librarian > The College of Saint Rose > 392 Western Avenue > Albany, NY 12203-1419 > blacks@strose.edu > (518)458-5494 -- Otto Sillius Library Technician Sheridan College Library 1430 Trafalgar Road Oakville, Ontario L6H 2L1