---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 6 Apr 1995 08:52:41 -0400
From: Marie Doyle, Binding, Bata Library Trent University <MDOYLE@TRENTU.CA>
Subject: Binding

At Trent University we remove completed volumes from the Current Periodicals
area when the fist issue of the next volume arrives. These unbound volumes are
housed on shelves until sent to the bindery.  There is always some time lag
before they are sent for binding, but if they are complete, they are usually
sent for binding within two months of being removed from the current area.

We do not try to hold back or make quick binding decisions unless the
Professor or instructor of a course specifically requests us to.  We have
found that any time we do or do not send material there will be a chance that
the wrong decision was made.  If you equate it to a patron looking for a
specific book, if that book is charged out, it would also be unavilable to
them. As a binding person, I find that the last month of classes, I
try and send as much rebind material and new monograph material as possible
instead of periodicals. Some years, no one requests material that is at the
bindery, the next year 4 or 5 people do.

On average, we send 250 periodicals a month to the bindery. Both the bindery
and ourselves could not function properly without smooth workflows. As long as
the faculty know that they can request a delay for special periodicals we can
head off the problem of a whole class of students needing 1 title.

I think we provide better service to more patrons by having material available
in the stacks in a format they can charge out, than by trying to anticipate
possible use, or unavailability, while material is out of the library for
binding.

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*                                                               *
*   Internet: MDoyle@Trentu.Ca     Trent University             *
*                                  T.J.Bata Library             *
*   Marie Doyle                    Peterborough, Ont            *
*   Binding                        Canada                       *
*                                                               *
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