5 messages, 143 lines:

(1)--------------------------
Date:         Thu, 6 Feb 1997 23:03:17 -0600
From:         Mary Lippold <mlippold@GATEWAY.STCL.EDU>
Subject:      Re: ? Indexing and collection development

Steve,

Last year we went through a massive serials review when our serials costs
when through the ceiling. You bet "where indexed" was a major factor in
deciding what was cancelled. (actually it was more like "if indexed".)
We are a law library and if a legal publication was not indexed in one of
the two major legal indexing sources it was a prime candidate for
cancellation.
We did make exceptions for journals that were less than 3-4 years old,
international items that related directly to curriculum, local
publications, etc.  Indexing was not the only factor that was considered
but it was a biggie.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mary Lippold
Serials / Reference Librarian            Phone: 713-646-1723
South Texas College of Law Library       Fax:   713-659-2217
Houston, TX  77002-7000                  Email: mlippold@stcl.edu

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Thu, 6 Feb 1997, Steve Black wrote:

> At your library, how important is "where indexed" to your journal
> collection development decisions?  If a requested journal is not in at
> least one index you own, do you say no to the request?
>
> I'm more interested in examples of actual decisions than I am in formal
> policy statements.
>
> Any comments about whether letting indexing be a deciding factor is a case
> of the tail wagging the dog would also be welcome.
>
> ************************************************************************
> Steve Black
> Reference, Serials and Instruction Librarian
> Neil Hellman Library
> The College of Saint Rose
> Albany, NY  12203                                  "Cogito eggo sum"
> blacks@rosnet.strose.edu                     (I think, therefore I waffle)

(2)------------------------
Date:         Thu, 6 Feb 1997 21:12:30 -0500
From:         ELEANOR COOK <COOKEI@CONRAD.APPSTATE.EDU>
Subject:      Re: ? Indexing and collection development

Traditionally, we have been strongly in favor of journals being
indexed in order to purchase. Of course there are exceptions. Esoteric
or specialized titles that have a specific purpose to a course, where the
instructor is going to make assignments so the journal will be used regularly
is one example. Several departments make use of off-beat industry titles
that do not fit the scholarly model. However, some of these are
indexed in Infotrac - example: Footwear News (I am not kidding). We
examine ILL and Document delivery requests to find these.
   But for scholarly journals that are new, we generally wait to see
if they are going to make it, then we'll subscribe if the Dept. in
question continues to hound us. We sat on an 18th century literary
journal for almost five years and it finally got indexed and now we
subscribe.
     I am not defending or criticizing this model. I see the pros and
cons. When you have a really tight budget, however, it is an excellent
strategy to make them wait a little longer. It also makes sense
practically -- if the title is not indexed, how will anyone know to
look for it?

Sincerely,
*********************************************************************
Eleanor I. Cook                   704-262-2786 (wrk)
Serials Specialist                704-262-2773 (fax)
Belk Library
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC 28608                  cookei@appstate.edu
*********************************************************************

(3)--------------------------
Date:         Thu, 6 Feb 1997 15:06:24 -0700
From:         Kathleen Thorne <kathleen@SJSUVM1.SJSU.EDU>
Organization: San Jose State University
Subject:      Re: ? Indexing and collection development

In reply to Steve Black's query:

Depends on the shape of the budget!

If the journal has been around for a while and is still not indexed
anywhere, we look askance; if we have a sample and it looks good,
however, or if a professor is recommending articles in it to his
classes, we will at least consider it...if we can afford it, that is!

If it's a new journal, we look at the publisher, the editing body,
whether it is refereed, and assorted other things -- in other words,
no fixed policy.  Subject selectors can recommend journals, we do look
at the indexing, but it's not an absolute...also depends on the
subject.

Kathleen Thorne
Serials Cataloger (and Physics Selector)
San Jose State University
kathleen@sjsuvm1.sjsu.edu

(4)------------------------
Date:   Fri, 7 Feb 1997 08:19:01 -0600
From:   Pat Williams <PWILLIAMS@sosu.edu>
Subject: RE: ? Indexing and collection development

In response to your question-we here order what the faculty want.  However,
we do stress when discussing the order that if there is another journal that
will give the same sort of information and is indexed we ask them to consider
it.  They do have the ultimate say so since the money is coming out of their
library budget and not ours.  Hope this helps.

Pat Williams
Southeastern Okla. State Univ.
Durant, OK
pwilliams@sosu.edu

(5)-------------------------
Date:         Fri, 7 Feb 1997 08:33:01 -0600
From:         Judi Shaffer <shafferj@EMAIL.UAH.EDU>
Subject:      Re: ? Indexing and collection development

Here at th University of Alabama in Huntsville we do not particularly deny
purchasing based on indexing, however, it is a heavy factor in deselecting
(as budget crunches forces us to more and more).

        Judi Shaffer

Judith Darby Shaffer
Librarian
Head of Serials and Document Delivery
Salmon Library
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Huntsville, Alabama 35899
        (205) 890-6285 / voice
        (205) 890-6862 / fax
        shafferj@email.uah.edu
        OCLC Symbol = MWR