---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 2 Aug 1997 00:56:04 -0400
From: Steven H. Murden <stevemurden@MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject: Separate serials cataloging units?

The recent position posting from Kevin Randall, at Northwestern, prompts me
to ask this.  Kevin is head of the Serials Cataloging Section at
Northwestern, and they are looking for a serials cataloger.  Kevin and I
have had this conversation before, so I'm not singling out his institution.
 He just posted when I had time to speculate.  ;-)

I worked at an institution that has a current materials budget of about
$4.5 million, and a collection of approximately 1.1 million vols.  There
are 3 professional catalogers, including the dept. head, none of whom are
devoted exclusively to serials.  I am curious to know which model is more
prevelant these days, especially as more and more libraries seem to be
reducing the number of traditionally technical service positions.  Any
reports from the trenches?  If you do respond, please give some indication
of the relative size of your library (materials budget, collection size,
no. of catalogers, etc.)  If everyone posts directly to the list, there
will no need for me to summarize.  If I receive any private responses, I
will summarize those later.

Just so I'm clear, too, I was always jealous of Kevin's situation at
Northwestern.  A large library _ought_ to have a separate serials
cataloging unit, IMHO.

Thanks.

Steve Murden
stevemurden@mindspring.com