Harmonizing Serials Management: From discordant ensemble to solo performance

Prior to the 1980s, all serials functions

were performed on paper by the Serials

clerk. These functions included:

•Issue check-in was done in the

Kardex.

•A missed issue was claimed via letter

•Binding was done with a system of

paper slips

•A paper list of journal holdings was

provided to Circulation and Reference.

The first ILS, the CARL system, came

to Blackwell Library in the late 1980s.

This implementation did not effect the

serials workflow. All processes were

still done on paper.

Serials management faced a drastic change

in 2002 when the Aleph system was

implemented. All serials processes could

now be managed in an automated

environment. The catalog now contained

bibliographic records for serials with

holdings. Predication patterns could be

created and issues arrived through the

catalog. EDI was eventually enabled for

claiming and invoicing.

The long-term Serials Clerk retired

shortly after the introduction of

Aleph. With her departure, serials

functions were divided among all

members of Technical Services.

The cataloging

department took on

binding and some issue

arrival.

The acquisitions

technician did most

of the issue arrival.

The government

documents technician

managed the

newspapers.

No one consistently

did claiming.

In 2003, a new serials

technician with no library or

serials experience was hired.

Every one tried to teach her

each separate serials task but

her limited knowledge and lack

of direct supervision kept her

from being able to bring serials

back together.

In the meantime,

the development of

electronic journals

and resources

began to emerge.

With serials management becoming more

technical and difficult, library

administration recognized the need for a

motivated professional. The position was

created and the first serials librarian was

hired in 2004. The serials librarian

was on board for two

years. She tried to

bring all the parts

back together in

harmony. The

position, however,

suffered growing

pains.

While the position sat vacant, a new Head of

Technical Services was hired who possessed

serials experience. She was able to take over

the supervision of the serials technician and

guide her in basic duties while bringing order to

the serials holdings and claiming process, but a

dedicated serials librarian was still needed.

In 2008, I was hired as the second serials

librarian. All of serials management has

come together including the licensing and

activation of electronic journals. To

facilitate the management of serials,

several Access databases have been

created:

• to track requests for new journal titles

• for most aspects of e-journals

• for details of serial holdings not easily

extracted from the catalog.

The first automation change to

effect serials workflow was the

use of LARS for journal binding.

Leigh Ann DePope, Serials/Electronic Services Librarian, ladepope@salisbury.edu

Blackwell Library, Salisbury, Maryland