From: Beth Jacoby <bjacoby_at_hshsl.umaryland.edu>
We currently gather journal usage statistics for
our print collection manually by counting tally
marks which staff make when re-shelving both
bound and unbound journals. We do this four
times a year during a 2-week period each time.
The data collected is very useful for making
cancellation decisions, but as this is very labor
intensive, we are hoping to automate the process.
We would like to hear from any libraries that
have automated this process. We are
particularly interested in knowing:
How do you do it? (Using barcodes? scanners?
Etc.)
Do you do this for bound journals? Unbound
journals? Both?
How many times a year do you do it?
Do you collect data for each title for each
year, or by spans of years (e.g. 1980-1990)?
If so, which spans of years do you use, and
why?
What equipment and software do you use?
What are the pros and cons of your automated
method?
If you prefer to discuss this over the phone,
please contact Dale Prince, Circulation Librarian
at 410-706-7995.
Beth Jacoby
Head of Acquisitions/Serials
Health Sciences and Human Services Library
University of Maryland
601 W. Lombard St.
Baltimore, MD 21201-1512
Phone: 410-706-8856
Fax: 410-706-8860
Received on Fri May 12 2000 - 12:11:44 EDT