Original message:
From: Adam Rosenkranz <adam.rosenkranz_at_rocky.claremont.edu>
Our library system (The Libraries of the Claremont Colleges)
currently has different periodical fund lines for each subject
(e.g., English, Biology, Sociology, etc.). Each
bibliographer is responsible for keeping track of the periodical budget
lines in their subject. We are now considering consolidating these lines
into disciplines and have committees keep track of the disciplinary lines.
Under such a set up, for example, literature periodicals would be paid
for with money from a humanities line. An obvious problem with paying
for periodicals by broad disciplines, however, is choosing the
discipline for multi-disciplinary titles.
As the chair of the committe to investigate new ways of structuring
our budget lines for periodicals, I am interested in the ways in which
other libraries handle their periodical budgets. I haven't been able
to find anything in the literature that deals with this issue. Any
plans, anecdotes from experience, tales, suggestions,warnings,
pointers, citations, or quotations would be greatly appreciated.
Adam Rosenkranz
The Libraries of the Claremont Colleges
==================
Response#1
From: James Tobin <RJT_at_gml.lib.uwm.edu>
We pay for most periodicals from one fund precisely because of
interdisciplinary and cross disciplinary concerns. We have discovered,
in the course of surveying the faculty at times of major cancellation
projects, that a journal that may be classified as physics, for instance,
may be of little or no interest to the physics faculty, but is considered
essential by the engineers. With this in mind, we also asked the faculty,
in regard to each title--should we happen to assign a dollar limit to
departments for journals in their areas--whether or not they would "share"
the cost with another department or assume entire responsibility for various
titles. We did not, in fact, decide to give departments that kind of
control over our budget, but there were a range of responses over the
array of titles. We do not have a staff of bibliographers in the
library--we are heavily dependent on departmental faculty
representatives--but, as you do, you may be able to negotiate a
satisfactory outcome for this and possibly even save some money.
It can add up to a great deal of work for all concerned, though.
Good luck.
Jim
R. James Tobin
Collection Development Manager
Golda Meir Library
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
From: Adam Rosenkranz <adam.rosenkranz_at_rocky.claremont.edu>
Our library system (The Libraries of the Claremont Colleges)
currently has different periodical fund lines for each subject
(e.g., English, Biology, Sociology, etc.). Each
bibliographer is
responsible for keeping rack of the periodical budget lines in their
subject. We are now considering consolidating these lines into
disciplines and have committees keep track of the disciplinary lines.
Under such a set up, for example, literature periodicals would be paid
for with money from a humanities line. An obvious problem with paying
for periodicals by broad disciplines, however, is choosing the
discipline for multi-disciplinary titles.
As the chair of the committe
e to investigate new ways of structuring
our budget lines for periodicals, I am interested in the ways in which
other libraries handle their periodical budgets. I haven't been able
to find anything in the literature that deals with this issue. Any
plans, anecdotes from experience, tales, suggestions,warnings,
pointers, citations, or quotations would be greatly appreciated.
Adam Rosenkranz
The Libraries of the Claremont Colleges
Received on Tue Feb 27 2001 - 05:48:54 EST