CDL-Volume equivalents (Response #3)

From: Deborah Ruck <druck_at_mcw.edu>

While reading these responses I thought about how many of our libraries are
going online only with our journal collections.  So how do we count the
volumes in our virtual journal collections?  Perhaps volume count is
becoming an irrelevant measure of our collection size.

Deborah Ruck
Information Resources Librarian
Medical College of Wisconsin Libraries
8701 Watertown Plank Road
Milwaukee, WI 53226-0509
druck_at_mcw.edu
(414) 456-8522
Fax: (414) 456-6532
http://www.lib.mcw.edu/


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-colldv-l_at_usc.edu [mailto:owner-colldv-l_at_usc.edu]On Behalf Of
John P. Abbott
Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2005 10:18 AM
To: Colldv-l
Subject: CDL: Volume equivalents (2 responses)

[original posting followed by responses]

From: "DeGennaro, June Prof." <June.Degennaro_at_quinnipiac.edu>

Hello,

This is probably basic library 101 stuff, but I confess I don't know
it; I am compiling statistics for a collection report which is asking
for volume equivalents. Is there a 'magic' formula for figuring the
collection size of bound and unbound journals, microfiche, and
microforms?  I checked ACRL standards and guidelines without success.

Thanks for your help

June DeGennaro
Arnold Bernhard Library
Quinnipiac University
275 Mount Carmel Avenue
Hamden, CT 06518
203-582-8944

==#1==

From:
"Mitch Turitz, CFA Chapter President, SFSU" <turitz_at_sfsu.edu>

June,
    Assuming you are asking about how to determine how many PHYSICAL
volumes are in your collection:  there is no rule regarding serials
that can be universally applied, so you can't have a rule like: 4
quarterly issues equals one volume, unless there is a special
cumulative index published separately every X years, yadda, yadda,
yadda.  Unfortunately physical volumes are determined by thickness of
the issues and the individual who handles bindery must figure out what
is a bindable unit for each title, throughout the life of a
periodical.  Such titles may change thickness as it splits into 2
titles, or absorbs another one, or reduces size as it loses advertising.

    If you look through your bound periodical stacks you may decide
that 4 seasons equal one volume, or 12 monthlies equal one volume, or
3 months worth of a monthly equals one physical volume, etc.

    The only reliable approach, in my opinion, is to barcode all the
physical volumes, which you need to do anyway if you have an automated
circulation system along with your OPAC.  Once every item that is in
your collection has a barcode, you can sort collections based on the
location (e.g. Periodicals Collection) or fund codes, etc. and then
have the system generate counts of the barcodes in that set of paramaters.

    If you do not have the items barcoded, you may want to make up your
own formula, inaccurate as it may be, assuming that one volume (as
defined by the publisher) equals one physical volume. E.g. for an
annual, there would be 1 vol. per year, for a quarterly there would be
one volume a year, etc., just the number of issues inside the volume
may not always be the same.

    I hope that helps?

-- Mitch Turitz

    _^_                                                 _^_
(___)-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- ( ___ )
|   |                                               |   |
|   |     Mitch Turitz, Serials Librarian           |   |
|   |     San Francisco State University Library    |   |
|   |     President,                                |   |
|   |     SFSU California Faculty Association       |   |
|   |     voice: (415) 338-7883                     |   |
|   |     CFA:   (415) 338-6232                     |   |
|   |     FAX:   (415) 405-0394                     |   |
|   |                                               |   |
(___)-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-==- ( ___ )
    V                                                   V
            http://www.cfasf.org   (SFSU web site)
                    cfasf_at_igc.org) or Mitch Turitz (x. 87883;
turitz_at_sfsu.edu)
                         &
            http://www.calfac.org/  (CFA State-wide web site)

==#2==

From:
Lori Schwabenbauer <lschwaben_at_holyfamily.edu>

I would guess that, since most journals are bound a year at a time,
one year's worth of the current unbound journal or the journal in
microform would be equal to one volume.

Lori

Lori A. Schwabenbauer, MSLS
Director of Library Services
Holy Family University
9701 Frankford Avenue
Philadelphia, PA  19114
215-637-7700 x3314  //  fax 215-632-8067
Lschwaben_at_holyfamily.edu
http://www.holyfamily.edu/library/