This request for information generated about 7 replies.
* Two respondents mentioned the time saving advantages of using
shelving systems where recent issues could be shelved underneath
current issues.
* One civic university considered abandoning its current shelving
display and displaying current issues with back issues. This plan
was abandoned after ' quite a heated debate'. Academics valued the
opportunity to quickly browse the new journals of interest to them.
* Two universities, one quite new and one quite old, both abandoned
their current serials displays which generated a lot of complaints
from academics. One respondent commented ' I wish we had taken some
measurement of usage of the display before we had withdrawn it,
because my impression is that the level of objection is higher than
the level of usage warrants'.
* A new university which does not have a current serials display is
considering introducing one
* Only one respondent has successfully merged current and back issues
of shelving without complaints.
Conclusions seem to be
* If a current serials display is withdrawn complaints can be
expected from academics rather than students
* A usage survey exercise is advisable, probably in the form of
observation based counts
John Crawford,
Library Research Officer,
Glasgow Caledonian University
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|