Serials and Serials Control
Serials are publications issued in successive parts, with no predetermined end, and are identified by numerical or chronological designations. This category includes periodicals, journals, newspapers, annuals (like reports and yearbooks), and the proceedings or transactions of societies. Managing these resources is a specialized library function known as serials control.
Peculiarities of Serials: Serials are distinct from monographs (books) in several ways:
- Subscription is typically done annually and paid in advance.
- They are received in parts, requiring a meticulous check-in process to ensure no issues are missed.
- They often undergo changes in title, frequency, or may merge or split, creating cataloguing complexities.
- Once all issues of a volume are received, they need to be bound for preservation.
- In the digital era, many serials are available as e-journals, often acquired through library consortia.
Serials Control Routines: The management of serials involves several key procedures.
- Ordering: This includes placing new subscriptions, processing annual renewals, and ordering back issues to fill gaps. Orders are typically placed through specialized subscription agents who manage dealings with multiple publishers.
- Receiving and Registration (Check-in): Each issue must be recorded upon arrival to track the collection's completeness. Manual systems for this include:
- Kardex System: A visible card file system with a bottom card for recording received issues and a top card for payment details. Coloured tabs are used to signal when the next issue is due.
- Three-Card System: Developed by S.R. Ranganathan, this system uses a Register Card (main record), a Check Card (to monitor timely arrival and trigger reminders), and a Classified Index Card (for subject-based information).
- Claiming: If an expected issue does not arrive, the library must promptly send a "claim" to the supplier for a replacement. Automated serials control systems can predict arrival dates and generate claims automatically.
- Binding: Once a volume is complete, all issues are collected and sent for binding to create a single, durable volume for long-term storage and use.
Circulation Control
Circulation control is the library function that manages the lending of materials to registered members for use outside the library. It is a highly visible service that greatly influences the user's perception of the library's efficiency.
- Core Functions:
- User Registration: Before borrowing materials, individuals must be formally registered as library members. This process establishes their identity and borrowing privileges.
- Charging (Lending) and Discharging (Returning): This is the central activity of the circulation section. Various systems have been developed to manage these transactions:
- Browne System: Each member is given pocket-style library cards. To issue a book, the book card is removed from the book's pocket and placed into the member's card pocket. The combined cards are then filed by the due date. This system is simple and fast.
- Newark System: The member's ID number is written on the book card, and the due date is stamped on both the date slip in the book and on the member's card, which is returned to the user. This method provides a record of what each member has borrowed but is more labour-intensive than the Browne system.
- Automated Systems: Modern libraries use barcodes or Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to automate charging and discharging. These systems are faster, reduce errors, and can be integrated with security gates.
- Loan Management: The circulation section also manages:
- Reservation (Holds): Placing a request for an item that is currently on loan to another user.
- Renewal: Extending the loan period for a borrowed item.
- Recall: Asking a user to return an item before its due date, often because it has been reserved by another user.
- Overdue Fines: Collecting fees for materials returned after their due date to encourage timely returns.
- Inter-Library Loan (ILL): Facilitating the borrowing of materials from other libraries for its own members when an item is not in its collection.
Maintenance
Collection maintenance involves all activities aimed at keeping the library’s resources in good condition and in the correct order, ensuring they are accessible and preserved for current and future users.
- Shelf Arrangement and Rectification:
- Books and other materials are arranged on shelves in a systematic order, most commonly by a classification scheme (e.g., DDC), to group items on the same subject together.
- Shelving is the daily routine of returning books to their proper places on the shelves after they have been used or returned.
- Shelf rectification is the process of regularly checking the shelves to ensure all items are in the correct order, as misplaced books are effectively lost to users.
- Repair and Binding:
- Minor repairs, such as mending torn pages with acid-free paper, are performed in-house to extend the life of documents.
- Binding is a crucial preservation activity. Worn-out books and completed volumes of periodicals are sent to a binder to be put into a durable, protective cover. This process, also known as "library style" or "reinforced binding," is designed to withstand heavy use.
- Refurbishing: This involves a thorough, periodic cleaning of the entire collection and stack area. During refurbishing, each book is removed, cleaned, and inspected for damage, which helps identify items needing repair, binding, or transfer to a special collection.
- Preservation of Intellectual Content: When a document is too fragile for physical use, its intellectual content is preserved by reformatting it into another medium, such as microfilm or a digital file.
Stock Verification
Stock verification is the systematic physical checking of a library's entire collection against its official records, such as the accession register or shelf list, to identify lost, damaged, or misplaced items.
- Purpose and Controversy: The primary purpose is to create an accurate inventory of the library's holdings. However, it is a time-consuming process that often requires closing the library to the public, leading to criticism that it is a "futile activity" where staff time could be better spent on user services. In Western countries, the focus has shifted from simple stocktaking to a broader collection evaluation that assesses how well the collection meets user needs.
- Methods of Stock Verification:
- Using the Accession Register: A team checks each book on the shelf against the master list in the accession register. This method is slow and can damage the register.
- Using the Shelf List: The shelf list, which is a set of cards arranged in the same order as the books on the shelves, is used for checking. This is considered the most efficient traditional method as multiple teams can work simultaneously.
- Automated Methods: Modern libraries use library management software along with portable barcode readers or RFID scanners to conduct stock verification quickly and without closing the library.
- Dealing with Loss: After verification, a list of missing items is prepared. A certain level of loss is considered normal in an open-access library, and there are established procedures for "writing off" these losses from the library's records.
Weeding (Deselection)
Weeding, also known as deselection, is the process of systematically removing materials from a library's collection. This aligns with S.R. Ranganathan's Fifth Law, "Library is a growing organism," by ensuring the collection remains vital and relevant rather than just growing in size.
- Aims of Weeding:
- Save Space: To make room for new and more relevant materials.
- Improve Access: A smaller, more current collection is easier for users to browse and find what they need.
- Maintain Relevance: To remove outdated, inaccurate, or irrelevant information.
- Enhance Appeal: To make the collection look more attractive and less cluttered.
- Criteria for Weeding: The decision to weed an item is based on several factors:
- Currency: The information is outdated (especially critical in science and technology).
- Usage: Circulation records show the item has not been used for a long period.
- Physical Condition: The item is damaged beyond repair.
- Superseded Editions: A newer edition of the work is available.
- Relevance: The item is no longer relevant to the curriculum or the community's interests.
- Barriers to Weeding: Weeding can be a difficult process due to psychological resistance ("what if someone needs it someday?"), lack of time, fear of making mistakes, and potential opposition from faculty or community members who value a large collection size.
- The Weeding Process: A systematic weeding project involves identifying candidates based on the criteria, seeking approval from relevant authorities (like faculty), modifying all library records (catalogue, shelf list) to reflect the removal, and deciding on the final disposal of the weeded items, which could be discarding, selling, or donating them to other libraries.