Serials automation

Main software components for an automated system are:

• Acquisitions
• Serials control
• Cataloguing
• OPAC
• Circulation

Cataloguing and OPACs go hand in hand. Either or can’t be used successfully without the other.

Changeable nature and continuous publication of serials added to complexity of designing software for automated serials control.
• Issue numbering, frequency of publication. Take into account special and unexpected issues  

Automation vendors tended to develop modules for more predictable library functions leaving serials control to later.  Often libraries postponed automation of serials until other tasks automated.  

• 1970’s/80’s cataloguing, circulation, monographic acquisition, OPAC 

• 1990’s turn for serials automation  

Advantages of serials automation

• Collections development
  o Collection analysis
  o Improved budget control
  * Provides better relevant information
  o Combine various paper files into one database
  o Improvement in efficiency of processing
  * Not handling item as many times on paper
  o Improved quality control
  * Cardex can be marred by human error
  o Public service staff and users may access serials status information directly

Serials module: core requirements 

What are we concerned that it can do? 

• Generate subscription/cancellation orders
• Offer online access to serials vendors
  o interaction
• Alert staff to subscriptions needing renewal
• Display record of issues received
• Predict date of arrival of forthcoming issues
  o Variations, build grace period before receiving a report
• Handle unexpected issues
  o Supplements for ‘special’ issues or topics
• Handle title and frequency changes
• Keep track of expected, overdue, and claimed issues
• Generate claims forms
• Produce routing lists
• Generate lists of binding requirements
• Generate statistical reports
• Funds accounting features

Suggested reading: Tuttle, Marcia. “Thirty Years of Serials Automation: A Personal View.” Serials Review. 27:3/4, 2001. P.79, 14p. On EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier.

Types of electronic journals

• Online version of paper journal
  o Content may not be complete or exactly the same
• Journal in electronic format only

What is an aggregator? 

A bibliographic service that provides online access to the fulltext of periodicals in digital format, published by different publishers, electronically from aggregator services. Currently, the top three journal aggregators in the United States are EBSCO, the Gale Group, and ProQuest.  

Pricing models

• Online available with print subscription at no extra charge
• Online available at a surcharge with subscription to print
• Online only with no print subscription
• Online only no print counterpart

Flip pricing

• Online plus print model
  o Delivered to desktop price on online version
• Online access 1st consideration as users preferred online over print format

Van Orsdel, Lee, and Kathleen Born. “Doing the Digital Flip.” Library Journal. 15 Apr. 2002, pp. 51-56. Available through EBSCOhost Academic Premier  

Licensing

• Model licenses
  o http://web.archive.org/web/20080529135049/http://www.licensingmodels.com/
• Publishers’ license agreement
  o http://ejournals.ebsco.com/ejournals/license.asp

Pay-per-view

• Access but not ownership
  o Elect not to subscribe but provide access on an article by article fee
  * Block of searches brought
  o Publishers establish an article by article fee
  o May go hand in hand with table of contents alerting service

Variety of publishers

• Commercial
• Not for profit
• SPARC (Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) initiative
  o a coalition of research universities and libraries supporting increased competition in scholarly publishing
  o http://www.arl.org/sparc/

Preservation and archiving 

• See bibliography of online references at http://web.archive.org/web/20040324042618/http://www.harrassowitz.de/top_resources/ejresguide/preservation.html