[Eril-l] Electronic journal holdings in local catalog

[Diane Westerfield]

We maintain e-journals in the catalog. Periodicals (both bound and unbound) are loaded into the link resolver along with some standing orders. We don't have a discovery layer, just the traditional OPAC.

It's human nature to only want to search one place. Early on in my post-MLS career, working the Reference Desk, I encountered a woman who cried tears of rage that she was supposed to search two places to find periodicals and electronic journals. And generally speaking, patrons tend not to realize or care about the arcane underlying systems of libraries.

Our setup is to have separate records for print and electronic. I wrote a Python program to convert ejournal data from the link resolver report for the Millennium ERM. The ERM Coverage Load takes this file and creates brief bibs and checkins with linked holdings data where necessary. Pre-existing records that match up aren't overwritten. We do full cataloging for JSTOR and other stable journal packages, but don't catalog titles that are just in aggregators.

Several problems that made journal loads difficult have been solved, and I'm now able to do this journal load once a month. Keeps our ejournal holdings fairly accurate in the catalog. With the Python program and frequency of loads (less errors to fix when they don't accumulate for a long time) it's a 1 day job. Doing this forces you to keep a closer eye on the link resolver and any changes with databases or important titles you may have missed, so it helps accuracy on the link resolver side as well.

Loading print to the link resolver is a lot more difficult. Too many idiosyncrasies with locations and holding statements. That's a twice a year job. Our print periodicals and standing orders don't change that much these days so I hope that's not too infrequent.

Hope this helps,

Diane Westerfield, Electronic Resources & Serials Librarian
Tutt Library, Colorado College
diane.westerfield at coloradocollege.edu<mailto:diane.westerfield at coloradocollege.edu>
(719) 389-6661


From: Eril-l [mailto:eril-l-bounces at lists.eril-l.org] On Behalf Of Sheldon, Karen
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2016 9:08 AM
To: eril-l at lists.eril-l.org
Subject: [Eril-l] Electronic journal holdings in local catalog

We have been removing catalog records for our electronic journal holdings in our local catalog and have been considering removing bound periodicals from the catalog as well. We advertise it as the Book/DVD Catalog and encourage student to use the A-Z list to find all periodicals.

What are other libraries doing? Do you maintain local catalog records for bound periodicals?

Karen Sheldon
Electronic and Instructional Services Librarian
Color Guard Team Adviser
Delaware Valley University
700 East Butler Ave., Doylestown PA 18901
215.489.4968 | karen.sheldon at delval.edu<mailto:karen.sheldon at delval.edu>

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