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The public service responsibilities of serials specialists
I
EDITORIAL
The Public Service Responsibilities of Serials Specialists For administrative purposes, serials functions in libraries are routinely assigned to technical rather than public services units. It is not difficult to understand why: serials work is highly detailed in nature and involves as constant attention to record keeping as do cataloging and acquisitions functions. It is true that on a daily basis serials staff may be almost totally engaged in the problem solving work necessitated by changes in title, subscription failures and the all too frequent delays caused by publication slippage and postal deliveries. Unfortunately, a lack of fundhlg both for equipment and for vendor services to support serials work and relieve some of its repetitive and duplicative duties as well as for added personnel to perform record keeping and correction tasks often has the effect of disallowing all but these "essential" tasks. As a result serials staff tend to become more and more concerned with detail to the exclusion of other serials activities. This has a significant impact on the larger library mission to promote user satisfaction. Some may believe it unnecessary to rehearse this raison of the library. But, regretfully, many serials specialists pay little beyond lip service to this mission. We cannot be mindful enough of this goal lest we become more enamored of our files than of our patrons. Our concerns for the public may be evidenced in several aspects of serials work. One area that deserves initial attention is in the attitude of serials staff. Even though all will agree that attention to detail is essential to on-going library operations, we must instill workers with an orientation to public services that overrides the nagging considerations of housekeeping. Staff must be encouraged to assume as positive an attitude about patrons as we have. Divisional rivalries must be overcome at all costs. We must next look to our serials records. Are they comprehensible to patrons and library staff and available at all hours the library is open? These files may take a variety of forms and include card catalogs, linedex files, union
lists of holdings, an on-line file reflecting library receipts as current as today, a shelf list, or simply a check-in file as oldfashioned and friendly as the Kardex. Are the serials collections themselves easy to locate and use? Are shelf reading and shelving tasks performed on a frequent enough basis? Are use studies conducted to determine whether the collection is really a suitable one? TheRe are only some of the many considerations we must ponder. Serials librarians need to set internal processing priorities to assure that the essential functions of receiving and dispersal are completed efficiently. But we cannot ignore our significant responsibility to the publics we serve. We must strive to seek a balance: the monies we output for serials subscriptions and collection maintenance dictates their easy availability to library patrons. ttistorically serials organizations have not concerned themselves with public services responsibilities. The Serials Section, RTSD/ALA, has no unit to champion this aspect of library work, for example. Perhaps the attention such a committee could focus on the topic would help to raise its importance in the priorities of serials specialists. Until such a committee or other similar group is formed, however, serials librarians will do well to frequently examine their own performance in this work. NJM
COVERPHOTO An on-line union listing capability became generally available this year with the introduction of the OCLC Online Computer Library Center Union List System. Shown on SR's cover in OCLC's New Dublin, Ohio, Headquarters are Robert Wittorf, Senior Library Systems Analyst (standing), who developed the specifications for the subsystem, and Ronald Gardner, an Instructional Coordinator specializing in serials control. Wittorf is also a member of SR's Editorial Board. Photo courtesy of OCLC and taken by Richard Skopin of its Documentation Department.
SERIALS REVIEW
APRIL/JUNE 1981
3
EDITORIAL
The Public Service Responsibilities of Serials Specialists For administrative purposes, serials functions in libraries are routinely assigned to technical rather than public services units. It is not difficult to understand why: serials work is highly detailed in nature and involves as constant attention to record keeping as do cataloging and acquisitions functions. It is true that on a daily basis serials staff may be almost totally engaged in the problem solving work necessitated by changes in title, subscription failures and the all too frequent delays caused by publication slippage and postal deliveries. Unfortunately, a lack of fundhlg both for equipment and for vendor services to support serials work and relieve some of its repetitive and duplicative duties as well as for added personnel to perform record keeping and correction tasks often has the effect of disallowing all but these "essential" tasks. As a result serials staff tend to become more and more concerned with detail to the exclusion of other serials activities. This has a significant impact on the larger library mission to promote user satisfaction. Some may believe it unnecessary to rehearse this raison of the library. But, regretfully, many serials specialists pay little beyond lip service to this mission. We cannot be mindful enough of this goal lest we become more enamored of our files than of our patrons. Our concerns for the public may be evidenced in several aspects of serials work. One area that deserves initial attention is in the attitude of serials staff. Even though all will agree that attention to detail is essential to on-going library operations, we must instill workers with an orientation to public services that overrides the nagging considerations of housekeeping. Staff must be encouraged to assume as positive an attitude about patrons as we have. Divisional rivalries must be overcome at all costs. We must next look to our serials records. Are they comprehensible to patrons and library staff and available at all hours the library is open? These files may take a variety of forms and include card catalogs, linedex files, union
lists of holdings, an on-line file reflecting library receipts as current as today, a shelf list, or simply a check-in file as oldfashioned and friendly as the Kardex. Are the serials collections themselves easy to locate and use? Are shelf reading and shelving tasks performed on a frequent enough basis? Are use studies conducted to determine whether the collection is really a suitable one? TheRe are only some of the many considerations we must ponder. Serials librarians need to set internal processing priorities to assure that the essential functions of receiving and dispersal are completed efficiently. But we cannot ignore our significant responsibility to the publics we serve. We must strive to seek a balance: the monies we output for serials subscriptions and collection maintenance dictates their easy availability to library patrons. ttistorically serials organizations have not concerned themselves with public services responsibilities. The Serials Section, RTSD/ALA, has no unit to champion this aspect of library work, for example. Perhaps the attention such a committee could focus on the topic would help to raise its importance in the priorities of serials specialists. Until such a committee or other similar group is formed, however, serials librarians will do well to frequently examine their own performance in this work. NJM
COVERPHOTO An on-line union listing capability became generally available this year with the introduction of the OCLC Online Computer Library Center Union List System. Shown on SR's cover in OCLC's New Dublin, Ohio, Headquarters are Robert Wittorf, Senior Library Systems Analyst (standing), who developed the specifications for the subsystem, and Ronald Gardner, an Instructional Coordinator specializing in serials control. Wittorf is also a member of SR's Editorial Board. Photo courtesy of OCLC and taken by Richard Skopin of its Documentation Department.
SERIALS REVIEW
APRIL/JUNE 1981
3