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Library humor
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The Mailbag
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Editorial
To the Editor:
Library Humor
Serials librarians: It's time to speak up! How many periodical title changes have you encountered in the past year? Are publishers changing titles solely for cosmetic purposes? Do they really believe such a practice is appealing to the subscribers? These publishers should know better! Title changes occupy many hours of a serials librarian's annual work load. Some of the most frequent types of changes in recent months have involved abbreviations. Two examples are: (1) Our own state library association changed the title of its journal from Tennessee Librarian to TL to accommodate a new design for the front cover. (2) As part of a similar change of cover design, Economic Perspectives changed its title to FBR Chicago Economic Perspectives. Perhaps if the publishers would spare us some of these superfluous title changes, we would have more time to actually read their publications.
To preserve their sanity in the face of such frustrations as changes or minor variations in serial titles and publishers/vendors who seem bent on attempting to influence library organization through such practices as offering a discount if the publication is ordered by the Music (or Business or Engineering) Library but not by a central Serials Department, serials staff members may become collectors and/or creators of humor in such forms as anecdotes, training materials, and publishers' letters. Examples of the latter include the following. In response to an inquiry signed by a library technician came a letter to the effect that while engineers and scientists working in the area covered by the journal qualify for free subscriptions, technicians do not. A claim for 13 paid for but not received issues of another journal brought the reply that, because only one issue may be claimed on the first claim, the subscription had been cancelled, with credit given for the 13 issues. Some six months later, an issue a r r i v e d . . . And, from a prestigious institute, in response to an inquiry about a monographic series, the title of which vacillates between two variations, an "admission" of intent to confuse. From time to time, we would like to publish reader submissions on the lighter side of serials work. To that end, in this issue appear "Serials Services and Records Unit Genealogy and General Information" and "The Ten Commandments Expanded and Amended for Check List Recorders" from the University of Michigan. Enjoy. Carolyn Mueller Will Hepfer
Sincerely yours, Joe David McBee Head of Serials & Binding Department Jessie Ball Dupont Library Sewanee, TN 37375
SERIALS R E V I E W
SPRING 1985
5
The Mailbag
I
I
Editorial
To the Editor:
Library Humor
Serials librarians: It's time to speak up! How many periodical title changes have you encountered in the past year? Are publishers changing titles solely for cosmetic purposes? Do they really believe such a practice is appealing to the subscribers? These publishers should know better! Title changes occupy many hours of a serials librarian's annual work load. Some of the most frequent types of changes in recent months have involved abbreviations. Two examples are: (1) Our own state library association changed the title of its journal from Tennessee Librarian to TL to accommodate a new design for the front cover. (2) As part of a similar change of cover design, Economic Perspectives changed its title to FBR Chicago Economic Perspectives. Perhaps if the publishers would spare us some of these superfluous title changes, we would have more time to actually read their publications.
To preserve their sanity in the face of such frustrations as changes or minor variations in serial titles and publishers/vendors who seem bent on attempting to influence library organization through such practices as offering a discount if the publication is ordered by the Music (or Business or Engineering) Library but not by a central Serials Department, serials staff members may become collectors and/or creators of humor in such forms as anecdotes, training materials, and publishers' letters. Examples of the latter include the following. In response to an inquiry signed by a library technician came a letter to the effect that while engineers and scientists working in the area covered by the journal qualify for free subscriptions, technicians do not. A claim for 13 paid for but not received issues of another journal brought the reply that, because only one issue may be claimed on the first claim, the subscription had been cancelled, with credit given for the 13 issues. Some six months later, an issue a r r i v e d . . . And, from a prestigious institute, in response to an inquiry about a monographic series, the title of which vacillates between two variations, an "admission" of intent to confuse. From time to time, we would like to publish reader submissions on the lighter side of serials work. To that end, in this issue appear "Serials Services and Records Unit Genealogy and General Information" and "The Ten Commandments Expanded and Amended for Check List Recorders" from the University of Michigan. Enjoy. Carolyn Mueller Will Hepfer
Sincerely yours, Joe David McBee Head of Serials & Binding Department Jessie Ball Dupont Library Sewanee, TN 37375
SERIALS R E V I E W
SPRING 1985
5