College and Research Libraries JACQUELINE A. MAXIN Periodical Use and Collection Development Use statistics are a valuable decision-making tool, particularly in a collection that is primarily sci-tech, where high subscription costs demand periodicals be closely tied tv current teaching and research needs. Unless a commercial circulation system is available, an in-house method of recording and tabulat- ing use figures must be developed. This article gives an example of how use of periodicals in an academic environment has been recorded, how it has been built into a collection developm.ent program , and how it has focused on areas for future concern. cLARKS ON COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY is a private , four-year, coeducational institution with 215 faculty members and an enroll- ment of more than 3,000 undergraduate and approximately 250 graduate students. It of- fers five doctoral programs in science and engineering, and it provides comprehensive programs in management, the humanities , and the social sciences. Clarkson's library staff consists of six pro- fess ionally trained librarians , nine clerical personnel, and fifteen to twenty student as- sistants. Library holdings include nearly 90,000 books , periodical backfiles of 39,800 bound volumes (5,000 of which are in stor- age) , 4 ,500 microfilm reels , and 430 vol- umes on microfiche. Single subscriptions are held for 1,300 ti- tles , 100 of which are indexing and abstract- ing services. There are 2, 150 noncurrent ti- tles resulting from publication cessations, cancellations, and title changes. In addition , jacqueline A . Maxin is planning assistant/ information services, PPG Fiber Glass Technical Center, O'Hara Township, Pennsylvania, and a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Li- brary and Information Sciences, University of Pittsburgh. This article is based on a paper pre- sented by the author when she was on the library staff at Clarkson College of Technology , Potsdam, New York . The author expresses her thanks to Ottilie H. Rollins , head librarian, and David A. Sharpe , programmer and analyst , at Clarkson for their advice and assistance throughout the course of this survey . 248 I the library is a partial government depos- itory and has more than 40,000 technical reports and approximately 65,000 NASA documents on microfiche. PERIODICAL USE SURVEY Ninety percent of the Clarkson library's periodical budget is spent to meet ever- increasing subscription costs for sci-tech pe- riodicals. In order to obtain some quantita- tive data on which to base collection man- agement decisions , a periodical use survey was begun in September 1974 , which in- volved semiannual tabulations of data re- corded on three-by-five-inch cards. 1 Data collection was designed to provide informa- tion to aid in. evaluating current and retro- spective acquisitions, in developing com- mercial binding priorities, and in weeding. 2 By Decem her 1976 the periodical use survey had produced such extensive data that computerization was needed to main- tain it effectively. A tab card was designed for direct entry of information , with further automated processing through use of mark sensing equipment. The card identifies a periodical by its International Standard Se- rial Number (ISSN) or by a locally assigned number if no ISSN is available. User cate- gory and quantity of material used by form (microforms, bound volum es, or loose is- sues) are also entered. Periodical use figures are built into a mas- ter serials data base , from which additional listings may be obtained by any combination of eighteen fields of information. An exam- ple of the master serials printout obtained is shown in figure l. The information fields include ISSNs , be- ginning and ending volumes and dates, de- gree of completeness , locations, subscrip- tion, vendor, payment, department, subject headings, microforms, binding, frequency, cross-reference codes , and retention. Use shown is by academic year, separating circu- lation by broad user categories and distin- guishing in-library use by form , with qual- ifying statements where appropriate. For the survey all circulating materials are recorded , including current issues of fifty mathematics and physics periodicals that are routed to an on-campus reading room. Although the number of different users cannot be identified, the type of use by Clarkson's patrons and circulation gener- ated by townspeople and borrowers from neighboring colleges can be obtained. Material sent to fill interlibrary loan re- quests is recorded , while incoming loan statistics are kept by the interlibrary loan staff. In-library use is included by request- ing patrons to return microforms to the cir- culation desk for reshelving and by scanning library tables for bound volumes and loose issues. In-library use , however , can only be viewed as an estimate that does not indicate the nature or level of consultations. 3 Although there are many studies regard- ing obsolescence in sci-tech literature ,4 • 5 this survey did not record the date of ma- terial consulted. In order to support Clarkson's courses in the history of science and technology, periodical backfiles are maintained for student research, projects, and study, except where t.!_tles are used solely for current awareness purposes. To this end, physical form alone is distinguished, in an effort to separate demand for retrospec- tive and current material. SURVEY COSTS When using three-by-five-inch cards in the manual system, the circulation staff could record three transactions each min- ute. Semiannual tabulations by student as- sistants required ten hours, and composite listings called for additional time on the part of the serials staff. With use of tab cards only two transactions can be recorded each · Periodical Use I 249 minute. However, tabulations and listings are now done on the computer, so the se- rials staff assists by processing all in-library and reserve room use figures. Programming and keypunching are pro- vided by Clarkson's Computing Center , which charges only for computer time and paper. In-library use data are collected by student assistants, a process that requires about thirty minutes each day and provides little information for the time spent. The cost of maintaining a periodical use survey is justified by the confidence with which collection development decisions can be made . In reviewing titles for acquisi- tions , binding, and weeding, consideration is given to use , length and completeness of backfiles, bibliographic accessibility, and support for present and planned academic programs. Attention is also given to lists of periodicals needed to meet standards set by such accrediting bodies as the American Chemical Society and to lists recommended by such authorities as the American Insti- tute of Biological Sciences. ACQUISITIONS Since the mid-1960s Clarkson's faculty has been able to add new subscriptions only if matched in cost by cancellations. This policy has kept the periodicals budget in check, and it has tailored current titles to curricu- lar and research needs. To aid in selection, departmental printouts with subscription costs and holdings statements have been provided and now include use spanning four academic years. Faculty members are encouraged to can- cel unused titles or to build assignments around those that should be consulted. In view of new copyright legislation, no titles with multiple use are cancelled, and interli- brary loan transactions strengthen requests for new subscriptions. 6 Depository, free, and gift periodicals are begun to comple- ment the collection and are maintained only if used. Cumulative indexes and supplemen- tary materials are purchased for heavily used titles, and incoming loan statistjcs are the basis for obtaining backfiles, in mi- croform where available. BINDING Due to the high subscription costs of sci- 0]1700 ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA 000]-2670 1 1947 CIRCULATION CCT 74,?5 15 TS,76 56 76.177 9 ?7,78 48 TOTAL 128 CLA-SON COLLeR CW TI!CtetOLCK'f LIBIIAIIY RIIIALS 04,05<"?8 .... 045 DATI! I 06 C ~ P 059 121 II E OTHER IN-LIBMIIY UR! HAIID COPY 0 T4,TS 0 "''6 76/?7 77,78 TOTAL 111CRO~ORMo 0 0 031800 ANALYTICAL ABSTRACTSo WAS IIIIIITISH ABSTRACTSo SERIESCo ANALYSIS + APP ARATUSo OOO:J-2689 1 1954 DATE 23 C ~ P 059 010 221 II E CIRCULATION CCT OTHER IN,IBRARY USE! HARD COPY MICROFORMo 74,TS 0 0 74,75 0 0 75,?6 0 0 75,76 76,77 0 76,?7 .,.,,.,. 77,78 TOTAL TOTAL THIS TITLE IS AN INDEIIINCO,ABSTRACTING TOOL AND IS COENERALLY NOT ALLOWED TO CIRCULATE. 031900 ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRYo WAS INDUSTRIAL ~ ENCOINEERINCO CHI!IIISTRY-ANALYTI CAL EDIT ION OOOJ-2700 19 1947 DATE 06 C F P 059 221 II .I CIRCULATION CCT OTHER IH,IIIRARY USE! HARC COPY MICROFORM. 74,75 54 74,75 0 0 75,76 ST 75,76 5 7.,.,., 1011 76.177 11 77.178 65 T7,T8 0 TOTAL 284 TOTAL 16 032000 ANDRIOTo .JOHN Lo COUIOE TO US COOVEIIN~NT SEIIIALS + PERIOOo NOW COUIDE US PUBLICATIONSo R015o7loA5TlCOUo 032100 032200 1969 1972 26 081 137 846 THIS TITLE IS SHEL~D IN THE BOOK COLLECTION AND IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PERIODICAL USE SIMI~Yo AN~EWANOTE CHI!MIE 0044-8249 56 .. 194] 1972 I 059 222 CIRCULATION CCT OTHER IN-LIIIRARY USE! 74,75 5 74,75 75,76 8 75,76 !6,7? 3 76,77 77,78 1 7?,78 TOTAL 17 TOTAL ANCOEWANOTE CHEMIE; INTERNATIONAL EDITION IN I!NGI...I Stl. 0570-0833 1 1962 DATE I 06 c ~ .. 059 222 CIRCULATION CCT OTHER IN-L IBRAIIY USI!: 74,7S 1 T4,TS 75.176 12 "'76 76,7? 15 76,77 77,78 2 77,78 TOTAL 30 TOTAL Fig. 1 Master Serials Printout 8 HARD COPY 0 II E HARD COPY 0 1 6 MICROFORM. 0 0 0 ence and engineering periodicals, commer- cial binding has been selective so that funds can be freed for collection expansion'. Priorities include indexing and abstracting journals, series classified and shelved in the book collection, and heavily used periodicals not available in microform . Microforms are seen as a space saving al- ternative to binding and are considered for all used titles , except those with figures, formulas, and color illustrations , and par- ticularly those whose size and format make binding difficult. Approximately 500 vol- umes are commercially bound each year , and 180 current titles are received simul- taneously on microfilm. To date, 10 percent of the periodical backfile collection has been converted to microfilm. Temporary binding, using Bro Dart's Pe- riodical Binding System Model 800, has been increased to include all other com- pleted volumes .. This system allows for in- house binding by student assistants, with an average reshelve time of one day. At unit costs of eighty cents with covers and thirty cents without covers, temporary binding compares favorably with commercial costs of five dollars per volume. Order is brought to otherwise chaotic stacks without high in- vestment in titles that may someday be withdrawn. WEEDING In 1973 the Clarkson library , as a mem- ber of the North Country Reference and Research Resources Council, added its hold- ings to the SUNY Union List of Serials data base , which comprises titles in the libraries of the seventy-two campuses of the State University of New York. The council, based in Canton, New York, serves to identify , share, and develop area resources and ser- vices and to further interlibrary cooperation and communication. Entry into this data base permitted the production of several editions of the North Country Union List of Serials , a biblio- graphic instrument for the identification and location of titles within the council region , and to expedite the interlibrary transfer of materials for area patrons. Entrance into the SUNY Union List of Serials , space considerations, and retention costs forced a total reexamination of the Periodical Use I 251 Clarkson library's periodical collection. All unused titles with short and scattered hold- ings were withdrawn , as well as old and un- bound titles that were not covered by index- ing and abstracting journals. Since then pe- riodicals have been continually reviewed so that shelf sp-ace is filled with used and potentially useful information. To date 1,025 periodical titles have been withdrawn , 180 titles have been selected for limited retention , and 5 ,500 bound volumes and countless loose issues have been re- moved from the shelves. Weeded materials and issues replaced by microforms are of- fered for sale to backfile dealers , then to members of the Special Libraries Associa- tion 's duplicate exchange program , to neighboring colleges where appropriate, and finally to the Universal Serials and Book Exchange. Items are shipped as requested , and unclaimed material is recycled. FUTURE CONCERNS Despite an intensive collection develop- ment program, more work can be done. A recent printout has ranked periodicals by total use and by density of use . An example of this printout is shown in figure 2. In this printout, periodicals , with asterisks indi- cating current subscriptions, are ranked by use spanning four academic years. Further breakdowns indicate use generated by Clarkson's patrons or use in the library and use generated by persons outside the Clarkson community . A cumulative percent- age column indicates what p~rcent of all use is met by how many titles. e length of each title's backfile is in 1cated; and by di- viding a title's total use b y length of its backfile , a relative density figure is obtained. By comparing heavily used periodicals with interlibrary loan requests spanning the same time period, it has been possible to identify titles whose subscriptions were can- celled in error. To date fifteen such sub- scriptions have been resumed. Lengthy , unused titles are now grouped and may be cancelled in favor of other titles where use of backfiles and requests for current mate- rial have indicated a demonstrated need. A cumulative percentage column shows that by housing the first twenty-five titles on the list, the library was able to satisfy just over 24 percent of the demand for peri~ I IUNK 1 2 3 4 !- 6 7 !! 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 1"' ?.0 21 22 23 24 2~ 21'> 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 ..,5 36 3'7' 38 'J9 40 41 42 43 44 •e 46 47 48 49 50 USE l'18 t-36 615 55~ 455 416 396 383 363 350 331 307 302 281 267 .?64 261 24~ 242 22"1 227 224 223 223 .?15 213 212 211 210 200 198 196 195 194 190 188 185 181 181 U1 171 1e7 1e5 16!! 164 163 160 i lS6 lS6 151 CLARKSON COLLEGE OF TECHN