cataloging electronic serials/Serials Solutions

[Joan Pirie <jopirie@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Proposed change to electronic serials cataloging (utilizing Serials Solutions)

Currently Vassar fully catalogs ALL non-aggregator electronic serials 
(JSTOR, MUSE, ScienceDirect, WILEY, ACM, ACS, IOP, etc., etc.)  Our policy 
is to include all formats (print, electronic, microtext) on one 
bibliographic record.

We are looking at streamlining our procedures, as it is difficult to keep 
up with added content and titles on a timely basis.  We will continue the 
one record policy.  What we are proposing is to no longer reflect holdings 
or package-specific URLs in our OPAC records, but rather to link directly 
into the Serials Solutions record for a particular title (perhaps via a URL 
which embeds an ISSN search to match on the Serials Solutions database, 
which would save the patron from re-keying the search at the 
SerialsSolutions end).

For example:  under our current procedures, we link specifically to the URL 
for the JSTOR text of African American review (on one bibliographic record 
for the print and electronic).  HOWEVER, we also have access to AAR through 
the following aggregators:  ProQuest Research Library; MasterFILE 
Select;  Expanded Academic ASAP; and Literature Online (LION), NONE of 
which are reflected in our OPAC record.  Conversely, we may have access 
through aggregators to other titles which we only hold in print, to which 
we might add a "maybe" link to Serials Solutions ("check if this journal is 
available online").  Our aim is to enhance the relationship between our 
OPAC and our Serials Solutions E-journal Finder, allowing patrons to access 
an electronic version of a journal title regardless of whether they started 
with the OPAC or with the E-journal Finder.

We are also toying with the idea of de-duping the Serials Solutions 
bi-monthly Excel spreadsheet and loading only those records which are 
unique (i.e., not accounted for in the examples above) into our OPAC.

Is anyone doing anything along these lines?  We've explored the examples 
given on the Serials Solutions website, but were wondering if there were 
any other scenarios.

We will be utilizing III's Electronic Resources Management package when it 
goes into general release.  If anyone has any information on how this might 
impact our proposal, please feel free to forward them!

I would be happy to summarize any responses for the list.

Joan Pirie
Head of Cataloging
Vassar College Libraries
Box 295
124 Raymond Ave.
Poughkeepsie, NY 12604-0295
845-437-5778
845-437-7128 (fax)