Beyond Print

Abstract

Summary Electronic serials, especially Web-based serials, present new challenges as welt as new opportunities for serials acquisitions departments. Web-based serials require an entirely new workflow, one that is no longer a series of linear and standardized steps, but is rather a complex, cyclical, labor-intensive, variable, and team-based process. License negotiation and compliance demand an entirely new set of skills to be added to the serials acquisitions repertoire. The impact of Web-based serials on every area of serials acquisitions has been dramatic, from ordering through receipt and claiming. This is apparent from an examination of the MIT Libraries' serials acquisitions process as a case study. Staffing patterns have begun to shift in the face of these new demands. Serials librarians are uniquely positioned to meet these demands by leveraging their experience with print serials to carve out a niche in the world of the Web. Serials acquisitions