FAILED SERIAL REQUESTS: REPORT OF A SURVEY TO IDENTIFY WEAKNESSES IN SERIAL PROVISION

Abstract

In anticipation of the replacement of the British Union Catalogue of Periodicals (BUCOP) by a file of serial holdings of the British Library and other selected libraries, an analysis of failed serial requests was carried out at the British Library Lending Division in August and September 1978. The aim of the analysis, which is summarised here, was to identify subject gaps in the present interlibrary loan provision of serials, in order to help determine which specialist libraries should be included, as well as to indicate some areas where Lending Division stock might be strengthened.