Electronic Serials Research Articles

Providing Perpetual Access

This paper presents the results of an online survey about perpetual access for electronic serials that have been canceled, have ceased, or have transferred to different publishers. The survey sought to ascertain the true experiences of libraries working to maintain perpetual access. Results indicate a high success rate for providing perpetual access. Results also indicate a lack of standardization for and many challenges to keeping track of and providing perpetual access. A discussion section expands on key findings and the most common obstacles to providing perpetual access.

A Departmental Assessment Using the Core Competencies for Electronic Resources Librarians

The Electronic Resources and Serials Services (ERSS) department of Auburn University Libraries is using the core competencies for electronic resources librarians as an ongoing assessment tool. It is used for both individual self-assessment of skills and for a department-level assessment of strengths and weaknesses. The department's ultimate goal is to have every competency covered by two people.

Imagens e representações de masculinidades nas telenovelas

Initially thought as a product for women, soap operas have changed over the years and have achieved men as a consumer public. One aspect of this change can be seen in merchandising (visual and social). Thus, the electronic serials contribute to the visualization, construction, maintenance and redefinition of the a man and the masculinities in contemporary, playing an important role as source of knowledge for the majority of the population, triggering images and experiences. To discuss the relationship between masculinity and Brazilian soap opera, was conducted interviews with five women and eleven men, whose ages were between 18 and 30 years old. The objective of the research was to understand the relationship that men and women from Belem, Para, have with electronic serials, as well as what representations of masculinity they identify in Brazilian soap operas today. It will be possible to see a change in the male types that are aired currently. However, the profile recurrently identified is still the heterosexual one, marked by virility, despite new characters related to the metrosexual mode of being and homosexuality that occupy more and more spaces and are remembered by the interlocutors. Keywords: Masculinities; Brazilian soap operas; Representation

Management of Electronic Serials in Academic Libraries: The Results of an Online Survey

This article presents the results of an online survey of academic librarians conducted in 2011 on the topic of electronic serials management. Since online journals had by 2011 become a major part of academic library serials collections, a central objective of this survey was to explore whether this had led to any degree of standardization in online serials management procedures across academic libraries. The focus of the survey was generally on issues affecting technical services, specifically exploring the impact of electronic serials on collection development, library staffing, and serials management tools. The responses to the survey did not reflect any significant level of uniformity among these libraries in any of these areas, suggesting that libraries primarily take into account the needs of their own institutions when formulating procedures for managing online serials.

Management of Electronic Serials in Academic Libraries: The Results of an Online Survey

This article presents the results of an online survey of academic librarians conducted in 2011 on the topic of electronic serials management. Since online journals had by 2011 become a major part of academic library serials collections, a central objective of this survey was to explore whether this had led to any degree of standardization in online serials management procedures across academic libraries. The focus of the survey was generally on issues affecting technical services, specifically exploring the impact of electronic serials on collection development, library staffing, and serials management tools. The responses to the survey did not reflect any significant level of uniformity among these libraries in any of these areas, suggesting that libraries primarily take into account the needs of their own institutions when formulating procedures for managing online serials.

Twice Removed: Access to Electronic Serials from the User's Point of View

Determining user preferences for data elements requisite to identifying print format serial titles in OPACs/WebPACs assumes an even greater priority when extrapolated to electronic serials where notions of seriality and periodicity cease to have the same meaning as in a physical object-oriented venue. This study utilized focus group methodology to define more user-centred bibliographic. . .

Strategies for Catalog Management of Electronic Monographs in Series

Electronic monographic series display a complex mix of the characteristics of electronic serials, electronic books, and print monograph series. Because many cannot be managed via the typical tools and services used to manage electronic resources, providing title-level, or analytic cataloging presents challenges above and beyond the usual challenges for e-resources. This article enumerates those challenges, proposes a set of criteria for making analysis decisions for e-monograph series, and suggests other directions libraries might pursue to provide catalog access to this important category of resources.

Teaching Wild Horses to Sing: Managing the Deluge of Electronic Serials

When the sheer volume of incoming electronic serials threatened to overwhelm us in the University Libraries at Virginia Tech, we embraced the opportunity to examine our entire e-serials management system and options for utilizing services provided by vendors. This resulted in the formation of a collaborative task force composed of people from serials management and cataloging. We describe our process of implementing a vendor supplied service, the ways in which the MARC [machine-readable cataloging] record service changed the way we manage serials cataloging and holdings records for electronic journals, and the way in which some simple scripting in Python helped us overcome some significant obstacles.

Providing Access to E-Books and E-Book Collections: Struggles and Solutions

The University of Tennessee Library has struggled with providing access to e-books as it orders more individual titles and e-book collections. To prepare for and manage complexities that come with rapid growth in the collection of e-books, several different library units—Electronic Resources & Serials Management, Acquisitions, Research Services, Research Collections, Systems, and Cataloging—collaborate to make decisions and develop standardized processes. As problems are identified, they constantly evaluate and modify procedures and streamline and automate workflows. The presenters described problems, decision points, and solutions along the way from selecting, ordering, licensing, invoicing, and payment, to cataloging and access of individual e-books and e-book collections.

New Electronic Resources Management System for the ANKOS Consortium

The Anatolian University Libraries Consortium (ANKOS), which was originally established to coordinate university libraries' electronic serials purchases, today plays an active role in selecting, providing access to, managing and evaluating electronic information resources in Turkey. A substantial volume of subscriptions and purchases of e-journal, e-book and e-reference resources is conducted through ANKOS. In order to measure the usage rate of these resources, to conduct cost analyses and to use the findings in strategic planning cycles of both the institutions and the consortium, a New Electronic Resources Management System (ERM) has been developed by ANKOS. In this study, the authors explain how the new system was developed, its technical features, data entry and collection, the system's contribution to the collection of institution and usage statistics, and its impact on strategic planning. Available statistical facts are also provided to illustrate the development and the impact of the new ERM system.

SKAITMENINIŲ SERIALINIŲ LEIDINIŲ LEIDYBA LIETUVOJE 1996–2011 m.

The paper deals with publishing the Lithuanian digital serials in the terms of book science. A comparative analysis of publishing digital serials in a ten-year period in Lithuania has been made, and publishing tendencies of these publications are presented. The research data have been obtained by a longitudinal analysis of the Lithuanian digital serials since 1996 by the methods of information search, document analysis and publishers’ survey. Electronic serials have been analyzed according to the dynamics of publishing, type of publications, publisher, periodicity, purpose, topic, economic models, formal perfection and design. The research data of 2012 are compared with the data of analogous research performed in 2001. In the economic, content and form dimensions, the development of publishing the Lithuanian digital serials, started ten years ago, at present is a successfully developing field of professional activity comprising publications of various types, periodicity, and topics.

A 10 Year Collaboration—Still Going Strong, Ulrich's and ISSN

Collaboration between Ulrich's and the National Serials Data Program began more than ten years ago. Today the names have changed but this partnership continues to benefit publishers, libraries, and vendors who provide access to electronic serials. Many challenges are presented by differences in the metadata collected. A commitment to common goals and sharing metadata has made the partnership work.

Shaping, Streamlining, and Solidifying the Information Chain in Turbulent Times

As budgets and resources dwindle due to the current economic downturn, it is more critical than ever to ensure all members of the information chain work together as efficiently as possible. This panel explores utilizing the latest Online Information Exchange (ONIX) standards to upload holdings and licensing information, creating systems that ensure renewals and upgrades to electronic components seamlessly, and becoming compliant with the Shared Electronic Resources Understanding (SERU), as well as providing tips on successfully negotiating electronic packages. Times like these require that subscription agents, publishers, libraries and consortia streamline productivity, function with leaner resources, and create better technologies, all while solidifying processes and tasks. This panel, consisting of a subscription agent, publisher agent, and consortium officer, discussed what measures their institutions are taking to streamline the business of electronic serials, new technologies they are employing, and common-sense approaches for getting the most out of electronic serials.

Broken Links and Failed Access

This paper highlights three industry initiatives currently working on ways to improve access to licensed electronic content. The three initiatives are KBART, IOTA, and PIE-J. Background information on OpenURL, link resolvers, and knowledge bases, as well as detailed descriptions of the access problems the initiatives were developed to solve, is provided. Understanding these initiatives can help those involved in the electronic serials supply chain improve their own work, communicate effectively with others, and advocate for adoption of best practices. Together, these initiatives hold great promise for a future with fewer broken links and improved access for users.

Content Type, Media Type and Carrier Type: MARC 21 Fields Related to Resource Description and Access

MARC 21 fields were defined to support three elements in Resource Description and Access: content, media, and carrier types. The fields contain terms and codes that may be used for cataloging all types of resources. The article describes the new fields with attention to their use in cataloging textual electronic serials and integrating resources issued online and in direct access formats.

Content Type, Media Type and Carrier Type: MARC 21 Fields Related to Resource Description and Access

MARC 21 fields were defined to support three elements in Resource Description and Access: content, media, and carrier types. The fields contain terms and codes that may be used for cataloging all types of resources. The article describes the new fields with attention to their use in cataloging textual electronic serials and integrating resources issued online and in direct access formats.

Access to serials: integrating SFX with Evergreen open source ILS

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to address the integration of SFX link resolver with Evergreen open source integrated library system (ILS). It also aims to describe a method to incorporate print serials into SFX.Design/methodology/approachA print serials project has been proposed and implemented to integrate print and electronic serials at University of Windsor Leddy Library. It contains two sub‐projects: to incorporate all forms of serials in SFX; and to integrate SFX with the Evergreen library catalogue for serials access. Various issues associated with print serials and open source software were also investigated.FindingsA unified view of print and electronic serials is desired and well received by librarians and patrons. There is no technical difficulty uploading print serials data into SFX, but the process can be time‐consuming and challenging. Open source software is flexible in terms of customization and interoperability with other library systems though it presents challenges to system staff.Originality/valueThis paper has the following contributions: it is the first work on the integration of Evergreen open source ILS and the proprietary link resolver, SFX, in the literature. The issues encountered and their solutions presented in this paper may be applicable to the integration of open source ILSs, such as Evergreen and Koha, with link resolvers or other library systems; and the method described in this paper to facilitate users in accessing all forms of serials may be useful for other institutions having SFX or other link resolver systems.

The Paper Divide

The transition of serial collections from a paper format to an electronic format has created a syndrome of rising expectations in academia. The speed and convenience of accessing peer-reviewed journal articles at the desktop has led to an increasing demand for more electronic serials. Concurrent with improved access to journal articles via locally owned electronic serials, Interlibrary Loan (ILL) services offered by large academic libraries are now routinely providing electronic versions of scholarly documents to the user's desktop in one or two days. This has created a situation where electronic ownership of a serial is the preferred option but electronic delivery via ILL is a reasonable alternative. Locally held paper serials used to be the best option for users. Now paper serials are increasingly viewed as an inconvenience, creating a “Paper Divide” between electronic serial ownership and electronic ILL service. Moreover, published reports indicate that electronic serials are less costly to maintain than paper serials. Because of user preference, cost considerations, and space considerations, the move to electronic serials is inevitable. This article explores the implications of the Paper Divide and how academic libraries are coping with this challenge.

Assessing Your Vendors' Viability

Modern libraries invest substantial resources in print and electronic serials. Unfortunately librarians do not always understand how financial issues faced by vendors in today's economy can adversely impact library services. Librarians are careful when initially selecting major vendors; however, good stewardship demands that libraries continue to assess their vendors' financial health throughout the relationship. This article discusses the risks that vendor financial difficulties pose to library operations and recommends methods for librarians to monitor vendor viability.

Disappearing Jobs: Staffing Implications for Print Serials Management

This article discusses the results of a survey on the staffing implications of reductions in traditional print serials management tasks within academic libraries. The author describes specific tasks that have been eliminated or reduced and the effect on positions and employees. Survey results show that while the majority of positions and employees have remained in the library, less than half of the retrained employees are involved in electronic serials management. The author concludes with a list of tasks for support staff working with electronic serials to assist in staff training and the development of position descriptions that meet the current and future needs of serials management.