At Sea: Reclaiming a Serials Collection at a Small Specialized Library

Abstract

This article describes a multi-year project in which a small specialized academic library worked to restore and optimize its print serial holdings for preservation and access. After a review of the literature the article focuses on project work flow, preservation, bibliographic control, and the criteria for decision-making processes among the librarians to determine appropriate titles to keep or discard. Provided are data collected on titles, some statistics, and tentative future plans to augment access and digitize holdings.

Keywords:

• print journals
• special library
• weeding
• academic library
• bibliographic control
• preservation