Session Number
18
Description
The continuing and growing importance attached to serials in the broadest sense, both as an archival souree and an information disseminating agency, requires a complete understanding of the various, and many, ramifications involved in writing, producing, documenting, disseminating, storing, and disposing of the information concerned. The current economic situation has prompted an even closer scrutiny and evaluation of methods involved, and the importance, of this form of literature.
The appreciation of serials varies considerably in practice from librarian to librarian and, more importantly, from library school to library school. Acknowledging this fact the Department of Library and Information Studies at Loughborough University of Technology introduced a serials option into its degree programme some years ago, and which has attracted a consistent amount of interest. This paper will outline the syllabus involved.
Because of the variation in serials appreciation as mentioned above, a point of view backed by the United Kingdom Serials Group and by other parties - publishers, agents and librarians - the British Library awarded the author a research grant to investigate the demands of practising librarians and the methodologies of teaching the subject at library schools. Whilst concentrating on UK practice a cross sectional view was obtained from countries overseas. It is hoped that preliminary findings will be available at the time of the conference which will reveal the dichotomy of views of the needs of the practising librarian and the way the subject is taught by the professional teaching institutions.
Serials Education or How to Nail Jelly to the Wall
The continuing and growing importance attached to serials in the broadest sense, both as an archival souree and an information disseminating agency, requires a complete understanding of the various, and many, ramifications involved in writing, producing, documenting, disseminating, storing, and disposing of the information concerned. The current economic situation has prompted an even closer scrutiny and evaluation of methods involved, and the importance, of this form of literature.
The appreciation of serials varies considerably in practice from librarian to librarian and, more importantly, from library school to library school. Acknowledging this fact the Department of Library and Information Studies at Loughborough University of Technology introduced a serials option into its degree programme some years ago, and which has attracted a consistent amount of interest. This paper will outline the syllabus involved.
Because of the variation in serials appreciation as mentioned above, a point of view backed by the United Kingdom Serials Group and by other parties - publishers, agents and librarians - the British Library awarded the author a research grant to investigate the demands of practising librarians and the methodologies of teaching the subject at library schools. Whilst concentrating on UK practice a cross sectional view was obtained from countries overseas. It is hoped that preliminary findings will be available at the time of the conference which will reveal the dichotomy of views of the needs of the practising librarian and the way the subject is taught by the professional teaching institutions.