[Genealib] Ways of treating genealogical periodicals?

[Barbara Hill]

Dear List,

A question has come up at our genealogical society library regarding 
how periodicals are treated in other genealogical collections.  It's 
my impression that many public libraries segregate their periodicals 
on different shelving, usually arranged in alphabetical order by 
title.  If so, how come?  Does this have anything to do with the 
Dewey Decimal system?

Our library uses LC call numbers, and the periodicals all have LC 
numbers assigned to them and are interfiled with the books.  Unbound 
issues are shelved in pamphlet boxes next to the bound volumes.  It 
seems to me that the LC call number system lends itself very well to 
a geographic shelving arrangement and facilitates browsing.  Is there 
any logical reason to remove the periodicals and shelve them separately?

Some of our members who have been to the Allen County Library in Fort 
Wayne report that their periodicals are shelved separately but 
arranged geographically, probably because they get so many 
titles.  Does this work well?  What is done with titles which cut 
across geographic boundaries to concentrate on (for example) an 
ethnic group?  I have some dim recollection that Allen County 
possibly used to have closed stacks - would this have any influence 
on how periodicals are shelved?

For those who choose to reply, either directly to me or to the list, 
my specific questions would be:

1) your type of library - public? academic? genealogical/historical 
society? other?
2) how your periodicals are shelved, and your opinion of it?
3) whether your library uses Dewey or LC, and whether you think this 
has any bearing?
4) whether you have closed or open stacks, and whether this has any bearing?
5) (optional)  If you had to start over from scratch, what would you 
do differently?

Thank you all very much!

Barbara Hill
Library Committee member
California Genealogical Society