[Genealib] Ways of treating genealogical periodicals?

Thu Aug 2 22:24:09 EDT 2007

My name is not Barbara.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Litzer" <dlitzer at acpl.lib.in.us>
To: <genealib at mailman.acomp.usf.edu>
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 3:41 PM
Subject: Re: [Genealib] Ways of treating genealogical periodicals?

Barbara,

To clarify your recollections about the Allen County Public Library's 
Genealogy Center, I'll give as concise an update as possible here.

A caveat at the outset: I write here as a reference librarian and not a 
cataloger, and the following therefore covers the biggest part of the 
picture in the fewest words.  This is what a patron would hear and, in 
combination with the library catalog, collection descriptions at our webpage 
at www.acpl.info/genealogy, and finding aids at hand at the Genealogy 
Center, would hopefully understand to the degree necessary to be successful.

BTW, you are all welcome to experience our collection for yourself at the 
FGS Conference in less than two weeks!

First, regarding closed stacks: since the Genealogy Center's return to our 
original--but renovated and expanded--location in January 2007, our 
collection is 100% open stacks; the Genealogy Center now has a public space 
of almost 40,000 square feet.  In the four years prior to that, while we 
were in a temporary location, we were over 95% open stacks.  So, we have 
been a browser-friendly library for quite a while!

Second, regarding periodical shelving: several years ago it was decided to 
integrate the periodical collection into the general collection.  When I 
arrived at ACPL in mid-2005, this project was nearly completed--and since 
has been.  While there is a section where loose periodicals (principally 
those waiting for sufficient issues for binding and those for which infill 
copies await to assemble complete runs) are kept in a section of boxes 
arranged alphabetically by title, the overwhelming majority of periodicals 
are shelved in call number order, integrated with other materials for that 
geographic area.  A periodical's call number is sometimes displayed as part 
of the periodical's record in the PERSI database; it can also be found by 
searching for the periodical in ACPL's library catalog, accessible from the 
library's website at www.acpl.info .

Third, the call number format used to differentiate print materials 
geographically is a modified Dewey system operating thusly for U.S. regional 
and state-level materials:
--For regional materials, a number with no decimal, e.g., 977 (North Central 
States) for "Tri-State Obituaries : (Indiana-Ohio-Michigan)" or "Inland 
Seas" (the journal of the Great Lakes Historical Society)
--For state-level (or regions within a state), a number with one decimal, 
e.g., 977.5 for the "Catholic Church in Wisconsin" or the "Wisconsin 
Magazine of History"
--For materials pertaining to a particular county in a state, a number with 
"xxx.x01," (with "xxx.x" indicating the state) cuttered to the county, e.g., 
977.501 M32m for "History of Marathon County, Wisconsin and Representative 
Citizens" or 977.501 M32gsa for "Newsletter of the Marathon County (WI) 
Genealogical Society"
--For materials pertaining to a particular incorporated place in a state, a 
number with "xxx.x02," (with "xxx.x" indicating the state) cuttered to the 
incorporated place, e.g., 977.502 SCH63sh for "Schofield (WI) History 
1904-2004" or 977.502 M26hmb for "Historic Madison" (the journal of Historic 
Madison (WI) Inc.)

Of course, there are materials falling outside of a geographic category, 
including:
--general genealogical materials, in 929, e.g., "Everton's Family History 
Magazine"
--materials about religions without a geographic focus, in 929.102, e.g., 
"Friends Intelligencer" for Quaker researchers
--ethnic materials, in 929.11 to 929.19, e.g., "Journal of German-American 
Studies" in 929.13
--foreign countries' materials have their own numbers, subdivided by region, 
e.g., "German Genealogical Digest" in 943
--general American materials, in 973 and appropriate decimalization, e.g., 
"American Genealogist" in 973.005
--family newsletters and anything surname-related, with the 55,000+ 
collection of family histories in 929.2

Did I mention that, during the FGS Conference, the Genealogy Center will be 
open to conferees until midnight on Wednesday and Thursday, and from 6 A.M. 
on Thursday and Friday?

For a collection of our size, it makes sense to have a minimum of distinct 
collections to make research experiences as straightforward as possible for 
our users.  Therefore, integrating periodicals has streamlined our 
collection and been of net benefit.

If you can think of some other odd periodicals that don't neatly fall into 
one of the categories described above, you're welcome to check our library 
catalog--or come see for yourself!

Don Litzer
Reference Librarian, The Genealogy Center
Allen County Public Library
900 Library Plaza
Fort Wayne, Indiana 46802
e-mail: dlitzer at acpl.info
phone (reference desk): 260.421.1225

>>> bhill at calmail.berkeley.edu 8/1/2007 2:01 AM >>>
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

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