| Questions
What are serials and periodicals? According to the AACR2 (Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd edition), a serial is a publication issued in successive parts (at regular or irregular intervals) having numeric or chronological designations and intended to be continued indefinitely. Serials include periodicals, newspapers, annuals and monographic series. Periodicals, sometimes defined as serials published at least twice a year, comprise a very large subset of serials. These are the journals and magazines that most people associate with the word "serial." Even though the words are often used interchangeably, not every serial is a periodical. A monographic series is a serial because it is intended to be continued indefinitely, and it has a collective title that applies to the group as a whole. But each piece also has its own title. An example of a monographic series that can be found at the Swilley Library is Advances in Pharmacology. What are microforms, microfilm and microfiche? Microforms are photographic images of print publications, greatly reduced in size from the original and stored on alternative media. At Swilley we purchase microforms in two formats: microfilm, which is stored on plastic reels and resembles ordinary film; and microfiche, the 4" x 6" flat sheets of film. Where are periodicals located in the Swilley Library? The most recent issues (usually from the current calendar or academic year) are located on the shelves beyond the copy room and study area on the left side of the library's main floor. Current newsletters are kept in 3-ring binders on these shelves. Microforms are stored in the metal cabinets behind that study area. Cabinets 1-10 contain ERIC microfiche. Cabinets 11-18 contain Pharmacy and Theology journals on microfiche and other Pharmacy, Business, and Government publications on microfiche. All other cabinets contain Education, Business, and General Interest microfilm. All rows of cabinets are labeled, both at the end of each row and on each drawer. The bound volumes are shelved downstairs on the library's first floor, in the right section of compact shelving. Back issues of some newsletters are shelved with these volumes. Any problems with the compact shelving should be reported immediately to the Circulation desk. Many journal issues and back issues of newsletters are kept in storage. Please ask someone at the Circulation desk for assistance in obtaining these issues. Monographic series are located in Reference or the regular
stacks and are shelved by the series call number. How can I find out if the library carries a particular journal? From the Swilley homepage (http://swilley.mercer.edu), type the journal title you are looking for into the Journal Search line, and click Go. This search will return results from the library's print holdings and electronically accessible holdings. Or, select an option from the Journals link in the toolbar at the top of the Swilley homepage. This link will connect to a search line that functions the same way as the search line on the homepage. An alphabetical list suitable for browsing is available from this Journals link, as is a link to searching only in-house (print and microform) journals. See a Reference Librarian for assistance with using any of these journal search features. You may also search the library
catalog to check the arrival of a recent issue. We share
this catalog with Mercer University's Jack Tarver Library
in Macon and the Henry, Douglas, and Eastman Regional Academic
Centers, so please check the journal location information
carefully. The issue should be here, so why can't I find it? There are several reasons why an issue may not be on the shelf: We may be in the process of moving the previous year's journals into Storage to make room for the current year and have not yet had the chance to update the information in any of the online guides. In January and February we receive the first issues for new volumes for more than 70% of our current titles, so the volumes from the previous year are removed from the current shelves. Please check with the Periodicals Supervisor or someone at the Circulation or Reference desks for more information. 3-4 times during the year we send journals to the National Library Bindery. If anything is at the NLB (or has been returned but the information has not yet been updated), you may have difficulty locating the issue you want. Check the Bound Periodicals shelves to see if the issue has been bound. The Bindery has a 3-4 week turnaround time, so if you need something immediately, please see the Reference librarian. Someone else may already be using that issue. In this case we usually find the issue or volume within 24 hours, after we do a pickup of materials left on the tables and around the copiers. The item has been misshelved. Most libraries post signs asking that patrons DO NOT RESHELVE MATERIALS. One reason is that libraries often record or count what materials patrons use. These usage statistics are important for collection development and become distorted if journals are reshelved without being counted or recorded. The other reason we ask that patrons DO NOT RESHELVE MATERIALS is that we want to ensure that every loose issue, bound volume and microform unit is returned to its proper location for the next patron. Misplaced items, until we find them, are useless resources which can be a source of frustration for both patrons and staff. And if the library doesn't carry the journal, or if nobody can find the issue, then what? We have access to hundreds of additional journals through GALILEO, OVID and IOWA, and other electronic databases. Please see the Reference librarian for assistance using any of these alternatives: If the article is not available via full-text or full-image, we can also obtain a copy from another library. For more information contact the ILL Supervisor at (678) 547-6291, or the Reference librarian. Can I check out the periodicals? The Swilley Library policy is that periodicals, whether loose or bound, are non-circulating and cannot leave the library. While circulation policies regarding periodicals do vary among libraries, we believe that keeping the periodicals in the library is the best way to ensure that they are available to all our patrons. The only exception to this rule is if you need something (photos, graphs, etc.) scanned or copied in its original color at the Mercer University Educational Media Center. Please see the Reference librarian to make this request. |
In-house Periodicals FAQ