Some problems in the administration of a medical library / by James F. Ballard.

  • Ballard, James F. (James Francis), 1878-
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Some problems in the administration of a medical library / by James F. Ballard. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    12/18 (page 10)
    The periodical collection is the back-bone of the librar}' and ever}- effort should be put forth to make it as complete as possible. The important general weeklies and monthlies, the transactions of the international, national, local and special societies and as many of the special journals as funds will allow should be placed on the subscrip- tion list. All of the subscription business should be placed in the hands of one agent. This is most satisfactory in many ways as it simplifies the book keeping, cuts down the correspondence, and, best of all, provides one responsible head for the business. Much of the American periodical literature can be obtained through the various channels open to most libraries. The publica- tions of all the state medical societies should be regularly received and the sets made as complete as possible. The card check list system should be used for keeping track of the receipt and payment of the serials and periodicals. The periodical field is constantly changing, and provision should be made for the acquisition of the best of the newer publications. A good general agent will keep one in touch with this material. The matter of the completion of files is most important. Constant effort should be made in this direction and a special sum of money set aside each 3^ear for this work. Particular attention should be directed to the completion of the files of the proceedings of the various international, national, local and special societies. Every single number of a journal, old or new, not already in the Library should be .saved. Some day it may be the one number nece.ssary to complete a set. There is great difficulty in obtaining numbers or volumes of many of the American and English periodicals. It is much easier to obtain foreign wants than it is to get the missing parts of many of the American publications. Advertising in the Publishers’ Weekly and the Publishers’ Circular will sometimes prove successful. Numbers of out of the way journals are consigned to the junk dealer without a thought that they may be wanted at the library. Personal solicita- tion and publicity will go a great ways toward solving this problem. From time to time want lists should be compiled and sent out to various foreign agents for reports. All catalogs should be examined as one cannot tell where some much needed volumes may be found. They have turned np in the most unlikel}^ places. With a certain class of material, such as odd volumes and numbers and publications in the uncommon foreign languages, it is well to give a definite order and in most cases to set a maximum price which the agent must not exceed. in