RIT Library Bindery Policy/Procedure: Periodicals
Decision Maker
The bibliographer or other librarian placing an order for a new title decides
the duration and format for retention and records this information on the order
request submitted to the Acquisitions Department.
Decision Criteria for Format of Retention
Microformat
The preferred format for retention of most serials backfiles is microform for
the following reasons:
1. Best use of library space
2. Greater ease of collection maintenance
Microformat is particularly recommended for retention for serials backfiles
in the following cases:
1. Heavily used titles, as paper copies are too worn after current issue use
to bind (eg. Time, Newsweek)
2. Titles printed on newsprint or other poor quality stock unsuitable for binding
(eg. Interview, Chronicle of Higher Education, newspapers)
3. Titles never purchased in hard copy, i.e. the library does not have a subscription
to current issues of the title
4. Paper copy backfiles are heavily mutilated, selected years may be replaced
by microformat
Bind
Based on performance over the past year (1992/93), the “Advantage” style of
binding (double fan, wide inner margin, flat spine, flush bottom edge) is recommended
for all bound periodicals. In addition to being less costly, Advantage-bound
volumes have proven to be more durable and easier to photocopy than volumes
bound in other styles.
Binding back issues is appropriate in the following instances:
1. Microformat or electronic backfiles are not available
2. Illustrations are of central importance to the content of articles and cannot
be adequately viewed in micro- or electronic format or reproduced from micro-
or electronic format -color (eg. Art in America) -photographs (eg. Aperture,
Scanning Microscopy, Radiology) -charts, diagrams (eg. Science, IEEE Transactions)
3. Text routinely includes notation, such as mathematical formulas, which cannot
be adequately viewed in micro- or electronic format or reproduced from micro-
or electronic format (eg. SIAM Journal on Mathematical Analysis)
4. The periodical itself has value as an artifact, i.e. as a primary source,
which would be destroyed if reproduced in another format (eg. Manipulator)
5. The cost of micro- or electronic format backfiles is very high (eg. Computers
and Education at $336, Health Physics at $340)
6. Microformat is routinely very late (over one year between publication of
the last issue of the volume and publication of microformat) and there is a
high risk of losing the loose issues.
Electronic (CD-ROM, network)
1. Titles available only in these formats (eg. Postmodern Culture)
2. Titles which fall outside the scope of the RIT Library Collection Development
Policy but are available through another product in the collection (eg. Software
Magazine and Mac Week are included in full text on Computer Select)
3. Titles, such as indexing and abstracting services, that provide better access
than printed versions (more access points, multi-year cumulations, combine titles,
networking potential) (eg. Social Science Index, Inspec, ERIC)
Duplicate Backfiles
In rare cases duplicate copies of titles may be maintained in the same format
(multiple bound volumes, multiple film copies) or in different formats (bound
and CD-ROM, bound and film)
1. Very heavily used titles (eg. Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature, Time)
2. Heavily used titles which are also important as artifacts (eg. Life)
3. Bound backfiles are sporadically mutilated, selected years may be duplicated
in microformat (eg. Graphis)
Current [Year/Month/Week] Only
1. Titles providing information of importance for a limited time such as newsletters,
calendars, job listings services (eg. Current Contents, Artjob/bank, Art & Design
News)
Review
1. The Acquisitions Department notifies bibliographers of serial title changes
and cessations as they occur throughout the year. Bibliographers review the
retention and format decisions for backfiles of these titles.
2. The retention schedule(based on individual subject collection development
statements) and backfile formats(based on Decision Criteria for Format of Retention
section of this document) for all serials are reviewed every year as part of
the annual evaluation of current serial subscriptions.
[January 1994]
Maintained by Sheila Smokey
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