Serials are a general term for publications issued in a series of parts, and can include items such as newspapers, magazines, journals, annuals, and directories. They can be issued in print or electronic formats and published at varying intervals (e.g., daily, monthly, annually). Serials management in a library management system (LMS) involves the tracking and organisation of recurring publications. Effective serials management ensures that libraries can efficiently locate, access, and maintain serial items.
Key aspects of the serials management module within an LMS
- Subscription Management: Track subscription renewals and provide alerts to librarians.
- Claim processing: Handle missing issue claims and follows up with publishers.
- Cost management: Track subscription costs and budgets.
- Check-in issues: Quickly check in new issues.
- Binding Management: Manage binding requests and track the status.
Advantages of effective serials management
- Improved access: Users can easily locate, and access needed serials.
- Efficient workflows: Librarians can streamline workflows and reduce administrative tasks.
- Cost savings: By managing subscriptions effectively, libraries can reduce costs and avoid unnecessary expenses.
- Enhanced collection development: Usage data can inform collection development decisions, ensuring that the library has the right materials to meet user needs.
- Better compliance: Effective serials management can help libraries comply with licensing agreements and copyright laws.
Serials Management within a Libero 6 LMS
Libero 6 streamlines your serials workflow, from initial subscription to final delivery. Automate tasks like check-ins, claims, and distribution and reduce administrative burdens to free up your library staff to focus on what matters most – the communities they serve. With estimated due dates, routing templates, and claims functionality, managing your subscription schedule becomes easy. By optimising binding and check-in schedules, you ensure timely access to relevant materials.
Easy to use, functional and flexible
Optimise the allocation of funds with multilevel budget functionality and the ability to access up to the second fund/cost centre information as serials are ordered, invoiced, and received. The ease of management flows through to the WebOPAC/Discovery layer where members can quickly identify and access materials via Libero’s customisable multi-level display of issues received, grouped by location, volume/issue statement or year. Libero 6 supports volume and item-level reservations for serials. Once received, serial items are immediately available to staff enquiry, WebOPAC/Discovery layer, circulation and item holdings modules. Serial items can be managed and maintained individually or in bulk like any other item record in the database. With the flexibility to cater for regular, ad-hoc and supplementary issues, individual titles, multicomponent serials, multiple copies of issues and multiple title subscriptions, Libero 6 will improve your serials management in any scenario.
Other benefits include:
- Easy handling and control for subscriptions at separate branches.
- Bulk check-in options.
- Ability to check-in non-standard issues including – special issues, issues out of sequence, double-numbered issues, and duplicates.
- Unlimited Articles per issue – accession of individually ‘titled’ issues that can be searched by title in the WebOPAC/Discovery layer.
- Comprehensive financial reporting.
- Check-in alerts.
- In-built processes for journal routing.
- Full integration with Cataloguing and Acquisitions.
- Automatic update of the consolidated statement of holdings on the title record upon check-in.
- Leap year functionality to calculate correct due dates.
- Options for northern and southern hemisphere seasons volumes.
- Reporting for circulation per title per location.
Serials management within a Libero 6 LMS, libraries can improve efficiency, enhance user satisfaction, and ensure long-term collection sustainability. Want to find out more?