College and Research Libraries By H A R R Y D E W E Y Handling Monographs in Series Mr. Dewey is assistant professor, Uni- versity of Wisconsin Library School. Mo n o g r a p h s i n s e r i e s possess, sepa-rately, all of the characteristics of in- dividually published treatises on separate subjects. Each monograph has, generally, its own author, title and subject matter—differ- ent from the other monographs in the series. In addition, each possesses a common series title, assigned by the publisher, that may have considerable significance for the cata- loged If each volume in the series is num- bered, it becomes possible to catalog and classify the series as a single set or serial, rather than to classify separately each publi- cation in the group. Separate classification for each volume or title in the set results in "scattering" the set in various locations on the shelves. T h e decision to scatter or not to scatter is, in the aggregate, one of the most important made in college and re- search libraries. The careful attention of administrators to the principles involved is warranted. To Scatter or Not to Scatterf A decision to scatter the volumes of the series or to classify them together on the shelves must be made with the arrival of the first volume in the series, or cataloging may be delayed until additional volumes are received. For libraries receiving numerous monographs in series this is a very impor- tant decision, for it determines the amount of attention that will have to be devoted to each future volume by the catalog depart- ment, and has a great deal to do with the amount of material on any one subject read- ers can find by going directly to the class number for that subject without going to the card catalog. For example, if Research Report no. 36 of the Texas Engineering Ex- periment Station is received, and classified in 371.62 (the Decimal Classification num- ber for school buildings and equipment), it becomes necessary, if conventional catalog- ing habits are followed, to make entries for the two authors, Caudill and Reed, as well as a subject card for the work, which is titled Geometry of Classrooms as Related to Natural Lighting and Natural Ventilation. While the library is waiting for Library of Congress cards the monograph must be shelved in some temporary location, or a special procedure for classifying without cataloging must be invoked. Worse than this, however, is the precedent set for the future. Once one number in the series is separately cataloged, all future numbers will have to be so treated, unless the decision to scatter is reversed, in which case there will be a strong temptation to recatalog no. 36 to "put it with the set." Many catalog administrators decide whether or not to scatter a series on the basis of^regularity of receipt of the issues, but this practice often results in burdening the department with a mass of unanticipated monographs requiring separate cataloging. General practice is to scatter sets of which the different volumes are separately ordered on the basis of individual merit and need, and to classify sets together only if (but not necessarily when) the library has placed a standing order for the series. Thus many sets are scattered that would have been kept together had the library only placed a JULY, 1954 26 7 standing order at the beginning. Such a policy is neither logical nor desirable. Series should be scattered or kept together on the basis of their own merits and the needs of the library and not on the basis of regularity of receipt. Catalogers who assume the li- brary is not "likely" to receive any more volumes in a series may be expected to guess wrong in a good percentage of cases, for after all, would they not have made the same negative guess prior to publication of the volume in hand? T h e cost, to the catalog department, in terms of future staff time "reserved" for separate cataloging of future titles of scat- tered series may be measured by counting the number of series cards filed per month or year for such volumes, and multiplying it by the per volume cost of cataloging. T h e figure thus obtained represents a con- tinuing encumbrance against the time avail- able for all work by the cataloging staff, time that will be forever lost to other du- ties. Such a figure may be expected to re- main constant in most libraries, or even to increase slightly. T h e administrator must weigh this cost against the advantages of separate classification for such monographs. If he does not reverse the policy, it may be assumed that he feels the practice to be worth its cost. T h e cost of the alternative method may be measured in terms of the cost of adding volumes to sets already cataloged, obviously less than the cost of separate cataloging. Other hidden costs may include the extra work, for patrons or the staff, of using printed bibliographies to identify the series titles of monographs not found under au- thor, title or subject in the catalog. Public libraries are specially liberal about scattering sets; only a few of the largest ones take advantage of the savings that may be obtained by a parsimonious scattering policy. Since acquisition is inevitably governed by time available for processing (especially in public libraries), these librar- ies are actually depriving themselves of ma- terials in order to shelve by subject the smaller number of titles that can be proc- essed under a "liberal" scattering policy. Catalog administrators must be careful not to commit too high a percentage of de- partmental time to monographs in series that must be separately cataloged. It is the author's opinion that no library can build a great research collection except at fantastic processing cost, unless it carefully limits its scattering policy. Criteria for Scattering Among the considerations to be weighed in deciding whether or not to scatter mono- graph series are the following: 1. Regularity of receipt. This considera- tion has been discussed above. Regard- less of regularity, if there are to be any future acquisitions, by accident or de- sign, the catalog department will be committed to devote "cataloging time," as opposed to "adding time" (time taken to "add" them to the serial record or shelflist), to them. 2. Series that are "out of scope." Long- established series, the contents of which are known to include only rarely titles within the scope of the library's acquisi- tion policy, may be scattered without a particularly large commitment on future time. 3. Binding. If a series is paper-bound, to scatter it is to invoke a commitment to bind separately all future volumes. Even pamphlet binders are expensive. If the series is not to be scattered, several volumes may be bound together. On the other hand, if the volumes are published in cloth bindings, or are so thick as to require separate binding, or are published in such odd sizes as to require separate binding, this factor need not be considered in making the decision to scatter or not. 4. Variety of subject matter. If the series consists of titles on closely related sub- jects, e.g. the Census Monographs of the Bureau of the Census, and would 272 COI.LEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES shelve near each other even if scattered, nothing is gained by scattering. On the other hand, such series as the Refer- ence Shelf would be more readily located, if scattered, by readers brows- ing in an open-stack library. Libraries with stacks divided on the subject- divisional plan might more logically pursue a liberal scattering policy than libraries with central-core stacks, al- though such libraries cannot hope to disperse all subject materials appropri- ately, without resorting to scattering the articles that appear in the general periodicals, or the chapters in books that deal with overlapping subjects, etc. 5. Availability of LC cards. If LC cards are not obtainable for each separate monograph in the series, then the en- cumbrance on catalog department time resulting from a decision to scatter the set is indeed heavy, whether or not LC series cards are available. On the other hand, if L C analytic cards are available, but a series card is not, it may be cheaper to prepare the series card locally and avoid the not inconsequential expenses incident to separate classifica- tion and cataloging with LC cards. The analytic cards may be used anyhow, if the set is not scattered, at considerably less cost than is entailed in their use as an adjunct to separate classification (see below). 6. Numbering. If the monographs in the series are not numbered according to a system whereby each title can be identi- fied exclusively by series title and volume number (or date), it becomes impossible or inadvisable not to scatter them. The cataloger must otherwise supply arbitrary numbers to the volumes, and keep up-to-date, on the catalog card, a key to these volume numbers; location of the volumes is otherwise im- possible. If the series title and num- bering are placed on the volumes in a very obscure position, the cost savings must be weighed carefully against the fact that bibliographical citations are apt to omit mention of such series notes, even in such bibliographically reliable publications as the H. W . Wilson Com- pany and LC indexes and catalogs. This is likely to be true of series with complex systems of numbering or cryptic series titles, such as the " A R C " series published by the American Red Cross, etc., since these series may go unrecog- nized as such, or be dismissed as un- important, by bibliographers, as indeed they often are. 7. Publisher. It is not advisable to classify together monographs in series issued by "trade" publishers, even though num- bered, for the simple, if technically illogical, reason that librarians (let alone patrons) do not expect to have to look under series titles to find such series, and for the technically valid reason that bibliographers and research- ers almost universally omit mention of such series titles in their catalogs, in- dexes and bibliographies. This latter factor would render well-nigh impossi- ble the identification and location of such monographs if they were classified as sets. How to Scatter Monographs in series should generally be recorded in the continuation or serials re- cord. If they were separately ordered, an order card, Library of Congress card order slip, and catalogers' work slip (for instruc- tions to typist) may already have been pre- pared. If not, these records will have to be made. T h e monographs are then cataloged as though they were separate books, except that a series card is filed in the card catalog for the benefit of readers using the series ap- proach, and who may not know the author or title of the volume desired. Main cards for scattered series are prepared by few li- braries; when prepared, they may carry some such legend as " F o r call numbers and titles of individual volumes, see cards fol- lowing." Such main cards are useful for carrying the tracing for cross-references from series editors, previous (changed) series titles, and from the names of societies, institutions or other corporate bodies respon- sible for the series, when these are necessary. Cross-references to the main card are pre- ferred over added entries for such names, JULY, 1954 26 7 since the reader is thus guided to the file of series cards showing contents and call num- bers. T h e cross-references should be made even if no main card is prepared, and in such cases should be traced in the library's cross- reference authority file. Unless the title is common to several series, series entry should be made under title, e.g. Census monograph no. 4, rather than U.S. Bureau of the Census. Census monograph no. 4, for author-title series entries take up a great deal of room when typed at the top of printed analytic cards. T h e series title should be given in the singu- lar when it appears in the singular on the individual monographs, e.g. Bulletin 224, not Bulletins, no. 224. How to Classify as Sets Classification, as sets, of monographs in series is completed when the initial volume is cataloged. Thereafter, succeeding vol- umes are added to the serials record, shelf- list, and catalog cards, depending upon the number of places in which the holdings re- cord is duplicated in the library. Series, when cataloged and classified as such, are preferably entered under title, un- less the title is common to several different series, e.g. Research report, Bulletin, etc., in which case entry should be made under the name of the organization or person re- sponsible for the series. Main Library of Congress cards are not available for many series, for that library has traditionally pursued a very liberal scat- tering policy, fortunately (or perhaps un- fortunately) for American libraries. This policy has been augmented by a liberal policy of analyzing a goodly proportion of even those series that were not scattered. Li- brary of Congress policy in these respects springs from the desire to render good bibliographic service to readers, but un- doubtedly has its roots in the days when cataloging time was not so scarce and expen- sive as now, and when the concept that the library stacks (classification) should reveal as much as possible of the subject content of a library was more popular than it is today. These factors account, in part, for the scarcity of main L C cards for series, and for the relative abundance of L C analytic cards. To Analyze or Not T o scatter a series, of course, means that it is automatically analyzed; each separate monograph is given author, title and subject cataloging. However, when sets are not scattered, someone must decide whether or not to analyze the component monographs. One might at first think that the purpose of classifying monographs together would be defeated by a decision to go ahead and put analytic cards in the catalog anyhow. Upon reflection, however, the cataloger can see that, if the analytic cards can be obtained by standing order from the Library of Con- gress, nearly all of the savings resulting from not scattering the set will be salvaged. T h e volumes may still be sent quickly to the stacks and classification of each volume is avoided. Later, when the L C cards are re- ceived, the call number (including the vol- ume number) and headings may be typed on them without even calling the volume from the stacks; this practice is widespread. Most libraries have a special "analytics" file, where receipt of cards and volumes is noted; this file also contains a record of the estab- lished series entry form, call number of the set, and other information essential to the process whereby cataloging is undertaken without consultation of the volumes. O f course, such records are maintained only for series titles regularly received. If L C cards arrive before the volume, they may be forwarded to the serial librarian with a form request to claim the missing issue. Among the factors that must be con- 274 COI.LEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES sidered in deciding w h e t h e r or not to ana- l y z e the series a r e : ( 1 ) Availability of L C cards. If L C analytic cards are not available, the w o r k of analysis w i l l be overly time- consuming and costly. T h e list of series f o r which analytics are prepared locally w i l l be carefully scrutinized by the economy-minded cataloging ad- ministrator. ( 2 ) Availability of printed indexes. Printed indexes available to the public and to the reference librarians may be substituted f o r costly catalog analysis. Such indexes as Firkins' Index to Short Stories and the L C Subject Catalog are expensive; they do not earn their purchase price if their contents are duplicated in the card catalog. T h i s is not to say that series analyzed in the L C printed cata- logs should not be analyzed in the library's card catalog; however, the titles chosen f o r analysis should be chosen with care and with the expecta- tion that the cards will be frequently used. ( 3 ) L i b r a r y holdings. J f the library has a limited amount of material in the subject area of a particular series of monographs, more serious considera- tion should be given to analysis. ( 4 ) Demand. Institutional and reader interest in the subject area, or lack thereof, may dictate the decision. ( 5 ) L o c a l interest. If the series contains monographs by leading local citizens, members of the faculty, or about local persons, places, organizations, etc., analytic cards may be made f o r these. Reference Books in Series T h e r e f e r e n c e l i b r a r i a n , or the l i b r a r i a n of any special collection in the l i b r a r y , occa- sionally asks that copies of certain mono- g r a p h s be taken out of the set (if the set is not s c a t t e r e d ) so that they m a y be shelved in the special collection. A s s u m i n g that the desired titles w o u l d be u s e f u l in the r e f e r - ence or other collection, the cataloger should yield as g r a c e f u l l y as possible. U n l e s s the l i b r a r y w i s h e s to purchase an e x t r a copy f o r the r e f e r e n c e collection, the continuity and completeness of the set must be impaired by r e m o v a l of the desired v o l u m e . If the reference l i b r a r i a n feels s t r o n g l y that it should be shelved by subject, it should be so classified, rather than g i v e n the call num- ber of the series. H o d g e ' s Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico is more a p p r o p r i a t e l y shelved, in a reference collection w h e r e use is heavy and the classification is i m p o r t a n t , under R 9 7 0 . 1 than under R 5 7 2 . 7 , the n u m - ber that m i g h t be given to the B u r e a u of A m e r i c a n E t h n o l o g y Bulletin series in w h i c h this title w a s published. O n the other hand, r e f e r e n c e collections are o f t e n s m a l l , and the r e f e r e n c e l i b r a r i a n s w o u l d soon learn the v o l u m e ' s call n u m b e r , n o m a t t e r w h a t it might be. A s long, h o w e v e r , as the c a t a l o g cards h a v e to be changed to indicate the special location of this particu- l a r v o l u m e , it is not m u c h more difficult to please the r e f e r e n c e l i b r a r i a n by c l a s s i f y i n g the m o n o g r a p h by its subject. Such a note as " V o l . 3 0 has call n u m b e r R 9 7 0 . 1 H 6 6 h " should then be added to the main series cards. If the set has been a n a l y z e d , the cor- rect call n u m b e r must be given on the a n a l y t i c cards. C a t a l o g e r s should not a l l o w themselves to be annoyed by such special requests, es- pecially if they go blithely a l o n g scattering w h o l e series even though no one w o u l d care if they w e r e classified together. Who Decidesf W h o should decide w h e t h e r series are to be scattered or kept t o g e t h e r ? S o m e li- b r a r i a n s m a i n t a i n that such decisions are entirely the f u n c t i o n of the r e f e r e n c e li- b r a r i a n , or the subject divisional l i b r a r i a n , the officer responsible f o r the book collec- tions, or other members of the readers' serv- ices s t a f f , since they alone k n o w the extent JULY1954 275 to w h i c h s u c c e s s f u l a l t e r n a t i v e c a t a l o g i n g m e t h o d s , e . g . p r i n t e d i n d e x e s , m a y be u s e d . O t h e r s m a i n t a i n t h a t the c a t a l o g a d m i n i s t r a - t o r a l o n e is a w a r e of t h e c o m m i t m e n t s o n t h e t i m e of his s t a f f t h a t a r e m a d e by s u c h d e c i s i o n s , a n d t h a t he k n o w s b e t t e r h o w m u c h of his s t a f f ' s t i m e is n e e d e d f o r o t h e r w o r k . O t h e r s m a i n t a i n t h a t it m a k e s l i t t l e d i f f e r e n c e w h o d e c i d e s , a s l o n g as t h e de- c i d i n g o f f i c e r k e e p s in m i n d b o t h ( I ) n e e d s of r e a d e r s in t e r m s of a b i l i t y to f i n d b o o k s u n d e r t h e s p e c i f i c c l a s s n u m b e r s f o r t h e i r c o n t e n t s , a n d ( 2 ) t h e e f f e c t of s u c h d e c i s i o n s on t h e c a t a l o g d e p a r t m e n t a n d o n its a b i l i t y to p e r f o r m w i t h m a x i m u m e f f i c i e n c y . I t is to be e x p e c t e d t h a t if the d e c i s i o n is l e f t to t h o s e in c h a r g e of r e a d e r s ' s e r v i c e s , m o r e sets w i l l be s c a t t e r e d t h a n if t h e deci- sion is l e f t to t h o s e in c h a r g e of t e c h n i c a l s e r v i c e s . S o m e h i g h - l e v e l l i b r a r y e x e c u t i v e s m a y w i s h to m a k e the d e c i s i o n t h e m s e l v e s . T h e d e c i s i o n to s c a t t e r o r n o t to s c a t t e r m o n o g r a p h s in series is o n e of s u f f i c i e n t i m - p o r t a n c e a n d h a s s u c h f a r - r e a c h i n g e f f e c t s on l i b r a r y p r o c e s s i n g costs as to w a r r a n t t h e p e r s o n a l a t t e n t i o n of a d m i n i s t r a t o r s a t the c a t a l o g i n g l e v e l , t e c h n i c a l p r o c e s s e s l e v e l o r t o p - a d m i n i s t r a t o r l e v e l . E v e r y s u c h a d - m i n i s t r a t o r s h o u l d h a v e o r a c q u i r e a t h o r o u g h u n d e r s t a n d i n g of h o w a n d w h y t h e d e c i s i o n s a r e r e a c h e d in his l i b r a r y , a n d of t h e e f f e c t s of t h e p r e v a i l i n g p o l i c y . Personalities Behind the Development of P A I S (Continued, from page 270) i n f o r m a t i o n in fields of w h o l e s a l e and retail t r a d e and finance. I t s use f r o m a n o t h e r a n g l e is r e f l e c t e d in a l e t t e r f r o m E s t h e r S c h l u n d t , h e a d of the R e a d e r s D i v i s i o n of P u r d u e U n i v e r s i t y L i b r a r i e s : W i t h the g r o w t h of o u r g r a d u a t e school p r o g r a m w e have f o u n d t h a t the demand f o r the special services w h i c h P A I S can render has increased and that w e n o w also acquire m a n y m o r e of the special studies and series w h i c h are included in this index. F r o m a p r a c t i c a l point of v i e w w e con- sider it a v e r y s a t i s f a c t o r y social science index and i n v a l u a b l e w h e n it comes to find- ing pertinent state, f e d e r a l , and n o w U n i t e d N a t i o n s documents f r o m a subject approach. W e , of course, use w i t h g r e a t f r e q u e n c y , the Directory of Publications and Organizations as w e l l as the biblio- g r a p h i c a l data given in the Key to Peri- odical References. I w e l l r e m e m b e r h a v i n g helped a stu- dent in a e r o n a u t i c a l engineering try to find m a t e r i a l on the t r a n s p o r t a t i o n of p h a r m a c e u t i c a l s by air. W e searched t h r o u g h the engineering and aviation l i t e r a t u r e indexes w i t h little success and then w e n t to P A I S to find there j u s t about w h a t he w a n t e d in a W a y n e U n i v e r s i t y Study in A i r T r a n s p o r t a t i o n on the air c a r g o potential in d r u g s and p h a r m a - ceuticals. W h i l e t h e c h a i r m e n of the P u b l i c a t i o n s C o m m i t t e e h a v e c a r r i e d t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i v e b u r d e n , a n d t h e d e m a n d s on the m e m b e r s of t h e C o m m i t t e e h a v e been s l i g h t , w e f i n d a n e n d u r i n g s a t i s f a c t i o n in o u r r e l a t i o n s h i p to a f i n a n c i a l l y s o u n d i n s t i t u t i o n t h a t q u i e t l y a n d w i t h o u t f a n f a r e h a s s e r v e d so e f f e c t i v e l y as a n a i d to r e s e a r c h . 276 COI.LEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES