Library news

Issue 4, Nov 1991

Library circulation survey

Thank you to all library users who responded so promptly and positively to the recent library circulation survey. Over 550 replies were received. As a result of your responses the findings of the survey have been collated and recommendations drafted for consideration. a summary of these recommendations will be published in the next issue of Library News.

Some of the questionaries were returned with quite specific comments, but as the questionnaire was anonymous we are unable to respond to these comments individually. However any staff member who wishes to discuss or comment on library issues is welcome to contact the appropriate Branch Librarian directly.

Over 50% of your replies on question 7 requested advanced instruction on the use of SESAME2. Caulfield and Frankston staff will be able to avail themselves of SESAME2 classes on those campuses in mid February 1992. For further information contact Averil Dent at Caulfield on ext 73 2536 or Jennifer Carpinelli at Frankston on ext 74 4275. Branch Libraries on the Clayton campus will be arranging similar classes.

Limiting your search results to the location you want

Recently the library added an option to SESAME2 which allows search results to be limited by location or what the library calls their Shelflist ID (SH). The SH command provides a way of limiting search results to a single location within a Branch Library. This command is extremely useful in fine tuning your search when searching subject areas for which material is held in more than one branch library or when you wish to limit the material found to a particular format such as these, serials of videos. For example a search for accounting materials can be limited to the Main Library Main Collection by using SH MAIN or to the Caulfield General Collection by using SH CAUZ. In fact there are currently 115 Shelflist IDs. A full list of these can be found on SESAME2 by entering the command SHELF.

For assistance or a full explanation of the Shelflist commands and their IDs contact the Information Desk at your Branch Library.

Biomedical resources

The Monash University Library has extensive resources to support the biomedical teaching and research program of the university. These resources can be found in :-

The Biomedical Library

This library houses the psychology, medicine and biological sciences collections.
Contact the Information Desk on ext.75 2630 for further information.

The Alfred Hospital Subbranch of the Biomedical Library

This library is located in the basement of Monash Medical School, Alfred Hospital. This library holds material on public and occupational medicine, venereology and immunology.

It is important to note that material shown in the Monash University Library system SESAME2 as being held at the Alfred Hospital indicates that the item is held in the Monash University Alfred Hospital Subbranch Library NOT IN the Alfred Hospital's Health Sciences Library.The Health Sciences Library is primarily for use by hospital staff.

The Frankston Campus Library

Monash University's School of Nursing is based at Frankston Campus and the Library provides resources in support of that School's courses. The Subject Librarian for the School of Nursing is Alison Rankin. For further information contact Alison Rankin on ext.74 4304 or the Information Desk on ext. 74 4275.

Box Hill Hospital

This is a hospital administered library which holds in it's co University and Monash Medical Centre material on community medicine.

PLEASE NOTE:- Teaching hospital materials are meant for the use of staff and students located in the departments at the hospitals. Other Monash staff can apply for access to hospital held materials at any Branch Library.obstetric and gynaecology.

This collection now includes materials previously held in the library at Prince Henry's Hospital.

Monash Medical Centre : Moorabbin

This is a hospital administered library holding Monash University and Monash Medical Centre material on community medicine.

Serial prices scholarly publishing and library crises

The current situation in the Library, particularly the Clayton campus where the ordering of books has been restricted to the essential and our serials subscription list has been subjected to a severe cancellation programme, is one that has bought considerable distress to the library and our clients.

While a number of factors may have contributed to this, any response which sees the problem as essentially one of equity between competing needs is missing the underlying cause. No matter how the Library allocates its acquisitions budget it is no longer possible for us to meet the demands of teaching and research staff in the way it once was. The volume of scholarly publication is such that libraries can only afford a shrinking proportion of what is published annually. It is estimated that 4,000 books are published every day and somewhere in excess of 1230,000 journals are currently published. Our task is to ensure that we buy the "right" very small proportion of these and any discussion of equitable distribution of our budget should take this into account.

there is some evidence that the volume of, at least, commercial book publishing in the US has stabilised but sadly the problem has not. Extraordinary levels of price inflation are occurring with some serial prices. While currently serial price inflation is estima $383 470 152%

 
Economic 
outlook              $335               $762            127%
 
Journal of the 
North
American
Benthological
Society            $US60             $US134             123%
 
Journal of
Musicological
Research             130                279             114%
 
Public
Administration      $123               $210              70%
 
European
Business
Review               173                286              65%
 
Regional 
Studies             $237               $383              61%

Amists, pediatricians, social workers and other professionals who deal with research, planning, education and care of infants and young children. The periodical provides English translations of work in this field that has been published in other languages, and original English papers on all aspects of early child development and care: descriptive and evaluative articles on social, educational and preventive medical programs for young children, experimental and observational studies, critical reviews and summary articles. In addition to scientific papers, the periodical shall contain book reviews, reports on conferences and other items of inthildren. The periodical provides English translations of work in this field that has been published in other languages, and original English papers on all aspects of early child development and care: descriptive and evaluative articles on social, educational and preventive medical programs for young children, experimental and observational studies, critical reviews and summary articles. In addition to scientific papers, the periodical shall contain book reviews, reports on conferences and other items of interest..............

ORlternative to print

Librarians are strongly urged to assume a role beyond that of organising crises induced cancellation rounds every few years and being targets of academic vituperation.
University administrators and granting agencies are being pressed to change their policy for en attempting to negotiate collectively with the major science publishers for agreement on lower prices.
Electronic publishing of peer reviewed journals is being promoted, although more as an auxiliary than a complete alternative to print
University administrators and granting agencies are being pressed to change their policy for awarding tenure promotion and funding, so as to minimise pressure for excessive publication. Publication is often the only quantifiable indicator of research activity but a number of institutions have already proposed considering only five papers in tenure promotion and grant decisions. role beyond that of organising crises induced cancellation rounds every few years and being targets of academic vituperation.