A journal is changing its name -- again -- for the fourth time. Thankfully, we only keep current print holdings and it doesn't effect us much, but pulling down records and updating them, creating MARC records in the ILS does take time and money to do. I realize that as a theological teacher's journal, it probably does not take such mammon-like things [like money] into consideration....
And I will not deign to address the issue of the Educational journal that renames itself every year to fit the political correct term of the moment for special needs students...This one is fun for students doing research to track down -- since we archive it on microform....and they have to hunt about for the current title record and then find it in the microform area.
It seems that some fields of study are more prone to change titles, like the infamous journal Teacher that changed to Teacher, Teacher and Instructor, Instructor and etc. over a short period to "better reflect the outlook of the magazine" according to the editorial in said magazine.
One of the few fields I would think it would make sense to change titles would be science, specifically in chemistry and physics. These journals actually change their scope when they change titles, and that is supposed to be one of the considerations on wheteher something 'counts' as a title change or not. However, at the point that one has 17 journals with the same name and different subtitles, like a physics journal I know of, I think it would be prudent to spin off titles altogether!
Does anyone work for a publisher and know how they decide these things?
7.12.2010
Kindles and magazines
I'm not sure how I feel about "subscriptions" to weekly magazines on kindles or other e-reader devices. We have kindles in our library, but each one only has a preloaded set of books on it.
And how can you make magazine content more accessible to the visually impaired if it is on a Kindle?
And then there is the lack of archivability with an e-reader with content that may "expire" on a certain date...
The one reason I *might* enjoy magazine or even newspaper content on an e-reader would be that the soy ink would not rub off on my hands as I am reading an article!
Now that they are getting "programmable" paper that can be reused, I am sure some of the magazine providers will want to go into that format as well. I can hardly wait. No more worries for the stores about "please display until...." because on that date, the paper can change itself!
And how can you make magazine content more accessible to the visually impaired if it is on a Kindle?
And then there is the lack of archivability with an e-reader with content that may "expire" on a certain date...
The one reason I *might* enjoy magazine or even newspaper content on an e-reader would be that the soy ink would not rub off on my hands as I am reading an article!
Now that they are getting "programmable" paper that can be reused, I am sure some of the magazine providers will want to go into that format as well. I can hardly wait. No more worries for the stores about "please display until...." because on that date, the paper can change itself!
Creative chronology and bibliographies?
Ok. Just got one in the mail that has 2005 on the cover. However, the copyright on the inside says "2010"....If I was still teaching and I put a limit on the last several years of research, how would I know if the student was being diligent or not with that journal? Technically, the 2005 issue would be the last published and it came out in 2010, but...
I also enjoy prepub articles online....since with a lot of them there is no numbering if it is just full text, how do you cite that thing? Especially with the internal citation which requires author name and page number? I have seen quite a few that have the entire page span put at the beginning of the article, but then no pagination is given.
I think I prefer JSTOR, MUSE or other sites that faithly reprint or create pdf images of the articles. And JSTOR used to provide citation help on how to list a JSTOR article in a bibliography.
I also enjoy prepub articles online....since with a lot of them there is no numbering if it is just full text, how do you cite that thing? Especially with the internal citation which requires author name and page number? I have seen quite a few that have the entire page span put at the beginning of the article, but then no pagination is given.
I think I prefer JSTOR, MUSE or other sites that faithly reprint or create pdf images of the articles. And JSTOR used to provide citation help on how to list a JSTOR article in a bibliography.
6.01.2010
Technology takes a step backwards...!
So, why would someone want to use a microfilm emulator on a computer accessed database rather than a full-text database? Doesn't make sense to me. Nor does it make sense that you would risk sea-sickness of the pages flying by on a computer screen -- just as you would experience on a microfilm viewer....
The upside is that if you need an ad or a stock ticker page, it is contained on the emulator/database...the downside is the image is still as grainy as it appears on the film... Just wondering why someone would write software to make something so odd work...?
The upside is that if you need an ad or a stock ticker page, it is contained on the emulator/database...the downside is the image is still as grainy as it appears on the film... Just wondering why someone would write software to make something so odd work...?
4.26.2010
Publishers and creative publishing
Just received some issues today in the mail and they had very entertaining notes with them.
One of them says, in part..."Enclosed you will find five issues of Journal...." and "It is our goal to get the journal on schedule....anticipating [this] in 2011." This journal, in contrast to some others I could name, is only 2 years behind schedule. That is not bad, comparatively speaking.
However, the other package and its contents was a bit of a shock..."...Journal of .... Studies is beginning anew with the publication of vol. 1, nos. 1 and 2 (2010)...new series...Our last issue was dated 2005...."! Now this one did not change numbering or issues per volume or anything else...the publisher decided to just start a new series instead of changing the cover chronology. Gee. This is going to make checking this one in a lot of fun!
And then there is the wonderful journal that changed its name and numbering altogether, again, for the 3rd time in 2 years! Thanks guys for thinking of us! This journal will be such a breeze for the patrons to find...they just have to go through 3 different records to find the most current one....!
One of them says, in part..."Enclosed you will find five issues of Journal...." and "It is our goal to get the journal on schedule....anticipating [this] in 2011." This journal, in contrast to some others I could name, is only 2 years behind schedule. That is not bad, comparatively speaking.
However, the other package and its contents was a bit of a shock..."...Journal of .... Studies is beginning anew with the publication of vol. 1, nos. 1 and 2 (2010)...new series...Our last issue was dated 2005...."! Now this one did not change numbering or issues per volume or anything else...the publisher decided to just start a new series instead of changing the cover chronology. Gee. This is going to make checking this one in a lot of fun!
And then there is the wonderful journal that changed its name and numbering altogether, again, for the 3rd time in 2 years! Thanks guys for thinking of us! This journal will be such a breeze for the patrons to find...they just have to go through 3 different records to find the most current one....!
1.05.2010
Only in the world of serials
Anyone notice that real life rules don't apply in the world of serials?
For instance, I received a serial in late December with the cover chronology of 1999...but a publication and copyright date of 2009. Time travel anyone?
Or did you know that there are apparently 53 weeks in a year? According to one of the European weekly magazines we receive, there now are...
Or that checking galleys of the covers is not mandatory...We received an issue of a music magazine that is now number 178, when the 180s have already been published...
But my favorite has to be a pseudo-science magazine that publishes thematic volumes on topics...and sent me volume 16 and volume 5 in the same envelope yesterday...
And then you have the offenders who like to change chronology, enumeration and number of issues, all at once and without telling anyone....I had a stack of those to go through yesterday...and it wouldn't be so bad of a task if I didn't have to play scavenger hunt for the publication information....!
Happy New Year!
For instance, I received a serial in late December with the cover chronology of 1999...but a publication and copyright date of 2009. Time travel anyone?
Or did you know that there are apparently 53 weeks in a year? According to one of the European weekly magazines we receive, there now are...
Or that checking galleys of the covers is not mandatory...We received an issue of a music magazine that is now number 178, when the 180s have already been published...
But my favorite has to be a pseudo-science magazine that publishes thematic volumes on topics...and sent me volume 16 and volume 5 in the same envelope yesterday...
And then you have the offenders who like to change chronology, enumeration and number of issues, all at once and without telling anyone....I had a stack of those to go through yesterday...and it wouldn't be so bad of a task if I didn't have to play scavenger hunt for the publication information....!
Happy New Year!
12.15.2009
Tis the season
Tis the season
to be folly
fa la la la la, la la la la
....
Well, a popular magazine that prints "News" each "week" has decided that it will accept orders for institutional subscriptions through vendors -- beginning again in January. The question is, though, is it too late?
I don't think it would be worth the hassle to order or reorder one title at this date. If most orders aren't in to subscription agents by November 1, serialsters face all sorts of fun problems come January 1st and the new arrival or non-arrival of issues...! And those are for continuing subscriptions. I know it is a wonder to a publishing house, that even though our instition has subscribed to a journal for 25 years that it is going to subscribe for *gasp* year 26...and that explains why I have to claim the first two issues...in January of each year!
***
And a year end note to the genuises in charge of two math journals: Journal of Recreational Mathematics and to Fibonacci Quarterly: enough with the creative numbering and chronology already! 45 pages does not equal two issues, nor does putting each year you're behind on a journal's frontspiece make up for the 2 years you didn't publish anything!
***
Tis the season
to be folly
fa la la la la, la la la la...
Can't wait to read some of the editor's comments in the "new year's" editions of journals in January...Not that they would even take on the unpredictability of resolutions, mind you...
to be folly
fa la la la la, la la la la
....
Well, a popular magazine that prints "News" each "week" has decided that it will accept orders for institutional subscriptions through vendors -- beginning again in January. The question is, though, is it too late?
I don't think it would be worth the hassle to order or reorder one title at this date. If most orders aren't in to subscription agents by November 1, serialsters face all sorts of fun problems come January 1st and the new arrival or non-arrival of issues...! And those are for continuing subscriptions. I know it is a wonder to a publishing house, that even though our instition has subscribed to a journal for 25 years that it is going to subscribe for *gasp* year 26...and that explains why I have to claim the first two issues...in January of each year!
***
And a year end note to the genuises in charge of two math journals: Journal of Recreational Mathematics and to Fibonacci Quarterly: enough with the creative numbering and chronology already! 45 pages does not equal two issues, nor does putting each year you're behind on a journal's frontspiece make up for the 2 years you didn't publish anything!
***
Tis the season
to be folly
fa la la la la, la la la la...
Can't wait to read some of the editor's comments in the "new year's" editions of journals in January...Not that they would even take on the unpredictability of resolutions, mind you...
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