Mobilization of Duplicates in Program*
a
Regional Medical Library
BY CHARLES H. DOBROSKI, Research Assistant DONALD D. HENDRICKS, PH. D., Director
Library University of Texas Health Science Center Dallas, Texas ABSTRACT An overabundance of duplicate journals without an efficient and economical method of distribution caused one library's staff to reassess traditional methods of dispersal. A simplified form for listing duplicates was devised. In conjunction with the Regional Medical Library Program and the extension program, lists of duplicates were distributed to hospital and clinical libraries. These libraries selected materials to strengthen their ability to fill information needs at the local level and to conserve RMLP support for esoteric and expensive materials. In a two-year period, 86,000 individual pieces were distributed. Some lessening of interlibrary loan requests from heavy users was documented. In an evaluation survey users expressed satisfaction with the program. The successful use of the duplicate program will lead to a further experiment-the library will attempt to fill interlibrary loan requests for common journals with hard copy rather than photocopy in a cost and time reduction effort.
GIFT and duplicate periodicals have been a mixed blessing for libraries. Medical libraries especially are blessed with donations because many doctors and other health professionals subscribe to or receive journal titles that are necessary for them to read if they are to keep abreast of current developments in their fields. The most important part of the stock in a medical library is its periodicals. Even the smallest hospital or clinic library, which receives perhaps only twenty or thirty current journals, should hold unbroken runs of those journals for three to five years. Various methods of utilizing duplicates have been devised to exploit this source of material. Exchange is one method that was developed to * This project was supported by National Institutes of Health Grant 1 G04 LM 01737 from the National Library of Medicine.
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
salvage duplicate material. An early example of this procedure can be traced to 1694 when the Bibliotheque Nationale was exchanging duplicates for English and German books. Donald Thompson provides a complete history of gifts and exchanges in The State of the Library Art
[1].
Some of the successful exchange programs established in the United States are the U.S. Book Exchange, Inc. (USBE), the Medical Library Association Exchange, and the programs established by the American Theological Association and the Music Library Association. The Duplicate Exchange Union, sponsored by the Association of College and Research Libraries, attempted to list items of more general interest for colleges and universities and was succeeding, in spite of procedural difficulties, until superseded by the founding of the USBE. Because the USBE could offer a wide range of available material at a low cost, it gradually absorbed regional and local exchanges. However, for special libraries, much of the available material is of little value to their users. The medical field is so specialized and well-defined that it seemed reasonable to promote Regional Medical Library network objectives by attempting to utilize the exchange mechanism on a local or regional basis. In early March 1972, the staff of the South Central Regional Medical Library Program (SCRMLP) submitted a proposal to the National Library of Medicine to operate a duplicate journal exchange or clearinghouse. The host library for this program, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas (UTHSCD), had a large repository of duplicates and a continuous inflow of materials not needed elsewhere. This basic collection and the contin309
DOBROSKI AND HENDRICKS
ual additions to it were dealt with on an informal basis as staff could be provided. No consistent use was made of the collection, and it was impossible to issue regular listings. It was felt that, with a modest amount of staff time for sorting, organizing, and listing these materials, a consistent on-going program could be established to assemble and dispense individual issues and journal runs to hospitals and clinics. The grant proposal was funded by NLM from May 1, 1972, until May 31, 1974. Experience gained during the two-year period is reviewed in this paper. UTHSCD The journal exchange established at the UTHSCD has aided health-related libraries in developing and maintaining their collections of journals. Before the exchange was established, copies of back issues were available through standard sources such as the USBE, auctions or journal advertisements, microfilm, or interlibrary loan. Health-related libraries can also use the MLA Exchange if they are institutional members. The MLA Exchange, if used frequently, can be the least expensive and most productive source for these libraries. The MLA Exchange requires some work, however, in that a participating library should submit occasional lists of its duplicates in order to keep the reciprocal nature of the program in balance. Sorting of materials and preparation of lists can be a time-consuming task in a library with a small staff. In addition, a library which receives materials reimburses the sender for postage, and even this function can be a burden for small libraries which struggle for every dollar. The standard methods of obtaining back issues have been ineffective in meeting the needs of all the health-related libraries in the region because these methods are expensive and some of the formats of the materials are undesirable for library patrons. The SCRMLP duplicate program has proved itself as a feasible means of access to back issues of journals for the library that does not have the budget or staff to properly utilize other procurement methods. Over one-half the participants use this program exclusively for obtaining back issues. Periodical strength has increased in the region because of the method employed for operation, and because the grant has paid the cost of postage, JOURNAL EXCHANGE
310
AT
allowing for a sufficient stock of journals to accumulate for redistribution. The central exchange idea for journals is not new. It was first introduced to American librarians by Melvil Dewey in the first issue of Library Journal published in 1876. The SCRMLP duplicate depository operates in much the same manner, except that exchange and accumulation procedures are combined with a clearinghouse approach. The accumulation procedure employed is that of choosing journal titles to be stored for stock. These titles are allowed to accumulate for the last ten years at five to ten copies per issue. This procedure has increased the number of overall "hitg" per request per title to 50%. This compares favorably with the 39% rate reported by USBE staff members in personal interviews. Table 1 indicates the number of filled requests per title requested during a six-month test period from January 1973 through June 1973. TABLE 1 RANK ORDER OF MOST REQUESTED TITLES, JANUARY-JUNE 1973 Title
Total Filled Percent ReRe- of Filled quests quests Requests
1. Cancer 2. American Journal of
53 48
24 27
45.28 56.25
Medicine 3. Lancet 4. Archives of Neurology 5. New England Journal of Medicine 6. American Journal of
47 40 36
28 25 33
59.57 62.50 90.66
35
17
48.57
35
20
57.11
Cardiology 7. American Journal of
Clinical Pathology 8. British Medical
t
32
15
46.87
31
12
38.70
30 30
20 18
66.66 60.00
30 29
10 24
33.33 82.75
14. JAMA
29
27
93.10
Totals
505
300
59.40
Journal 9. American Journal of Nursing 10. Annals of Surgery 11. Archives of Oto-
laryngology 12. Journal of Urology 13. Annals of Internal
Medicine
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
MOBILIZATION OF DUPLICATES IN A RML PROGRAM
The method chosen for stocking titles has increased the likelihood for a participant to obtain a needed issue. Moreover, the cost should be less for participants in staff time and record keeping because only one location is involved with transactions. Table 2 illustrates the total movement of material and the number of participants by month from September 1972 to May 1974. Appendix 1 further illustrates the number of issues per journal title most frequently sent. The titles first selected for accumulation were taken from the Brandon list printed in the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association [2 1. CORE LIST COMPARISONS It is interesting to note the parallels between the joumals most frequently requested in this study and those cited in other core lists. With few exceptions, the results of a study by Wender and Lehr [31 correlate with the results reported in Appendix 1. These are also the journals cited most frequently in MEDLINE and mentioned in Garfield's study [4 ].
An analysis of journal circulation records at the UTHSCL for the past four years indicates close parallels in the rankings. The similarities between published studies, our circulation record analysis, and the results reported in Appendix 1, corroborate the fact that a small clutch of journals satisfies a large percentage of the demand. It is also remarkable that the most commonly available journals are the ones requested most frequently. The journals listed in Appendix 1 are readily available in doctors' offices and lounges. Even the smallest medical library will have them, yet they seem to be the journals required most in formal library services.
We have modified the Brandon list into the South Central Regional list in order to reflect the needs of the participants. A sample of the monthly list for August 1974 is presented as Appendix 2. The list represents a core selection of titles most frequently requested and other titles that are donated in runs lengthy enough to justify retention and listing. Although specific issues are not indicated, the list does show that
TABLE 2 MATERIALS EXCHANGED BY PARTICIPATING LIBRARIES Institutions
Month
Sending Material
September 1972 October 1972 November 1972 December 1972 January 1973 February 1973 March1973 April 1973 May 1973 June1973 July-August 1973 September 1973 October 1973 November 1973 December 1973 January1974 February 1974 March 1974 April 1974 May 1974 Totals
Institutions Receiving Material
4 1
9 4 8 11 24
18 18 16 18 8 9 8 1 7 9 6 13 9 201
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
Total
Unbound Journals Sent
16 18 33 14 40 32 54 38 37 50 62 46 48 39
1,014 1,772 3,337 1,196 5,619 1,967 7,575 11,496 2,284 1,430 3,202
Participation
Bound Journals Sent
36 40 51 44
18 48 45 46 64 53
3,787 3,589 5,299 5,489 1,568
43 77 117 15 159 60 255 419 64 19 79 111 124 9 5 7 30 30 25 95
600
801
68,045
1,743
12 17 24 10 32 21 30 20 19 34 44 38 39 31 17 41
855
3,178 2,896 492
Total Journals Sent
1,057 1,849 3,454 1,211 5,778 2,027 7,830 11,915 2,348 1,449 3,281
69,788
966
3,302 2,905 497
3,794 3,619 5,329 5,514 1,663
311
DOBROSKI AND HENDRICKS
substantial runs are available for given years. The burden of asking for specific issues is placed on the requesting library. Such libraries are encouraged to return the list or a copy of it with desired holdings indicated adjacent to the title. If the needed issues are available, they are pulled, boxed, and sent. No correspondence concerning the unavailability of issues is undertaken. The requesting library assumes that if shipments do not contain particular items, they were not in stock. The library requests the same issue the next time the journal is listed.
warehouse was available, the duplicate program could be started. There are nine stack ranges of nine sections each devoted to this service. In addition, a small area for sorting, wrapping, and mailing is used. A total of 2,500 square feet is required. The requisite space may hinder some libraries from starting such a program; experience has shown that lack of space to accommodate proper length files and do large sorting tasks can be very frustrating. One and one-half clerical FTE employees are required for our program.
IMPACT ON ILL This movement of material seems to have had a favorable effect on the volume of journal interlibrary loan requests sent to the UTHSCL by duplicate program participants in the immediate vicinity. Table 3 indicates that the number of requests have dropped appreciably.
QUESTIONNAIRE EVALUATION In order to assess user satisfaction and willingness to continue with the program if put on a charge-per-item basis, a questionnaire was sent to 115 participating members. The questionnaire was also designed to compare the usage of the MLA Exchange and the USBE with the South Central Regional Medical Library Program. However, more than half the participating libraries use only the SCRMLP duplicate program. A copy of the questionnaire with the total responses received for each item is included as Appendix 3. Seventy-seven (67%) out of 115 libraries returned the questionnaire. However, six of the questionnaires were invalid so that an evaluation of 65% of the total program participants was made. Of the respondents, 46% use either the MLA Exchange or the USBE aside from the SCRMLP duplicate program; 43% use the MLA Exchange and 86% of these respondents report that the SCRMLP has been easier to use while 57% indicate that they received more items through the SCRMLP program. Only 17% of all the respondents use the USBE. Moreover, 72% of these respondents indicate they receive material requested more rapidly through SCRMLP than through the USBE. The evaluation of this program as indicated by Section III.A. of the questionnaire demonstrates that the participants of the South Central Regional Medical Library Duplicate Program are satisfied with its services. Also, a majority indicated that they are willing to continue using the program in spite of the likelihood that fees will be instituted. With the termination of the grant, this project was placed under the Regional Medical Library Program contract to run through January 31, 1975. The contract calls for reimburse-
PROGRAM COSTS The cost of the duplicate program per item sent was calculated at twenty-five cents. This figure was established by dividing the total number of items sent into the cost of salaries, postage and supplies, and travel time. If rental space, storage cost, and office cost were also included, the cost should be more reasonably assessed at forty-two cents per item. Due to overcrowding, the Health Center Library was forced to lease a large off-campus warehouse to house all journals published prior to 1950. Because some additional space in the TABLE 3 INTERLIBRARY LOAN REQUESTS TO UTHSCL FROM LOCAL HOSPITALS 1971
All Saints Hospital, Fort Worth Harris Hospital, Fort Worth John Peter Smith Hospital, Fort Worth Methodist Hospital, Dallas St. Paul Hospital, Dallas Wadley Institutes of Molecular Medicine, Dallas Totals
312
1972
1973
35
110
65
667
457
391
173
701
590
724
690
452
85 348
487 275
433 285
2,032
2,720
2,216
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
MOBILIZATION OF DUPLICATES IN A RML PROGRAM
ment for each journal issued at the rate of forty-two cents. With the move into a new building and the concomitant reduction in rental costs, this rate should be substantially reduced. Increased volume should also reduce costs since fixed costs are met. The impact of provision of documents in the network concept of the RMLP has great potential. With the introduction of extension work, the person attempting to strengthen hospital libraries and extend network services has a concrete method to offer as a means of increasing the ability of the local node to respond to and fill requests. The provision of duplicate journals, most of which fall into the "common" or readily available class, removes the onus of the "stop list" where free photocopy is restricted. Duplicate journals are of great benefit to new medical schools and hospitals. Some of the institutions we were able to help in forming a basic core collection in the past year were: Sparks Regional Medical Center, Fort Smith, Arkansas; Area Health Education Centers, El Dorado and Pine Bluff, Arkansas; Oklahoma College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Northeast Louisiana University, Monroe, Louisiana. (No count was made of 237 boxes shipped from a hospital in Oklahoma to Monroe.) Appendix 4 is a sample chart that was developed to illustrate how the record for each new institution was kept. The chart shows how the flow of material can be accurately and simply controlled for new libraries that require many solid back files of titles, yet do not have personnel required to coordinate the records and the gathering process. In January 1974, 327 boxes of duplicate journals were sent to Managua, Nicaragua. The medical library at Managua was destroyed in the 1972 earthquake. This shipment represented 8,800 loose journals and 950 bound volumes. These were extra items which were not
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
needed in the region and were in plentiful supply. The material was airlifted to Managua by Air Freighters International, a Dallas firm. These resources provided a core, basic medical library. Statistics on these materials are not included in any of the figures reported earlier in this paper. With the rising cost of photocopy and interlibrary loan demands during 1974/75, the UTHSCD Library will experiment with. the fllling of ILL requests with hard copy rather than photocopy. As ILL requests are received, available duplicates will be checked. If duplicates are available, they will be sent with a notice containing the following legend: The article you requested is being furnished in hard copy rather than photocopy. This service is supported under Contract No. 1 G04 LM 01737 01 from the National Library of Medicine. If you would like to keep this item when you are finished with the article, feel free to do so. However, if you no longer have need of it, please return it using the enclosed mailing label.
In summary, this project has demonstrated that duplicate medical journals can be mobilized for use in the Regional Medical Library Program. This region would certainly encourage the establishment of duplicate exchange programs in other regions. REFERENCES 1. THOMPSON, DONALD E. Survey of the literature on exchange. In: Shaw, Ralph, ed. The State of the Library Art. New Brunswick, N.J., Graduate School of Library Service, Rutgers, The State University, 1961. Vol. 1, p. 545-570. 2. BRANDON, ALFRED R. Selected list of books and journals for the small medical library. Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 59: 256-285, Apr. 1971. 3. WENDER, RUTH, and LEHR, KAREN. Books as clinical tools. J. Okla. St. Med. Assoc. 66: 427, Oct. 1973. 4. GARFIELD, EUGENE. Citation analysis as a tool in journal evaluation. Science 178: 474, Nov. 3, 1972.
313
DOBROSKI AND HENDRICKS TITLES ARRANGED BY NUMBER
Unbound Bound 4,349 3,073 2,230 1,996 1,615 1,503 1,344 1,172 1,110 984 959 924 892 847 839 830 716 699 697 689 650 635 634 630 618 610 568 551 539 529 527 512 501 495 477 469 465 446 443 434 422 390 386 383 375 369 348 329 325 321 316 286
314
12 20 51 50 15 22 7 7 1 30 14
58 1 6 14 2 18 10 34 5 7 2 18 2 10 13 2 1 2 21 18 2
2 18 3 47 43 1
6
30 32
APPENDIX 1 ISSUES SENT, DECEMBER 1972 TO MAY 1974
OF
Title of Journal
New England Journal of Medicine Journal of the American Medical Association Science Lancet Archives of Internal Medicine Annals of Internal Medicine American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology American Journal of Surgery American Journal of Psychiatry American Journal of Nursing Archives of Surgery Hospitals American Journal of Public Health and the Nation's Health American Review of Respiratory Disease American Journal of Clinical Pathology American Journal of Medicine American Journal of Diseases of Children Archives of Pathology Pediatrics Archives of General Psychiatry Annals of Surgery American Journal of Ophthalmology Journal of Bacteriology American Family Physician Obstetrics and Gynecology American Journal of Cardiology British Medical Journal Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics Journal of Pediatrics Circulation Postgraduate Medicine Radiology Chest Archives of Dermatology Cancer Archives of Ophthalmology Archives of Otolaryngology Geriatrics Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine Nursing Outlook Archives of Neurology American Journal of Pathology Annals of Allergy Journal of Clinical Investigation Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism Nature American Journal of Digestive Diseases Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine Health Services Reports Archives of Environmental Health American Heart Journal Anesthesiology Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) Julv 1975
MOBILIZATION OF DUPLICATES IN A RML PROGRAM
APPENDIX 1-Continued Title of Journal
Unbound Bound 279 269 264 262 235 233 232 229 223 217 203 191 177 176 160 159 133 128 123 118 104 104 100
8
20 11
1
38 3 1 11 2 1 16 3
17 5 2
Laboratory Investigation DM: Disease-a-Month American Journal of Roentgenology, Radium Therapy, and Nuclear Medicine American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Journal of the American Dental Association Surgery Diabetes Modern Hospital Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Medical Clinics of North America Journal of Urology Gastroenterology Journal of Medical Education Neurology Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology Journal of American Geriatrics Society Nutrition Reviews Journal of Biological Chemistry British Journal of Radiology Endocrinology Index Medicus Canadian Medical Association Journal Blood
APPENDIX 2 SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL MEDICAL LIBRARY PROGRAM DUPLICATE JOURNAL LIST SEPTEMBER 1974 American Family Physician 1970-date American Heart Journal 1968 American Journal of Cardiology 1967 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1967-68 American Journal of Clinical Pathology 1965-date American Journal of Digestive Diseases 1972-73 American Journal of Diseases of Children 1962-1971 American Journal of the Medical Sciences Bound 1940, 48, 49, 53, 55-57 Loose 1946-52, 59-62, 68, 69 American Journal of Medicine 1960-date American Journal of Nursing 1960-date American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 1963-71 American Journal of Ophthalmology 1963-73 American Journal of Pathology 1970 American Journal of Psychiatry 1963-68, 1973-date American Journal of Public Health and the Nation's Health 1964-date
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
315
DOBROSKI AND HENDRICKS APPENDIX 3 QUESTIONNAIRE
FOR THE
SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL MEDICAL LIBRARY PROGRAM OF DUPLICATE JOURNALS
Institution Name of Library Type of Library Head Librarian Total Number of Current Journal Subscriptions 77 out of 115 institutions responded (6 invalid), 67% 38 out of 71 institutions use only the South Central Regional Program, 54% *
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* *
*
*
(NR = No response) I. Medical Library Association Exchange A. Are you familiar with the periodical exchange program sponsored by MLA? B. Have you used MLA Exchange? If you do not use MLA Exchange, proceed to the questions in Part II. If you do use MLA Exchange, please respond to the following:
Yes
No
NR
54 30
15 39
2 2
A 1. We have used MLA Exchange (A) once a year, (B) twice a year, (C) four times a year, (D) more often.
B
4
2. Does the work of preparing MLA Exchange listing discourage your participation? 3. Does the lengthy list of MLA Exchange cause less participation? 4. Has the South Central Regional Program been easier to use than MLA Exchange? 5. Do you receive more filled requests through the South Central Regional Program than through MLA Exchange? II.United States Book Exchange, Inc. A. Are you familiar with the periodical exchange program sponsored by USBE B. Have you requested journals from USBE? If you do not use USBE, proceed to Part III. If you do use USBE, please respond to the following:
6
D
1
18
USBE.
316
1
No
NR
8
20
2
7
20
3
24
4
2
16
12
2
36 11
30 55
5 5
B
C
D
3
0 No
6
Yes
8
2
2
7
3
2
6
5
1
6
5
1
1
2. We are a participating member of 3. The USBE is easier to use than MLA Exchange. 4. The wide range of periodicals offered by USBE encourages our participation. 5. The cost of using USBE discourages our participation.
NR
Yes
A
1. We have used USBE (A) once a year, (B) twice a year, (C) four times a year, (D) more often.
C
NR 2 NR
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) Julv 1975
MOBILIZATION OF DUPLICATES IN A RML PROGRAM
APPENDIX 3-Continued 6. We receive more requests through the USBE than through the South Central 2 5 5 Regional Program. 7. Because of the more specialized collection offered by the South Central Regional Program, we participate more than through 1 6 5 USBE. 8. We receive our journals more rapidly through the South Central Regional 3 1 8 Program than through USBE. III. South Central Regional Duplicate Journal Program A. The following statements are designed for you to rate on a one to five rating scheme. Circling a 1 indicates your least favorable response; 3 is a neutral response; and 5 indicates your most favorable response. 3 NR 4 5 1 2 1. The South Central Regional Duplicate Journal Program has saved us money in 5 9 39 4 5 9 maintaining our collection. 2. The availability of duplicates has 4 13 6 23 9 16 reduced our need for interlibrary loans. 3. The value of available duplicates is 5 11 21 10 15 9 worth a nominal fee charged per issue. 4. We approve of the descriptive listing of runs of issues per title as they appear 3 12 4 5 9 38 on the monthly list. 5. We desire a more descriptive listing of runs of issues per title on the monthly 8 22 8 24 3 6 list. 6. A notice of requests that cannot be 4 4 7 11 26 19 filled would be helpful. 7. Most of our packages have arrived with 0 48 9 3 3 8 little or no damage to the contents. B. The cost of providing the South Central Regional Duplicate Journal Program has been approximately 42 cents per issue. If funding were to cease, what responses would you have to the following options? No NR Yes 1. We would be willing to pay for the 2 3 66 postage for journals sent us. 2. We would be willing to pay for the postage for journals we send to the 15 51 5 Duplicate Program. 3. We would be willing to pay for the postage and a nominal fee per journal 20 6 45 issue sent us. 4. We would be willing to pay a subscription cost of $25 per year for 6 42 23 the monthly list. 5. We would be willing to pay a membership fee which would entitle us to receive 14 22 35 the monthly list and other services.
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
317
DOBROSKI AND HENDRICKS APPENDIX 4 SAMPLE CHART
Sample chart used by requesting libraries to indicate gaps to be filled from duplicate periodical exchange programs. 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974
Circulation Clinical Pharm. & Therapeutics Cumulative Index to Nursing Lit. Diabetes DM: Disease-a-Month Emergency Medicine
_
_
= _
__ ___ T _==
Gastroenterology
Hospital Medicine Hospital Practice Index Medicus_l J. of Allergy & Clinical ___ Immunology J. of the Amer. Medical
=
_-
Association
J. of Bacteriology J. of Biological Chemistry J. of Bone & Joint Sur-
=
=
=== _ __I
gery
J. of Clinical Endocrin. & Metabolism J. of Infectious Diseases J. of Medical Education J. of Pediatrics J. of Thoracic & Cardiovas. Surgery J. of Urology Lancet
318
___
_
III _
_
___
_
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
a
Regional Medical Library
BY CHARLES H. DOBROSKI, Research Assistant DONALD D. HENDRICKS, PH. D., Director
Library University of Texas Health Science Center Dallas, Texas ABSTRACT An overabundance of duplicate journals without an efficient and economical method of distribution caused one library's staff to reassess traditional methods of dispersal. A simplified form for listing duplicates was devised. In conjunction with the Regional Medical Library Program and the extension program, lists of duplicates were distributed to hospital and clinical libraries. These libraries selected materials to strengthen their ability to fill information needs at the local level and to conserve RMLP support for esoteric and expensive materials. In a two-year period, 86,000 individual pieces were distributed. Some lessening of interlibrary loan requests from heavy users was documented. In an evaluation survey users expressed satisfaction with the program. The successful use of the duplicate program will lead to a further experiment-the library will attempt to fill interlibrary loan requests for common journals with hard copy rather than photocopy in a cost and time reduction effort.
GIFT and duplicate periodicals have been a mixed blessing for libraries. Medical libraries especially are blessed with donations because many doctors and other health professionals subscribe to or receive journal titles that are necessary for them to read if they are to keep abreast of current developments in their fields. The most important part of the stock in a medical library is its periodicals. Even the smallest hospital or clinic library, which receives perhaps only twenty or thirty current journals, should hold unbroken runs of those journals for three to five years. Various methods of utilizing duplicates have been devised to exploit this source of material. Exchange is one method that was developed to * This project was supported by National Institutes of Health Grant 1 G04 LM 01737 from the National Library of Medicine.
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
salvage duplicate material. An early example of this procedure can be traced to 1694 when the Bibliotheque Nationale was exchanging duplicates for English and German books. Donald Thompson provides a complete history of gifts and exchanges in The State of the Library Art
[1].
Some of the successful exchange programs established in the United States are the U.S. Book Exchange, Inc. (USBE), the Medical Library Association Exchange, and the programs established by the American Theological Association and the Music Library Association. The Duplicate Exchange Union, sponsored by the Association of College and Research Libraries, attempted to list items of more general interest for colleges and universities and was succeeding, in spite of procedural difficulties, until superseded by the founding of the USBE. Because the USBE could offer a wide range of available material at a low cost, it gradually absorbed regional and local exchanges. However, for special libraries, much of the available material is of little value to their users. The medical field is so specialized and well-defined that it seemed reasonable to promote Regional Medical Library network objectives by attempting to utilize the exchange mechanism on a local or regional basis. In early March 1972, the staff of the South Central Regional Medical Library Program (SCRMLP) submitted a proposal to the National Library of Medicine to operate a duplicate journal exchange or clearinghouse. The host library for this program, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Dallas (UTHSCD), had a large repository of duplicates and a continuous inflow of materials not needed elsewhere. This basic collection and the contin309
DOBROSKI AND HENDRICKS
ual additions to it were dealt with on an informal basis as staff could be provided. No consistent use was made of the collection, and it was impossible to issue regular listings. It was felt that, with a modest amount of staff time for sorting, organizing, and listing these materials, a consistent on-going program could be established to assemble and dispense individual issues and journal runs to hospitals and clinics. The grant proposal was funded by NLM from May 1, 1972, until May 31, 1974. Experience gained during the two-year period is reviewed in this paper. UTHSCD The journal exchange established at the UTHSCD has aided health-related libraries in developing and maintaining their collections of journals. Before the exchange was established, copies of back issues were available through standard sources such as the USBE, auctions or journal advertisements, microfilm, or interlibrary loan. Health-related libraries can also use the MLA Exchange if they are institutional members. The MLA Exchange, if used frequently, can be the least expensive and most productive source for these libraries. The MLA Exchange requires some work, however, in that a participating library should submit occasional lists of its duplicates in order to keep the reciprocal nature of the program in balance. Sorting of materials and preparation of lists can be a time-consuming task in a library with a small staff. In addition, a library which receives materials reimburses the sender for postage, and even this function can be a burden for small libraries which struggle for every dollar. The standard methods of obtaining back issues have been ineffective in meeting the needs of all the health-related libraries in the region because these methods are expensive and some of the formats of the materials are undesirable for library patrons. The SCRMLP duplicate program has proved itself as a feasible means of access to back issues of journals for the library that does not have the budget or staff to properly utilize other procurement methods. Over one-half the participants use this program exclusively for obtaining back issues. Periodical strength has increased in the region because of the method employed for operation, and because the grant has paid the cost of postage, JOURNAL EXCHANGE
310
AT
allowing for a sufficient stock of journals to accumulate for redistribution. The central exchange idea for journals is not new. It was first introduced to American librarians by Melvil Dewey in the first issue of Library Journal published in 1876. The SCRMLP duplicate depository operates in much the same manner, except that exchange and accumulation procedures are combined with a clearinghouse approach. The accumulation procedure employed is that of choosing journal titles to be stored for stock. These titles are allowed to accumulate for the last ten years at five to ten copies per issue. This procedure has increased the number of overall "hitg" per request per title to 50%. This compares favorably with the 39% rate reported by USBE staff members in personal interviews. Table 1 indicates the number of filled requests per title requested during a six-month test period from January 1973 through June 1973. TABLE 1 RANK ORDER OF MOST REQUESTED TITLES, JANUARY-JUNE 1973 Title
Total Filled Percent ReRe- of Filled quests quests Requests
1. Cancer 2. American Journal of
53 48
24 27
45.28 56.25
Medicine 3. Lancet 4. Archives of Neurology 5. New England Journal of Medicine 6. American Journal of
47 40 36
28 25 33
59.57 62.50 90.66
35
17
48.57
35
20
57.11
Cardiology 7. American Journal of
Clinical Pathology 8. British Medical
t
32
15
46.87
31
12
38.70
30 30
20 18
66.66 60.00
30 29
10 24
33.33 82.75
14. JAMA
29
27
93.10
Totals
505
300
59.40
Journal 9. American Journal of Nursing 10. Annals of Surgery 11. Archives of Oto-
laryngology 12. Journal of Urology 13. Annals of Internal
Medicine
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
MOBILIZATION OF DUPLICATES IN A RML PROGRAM
The method chosen for stocking titles has increased the likelihood for a participant to obtain a needed issue. Moreover, the cost should be less for participants in staff time and record keeping because only one location is involved with transactions. Table 2 illustrates the total movement of material and the number of participants by month from September 1972 to May 1974. Appendix 1 further illustrates the number of issues per journal title most frequently sent. The titles first selected for accumulation were taken from the Brandon list printed in the Bulletin of the Medical Library Association [2 1. CORE LIST COMPARISONS It is interesting to note the parallels between the joumals most frequently requested in this study and those cited in other core lists. With few exceptions, the results of a study by Wender and Lehr [31 correlate with the results reported in Appendix 1. These are also the journals cited most frequently in MEDLINE and mentioned in Garfield's study [4 ].
An analysis of journal circulation records at the UTHSCL for the past four years indicates close parallels in the rankings. The similarities between published studies, our circulation record analysis, and the results reported in Appendix 1, corroborate the fact that a small clutch of journals satisfies a large percentage of the demand. It is also remarkable that the most commonly available journals are the ones requested most frequently. The journals listed in Appendix 1 are readily available in doctors' offices and lounges. Even the smallest medical library will have them, yet they seem to be the journals required most in formal library services.
We have modified the Brandon list into the South Central Regional list in order to reflect the needs of the participants. A sample of the monthly list for August 1974 is presented as Appendix 2. The list represents a core selection of titles most frequently requested and other titles that are donated in runs lengthy enough to justify retention and listing. Although specific issues are not indicated, the list does show that
TABLE 2 MATERIALS EXCHANGED BY PARTICIPATING LIBRARIES Institutions
Month
Sending Material
September 1972 October 1972 November 1972 December 1972 January 1973 February 1973 March1973 April 1973 May 1973 June1973 July-August 1973 September 1973 October 1973 November 1973 December 1973 January1974 February 1974 March 1974 April 1974 May 1974 Totals
Institutions Receiving Material
4 1
9 4 8 11 24
18 18 16 18 8 9 8 1 7 9 6 13 9 201
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
Total
Unbound Journals Sent
16 18 33 14 40 32 54 38 37 50 62 46 48 39
1,014 1,772 3,337 1,196 5,619 1,967 7,575 11,496 2,284 1,430 3,202
Participation
Bound Journals Sent
36 40 51 44
18 48 45 46 64 53
3,787 3,589 5,299 5,489 1,568
43 77 117 15 159 60 255 419 64 19 79 111 124 9 5 7 30 30 25 95
600
801
68,045
1,743
12 17 24 10 32 21 30 20 19 34 44 38 39 31 17 41
855
3,178 2,896 492
Total Journals Sent
1,057 1,849 3,454 1,211 5,778 2,027 7,830 11,915 2,348 1,449 3,281
69,788
966
3,302 2,905 497
3,794 3,619 5,329 5,514 1,663
311
DOBROSKI AND HENDRICKS
substantial runs are available for given years. The burden of asking for specific issues is placed on the requesting library. Such libraries are encouraged to return the list or a copy of it with desired holdings indicated adjacent to the title. If the needed issues are available, they are pulled, boxed, and sent. No correspondence concerning the unavailability of issues is undertaken. The requesting library assumes that if shipments do not contain particular items, they were not in stock. The library requests the same issue the next time the journal is listed.
warehouse was available, the duplicate program could be started. There are nine stack ranges of nine sections each devoted to this service. In addition, a small area for sorting, wrapping, and mailing is used. A total of 2,500 square feet is required. The requisite space may hinder some libraries from starting such a program; experience has shown that lack of space to accommodate proper length files and do large sorting tasks can be very frustrating. One and one-half clerical FTE employees are required for our program.
IMPACT ON ILL This movement of material seems to have had a favorable effect on the volume of journal interlibrary loan requests sent to the UTHSCL by duplicate program participants in the immediate vicinity. Table 3 indicates that the number of requests have dropped appreciably.
QUESTIONNAIRE EVALUATION In order to assess user satisfaction and willingness to continue with the program if put on a charge-per-item basis, a questionnaire was sent to 115 participating members. The questionnaire was also designed to compare the usage of the MLA Exchange and the USBE with the South Central Regional Medical Library Program. However, more than half the participating libraries use only the SCRMLP duplicate program. A copy of the questionnaire with the total responses received for each item is included as Appendix 3. Seventy-seven (67%) out of 115 libraries returned the questionnaire. However, six of the questionnaires were invalid so that an evaluation of 65% of the total program participants was made. Of the respondents, 46% use either the MLA Exchange or the USBE aside from the SCRMLP duplicate program; 43% use the MLA Exchange and 86% of these respondents report that the SCRMLP has been easier to use while 57% indicate that they received more items through the SCRMLP program. Only 17% of all the respondents use the USBE. Moreover, 72% of these respondents indicate they receive material requested more rapidly through SCRMLP than through the USBE. The evaluation of this program as indicated by Section III.A. of the questionnaire demonstrates that the participants of the South Central Regional Medical Library Duplicate Program are satisfied with its services. Also, a majority indicated that they are willing to continue using the program in spite of the likelihood that fees will be instituted. With the termination of the grant, this project was placed under the Regional Medical Library Program contract to run through January 31, 1975. The contract calls for reimburse-
PROGRAM COSTS The cost of the duplicate program per item sent was calculated at twenty-five cents. This figure was established by dividing the total number of items sent into the cost of salaries, postage and supplies, and travel time. If rental space, storage cost, and office cost were also included, the cost should be more reasonably assessed at forty-two cents per item. Due to overcrowding, the Health Center Library was forced to lease a large off-campus warehouse to house all journals published prior to 1950. Because some additional space in the TABLE 3 INTERLIBRARY LOAN REQUESTS TO UTHSCL FROM LOCAL HOSPITALS 1971
All Saints Hospital, Fort Worth Harris Hospital, Fort Worth John Peter Smith Hospital, Fort Worth Methodist Hospital, Dallas St. Paul Hospital, Dallas Wadley Institutes of Molecular Medicine, Dallas Totals
312
1972
1973
35
110
65
667
457
391
173
701
590
724
690
452
85 348
487 275
433 285
2,032
2,720
2,216
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
MOBILIZATION OF DUPLICATES IN A RML PROGRAM
ment for each journal issued at the rate of forty-two cents. With the move into a new building and the concomitant reduction in rental costs, this rate should be substantially reduced. Increased volume should also reduce costs since fixed costs are met. The impact of provision of documents in the network concept of the RMLP has great potential. With the introduction of extension work, the person attempting to strengthen hospital libraries and extend network services has a concrete method to offer as a means of increasing the ability of the local node to respond to and fill requests. The provision of duplicate journals, most of which fall into the "common" or readily available class, removes the onus of the "stop list" where free photocopy is restricted. Duplicate journals are of great benefit to new medical schools and hospitals. Some of the institutions we were able to help in forming a basic core collection in the past year were: Sparks Regional Medical Center, Fort Smith, Arkansas; Area Health Education Centers, El Dorado and Pine Bluff, Arkansas; Oklahoma College of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Northeast Louisiana University, Monroe, Louisiana. (No count was made of 237 boxes shipped from a hospital in Oklahoma to Monroe.) Appendix 4 is a sample chart that was developed to illustrate how the record for each new institution was kept. The chart shows how the flow of material can be accurately and simply controlled for new libraries that require many solid back files of titles, yet do not have personnel required to coordinate the records and the gathering process. In January 1974, 327 boxes of duplicate journals were sent to Managua, Nicaragua. The medical library at Managua was destroyed in the 1972 earthquake. This shipment represented 8,800 loose journals and 950 bound volumes. These were extra items which were not
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
needed in the region and were in plentiful supply. The material was airlifted to Managua by Air Freighters International, a Dallas firm. These resources provided a core, basic medical library. Statistics on these materials are not included in any of the figures reported earlier in this paper. With the rising cost of photocopy and interlibrary loan demands during 1974/75, the UTHSCD Library will experiment with. the fllling of ILL requests with hard copy rather than photocopy. As ILL requests are received, available duplicates will be checked. If duplicates are available, they will be sent with a notice containing the following legend: The article you requested is being furnished in hard copy rather than photocopy. This service is supported under Contract No. 1 G04 LM 01737 01 from the National Library of Medicine. If you would like to keep this item when you are finished with the article, feel free to do so. However, if you no longer have need of it, please return it using the enclosed mailing label.
In summary, this project has demonstrated that duplicate medical journals can be mobilized for use in the Regional Medical Library Program. This region would certainly encourage the establishment of duplicate exchange programs in other regions. REFERENCES 1. THOMPSON, DONALD E. Survey of the literature on exchange. In: Shaw, Ralph, ed. The State of the Library Art. New Brunswick, N.J., Graduate School of Library Service, Rutgers, The State University, 1961. Vol. 1, p. 545-570. 2. BRANDON, ALFRED R. Selected list of books and journals for the small medical library. Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 59: 256-285, Apr. 1971. 3. WENDER, RUTH, and LEHR, KAREN. Books as clinical tools. J. Okla. St. Med. Assoc. 66: 427, Oct. 1973. 4. GARFIELD, EUGENE. Citation analysis as a tool in journal evaluation. Science 178: 474, Nov. 3, 1972.
313
DOBROSKI AND HENDRICKS TITLES ARRANGED BY NUMBER
Unbound Bound 4,349 3,073 2,230 1,996 1,615 1,503 1,344 1,172 1,110 984 959 924 892 847 839 830 716 699 697 689 650 635 634 630 618 610 568 551 539 529 527 512 501 495 477 469 465 446 443 434 422 390 386 383 375 369 348 329 325 321 316 286
314
12 20 51 50 15 22 7 7 1 30 14
58 1 6 14 2 18 10 34 5 7 2 18 2 10 13 2 1 2 21 18 2
2 18 3 47 43 1
6
30 32
APPENDIX 1 ISSUES SENT, DECEMBER 1972 TO MAY 1974
OF
Title of Journal
New England Journal of Medicine Journal of the American Medical Association Science Lancet Archives of Internal Medicine Annals of Internal Medicine American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology American Journal of Surgery American Journal of Psychiatry American Journal of Nursing Archives of Surgery Hospitals American Journal of Public Health and the Nation's Health American Review of Respiratory Disease American Journal of Clinical Pathology American Journal of Medicine American Journal of Diseases of Children Archives of Pathology Pediatrics Archives of General Psychiatry Annals of Surgery American Journal of Ophthalmology Journal of Bacteriology American Family Physician Obstetrics and Gynecology American Journal of Cardiology British Medical Journal Surgery, Gynecology and Obstetrics Journal of Pediatrics Circulation Postgraduate Medicine Radiology Chest Archives of Dermatology Cancer Archives of Ophthalmology Archives of Otolaryngology Geriatrics Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine Nursing Outlook Archives of Neurology American Journal of Pathology Annals of Allergy Journal of Clinical Investigation Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism Nature American Journal of Digestive Diseases Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine Health Services Reports Archives of Environmental Health American Heart Journal Anesthesiology Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) Julv 1975
MOBILIZATION OF DUPLICATES IN A RML PROGRAM
APPENDIX 1-Continued Title of Journal
Unbound Bound 279 269 264 262 235 233 232 229 223 217 203 191 177 176 160 159 133 128 123 118 104 104 100
8
20 11
1
38 3 1 11 2 1 16 3
17 5 2
Laboratory Investigation DM: Disease-a-Month American Journal of Roentgenology, Radium Therapy, and Nuclear Medicine American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Journal of the American Dental Association Surgery Diabetes Modern Hospital Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Medical Clinics of North America Journal of Urology Gastroenterology Journal of Medical Education Neurology Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine and Oral Pathology Journal of American Geriatrics Society Nutrition Reviews Journal of Biological Chemistry British Journal of Radiology Endocrinology Index Medicus Canadian Medical Association Journal Blood
APPENDIX 2 SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL MEDICAL LIBRARY PROGRAM DUPLICATE JOURNAL LIST SEPTEMBER 1974 American Family Physician 1970-date American Heart Journal 1968 American Journal of Cardiology 1967 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1967-68 American Journal of Clinical Pathology 1965-date American Journal of Digestive Diseases 1972-73 American Journal of Diseases of Children 1962-1971 American Journal of the Medical Sciences Bound 1940, 48, 49, 53, 55-57 Loose 1946-52, 59-62, 68, 69 American Journal of Medicine 1960-date American Journal of Nursing 1960-date American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 1963-71 American Journal of Ophthalmology 1963-73 American Journal of Pathology 1970 American Journal of Psychiatry 1963-68, 1973-date American Journal of Public Health and the Nation's Health 1964-date
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
315
DOBROSKI AND HENDRICKS APPENDIX 3 QUESTIONNAIRE
FOR THE
SOUTH CENTRAL REGIONAL MEDICAL LIBRARY PROGRAM OF DUPLICATE JOURNALS
Institution Name of Library Type of Library Head Librarian Total Number of Current Journal Subscriptions 77 out of 115 institutions responded (6 invalid), 67% 38 out of 71 institutions use only the South Central Regional Program, 54% *
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* *
*
*
(NR = No response) I. Medical Library Association Exchange A. Are you familiar with the periodical exchange program sponsored by MLA? B. Have you used MLA Exchange? If you do not use MLA Exchange, proceed to the questions in Part II. If you do use MLA Exchange, please respond to the following:
Yes
No
NR
54 30
15 39
2 2
A 1. We have used MLA Exchange (A) once a year, (B) twice a year, (C) four times a year, (D) more often.
B
4
2. Does the work of preparing MLA Exchange listing discourage your participation? 3. Does the lengthy list of MLA Exchange cause less participation? 4. Has the South Central Regional Program been easier to use than MLA Exchange? 5. Do you receive more filled requests through the South Central Regional Program than through MLA Exchange? II.United States Book Exchange, Inc. A. Are you familiar with the periodical exchange program sponsored by USBE B. Have you requested journals from USBE? If you do not use USBE, proceed to Part III. If you do use USBE, please respond to the following:
6
D
1
18
USBE.
316
1
No
NR
8
20
2
7
20
3
24
4
2
16
12
2
36 11
30 55
5 5
B
C
D
3
0 No
6
Yes
8
2
2
7
3
2
6
5
1
6
5
1
1
2. We are a participating member of 3. The USBE is easier to use than MLA Exchange. 4. The wide range of periodicals offered by USBE encourages our participation. 5. The cost of using USBE discourages our participation.
NR
Yes
A
1. We have used USBE (A) once a year, (B) twice a year, (C) four times a year, (D) more often.
C
NR 2 NR
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) Julv 1975
MOBILIZATION OF DUPLICATES IN A RML PROGRAM
APPENDIX 3-Continued 6. We receive more requests through the USBE than through the South Central 2 5 5 Regional Program. 7. Because of the more specialized collection offered by the South Central Regional Program, we participate more than through 1 6 5 USBE. 8. We receive our journals more rapidly through the South Central Regional 3 1 8 Program than through USBE. III. South Central Regional Duplicate Journal Program A. The following statements are designed for you to rate on a one to five rating scheme. Circling a 1 indicates your least favorable response; 3 is a neutral response; and 5 indicates your most favorable response. 3 NR 4 5 1 2 1. The South Central Regional Duplicate Journal Program has saved us money in 5 9 39 4 5 9 maintaining our collection. 2. The availability of duplicates has 4 13 6 23 9 16 reduced our need for interlibrary loans. 3. The value of available duplicates is 5 11 21 10 15 9 worth a nominal fee charged per issue. 4. We approve of the descriptive listing of runs of issues per title as they appear 3 12 4 5 9 38 on the monthly list. 5. We desire a more descriptive listing of runs of issues per title on the monthly 8 22 8 24 3 6 list. 6. A notice of requests that cannot be 4 4 7 11 26 19 filled would be helpful. 7. Most of our packages have arrived with 0 48 9 3 3 8 little or no damage to the contents. B. The cost of providing the South Central Regional Duplicate Journal Program has been approximately 42 cents per issue. If funding were to cease, what responses would you have to the following options? No NR Yes 1. We would be willing to pay for the 2 3 66 postage for journals sent us. 2. We would be willing to pay for the postage for journals we send to the 15 51 5 Duplicate Program. 3. We would be willing to pay for the postage and a nominal fee per journal 20 6 45 issue sent us. 4. We would be willing to pay a subscription cost of $25 per year for 6 42 23 the monthly list. 5. We would be willing to pay a membership fee which would entitle us to receive 14 22 35 the monthly list and other services.
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
317
DOBROSKI AND HENDRICKS APPENDIX 4 SAMPLE CHART
Sample chart used by requesting libraries to indicate gaps to be filled from duplicate periodical exchange programs. 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974
Circulation Clinical Pharm. & Therapeutics Cumulative Index to Nursing Lit. Diabetes DM: Disease-a-Month Emergency Medicine
_
_
= _
__ ___ T _==
Gastroenterology
Hospital Medicine Hospital Practice Index Medicus_l J. of Allergy & Clinical ___ Immunology J. of the Amer. Medical
=
_-
Association
J. of Bacteriology J. of Biological Chemistry J. of Bone & Joint Sur-
=
=
=== _ __I
gery
J. of Clinical Endocrin. & Metabolism J. of Infectious Diseases J. of Medical Education J. of Pediatrics J. of Thoracic & Cardiovas. Surgery J. of Urology Lancet
318
___
_
III _
_
___
_
Bull. Med. Libr. Assoc. 63(3) July 1975
