OVERLAP OF MAJOR LISTS OF SERIALS: A SURVEY OF LISTS USED BY THE BRITISH LIBRARY LENDING DIVISION

Early in 1980, a survey was made to determine the degree of overlap between each of seven major lists of serials used in checking requests for serial titles not held by the British Library Lending Division. Previously reported surveys have examined what happens to serial requests satisfied outside the Lending Division, but have not distinguished between requests for which the Lending Division holds other issues of the serial in question and requests for titles the Lending Division does not hold at all. The majority of requests not satisfied from Lending Division stock are in the former category. However, failures due to absence of titles require a similar number of staff, because the likelihood of finding a location is less in such cases, and because more work is required to verify the titles.