We get a lot of what we call "mysteries" meaning we have no record for the title at all. This is different from titles we call NCR (not currently received). NCRs do have at least a bibliographic record, sometimes both an acquisitions record and a bibliographic record, but we don't subscribe to it in print anymore. We also get titles that have an electronic record, but again, we don't subscribe to it in print. We have shelves for all of these categories.

Our system is that one of our student workers takes a second look at these piles of mysteries, NCRs, etc. to make sure these titles aren't something that should have been checked in. The NCRs eventually get discarded/recycled.

The real mysteries are then checked against our "known mystery toss list". This is a spreadhseet we have developed over the last two years. Every few months a new set of mysteries is put out for bibliographer review. If a bibliographer wants something added as a gift or to have an actual subscription set up, that title is no longer a mystery, and a record is created for it. If a bibliographer wants that title discarded now and in the future, we add the title to the known mystery toss list. In theory, that title should not end up on the mystery shelf in the future, but should just be discarded.

Hope this helps!



On 4/6/2014 9:17 PM, Jessica Harris wrote:
All,
Lately, my institution has been receiving print issues of journals we don't subscribe to. Does this happen at any of your libraries very often? If so, what do you do with them? My inclination is to just recycle them, but I'm wondering if anyone takes the time to send them back to the publisher instead.

Any help you can give is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Jessica Harris
Electronic Resources Librarian
University Library

Santa Clara University
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053
408-554-5356

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-- 
Melissa Kalinen
Supervisor, ER&S: Serials
IPC, 1st flr Van Pelt-Dietrich Library Center
University of Pennsylvania Libraries
(215) 746-2087
mkalinen@pobox.upenn.edu

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