Coping with the claims conundrum : a study of the serials claims process in a New Zealand academic library

Abstract

Claims are sent to clarify publication information and seek replacements for missing journal issues, to help libraries maintain an up-to-date collection of journals. The purpose of this project was to understand how the claims process affects a New Zealand library, with respect to success/fail rates, premature/late claims, and how to set optimal delay defaults in an automated library system. Some of the communication problems between a library, a subscription agent, and a publisher are highlighted. The study suggests that around 20% of the claims sent out by the Library in the observed sample fail, and examines how procedures can be improved to achieve efficient and effective responses to claims.