Functions of a Serials Control System 

The following are the functions to be covered by a serials control system: 

1. Management Information 
2. Selection for purchases 
3. Ordering (including renewals and subscriptions) 
4. Receiving issues and claiming for issues not 'received 
5. Recording current holdings and allowing access to such lists 
6. Circulation of issues and borrowing. 
7. Binding 

In order to perform the above functions, the serials control system must have a number of core databases. The entire system depends on the master records of database. The database contains master serial records, which may be held in a series of linked files. Each record in a serials system includes: 

1. Cataloguing data (That is to say that the records may be MARC based or in any other simple format); 
2. Ordering data including renewal dates, and addresses of publishers, codes for vendors and costs; 
3. Receiving data such as frequency of publication, irregularies, claiming criteria; 
4. Binding data such as colour and style of binding, number of issues per binding volume and type of binding; 
5. Holdings data that is the number of volumes available in the library, etc; and 
6. Circulation data that is the names and addresses of locations for circulation. 

Availability of such data may form the basis of a set of lists to aid the control of the various functions.