Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book presents the Serials Cataloging Cooperative Training Program’s Serials Holding Workshop, which reviewed the MARC 21 format for Holdings Data standards. It describes the concept Serials Esperanto, “a common language for communication among publishers, vendors, and librarians.” The book provides an inspiring and thought-provoking review of today’s technological trends and how they will impact libraries down the road. It presents a history of the serial industry and NASIG during the last twenty years. The book looks at the problems and opportunities institutional repositories offer at the University of Oregon and around the world and the effect such repositories will have on the changing nature of serials and scholarly communication. It provides both theoretical and practical perspectives on usage statistics for online resources.