Periodical Cancellations: What Happened at Hull

The author describes the situation in the Library of the University of Hull which led to a programme of periodical cancellations. The methods for determining which titles should be cancelled and in what order are outlined and the effects of these cancellations on the academic and teaching life of the University discussed. Periodicals were ranked by importance by departments and action taken accordingly with various checks and balances to ensure that certain fringe subjects and local interests were not denuded of coverage altogether. Despite the relatively ‘unscientific’ methods used the author shows that much useful data was collected on reading habits and use of stock which had not previously been available.