Find a periodical

Current Periodicals
Bound Periodicals
Microfilm Collection
Microfiche Collection
Ultrafiche Collection
Newspapers
Using the reader/printers

Staff

Marilee Rouillard, Periodicals Supervisor
mrouilla@keene.edu
603-358-2756

Periodicals office: 603-358-2755

The Periodicals department is responsible for managing Mason Library's collection of magazines, journals and newspapers, including shelf maintenance, keeping statistics and assisting library patrons. The library subscribes to more than 1000 titles. Current issues of magazines, journals and newspapers are located on display shelving in the periodicals reading room opposite the library's front door. Older issues, most in bound volumes, are located in the periodicals stacks on the first floor. Periodicals are arranged in Library of Congress call number order except microforms which are alphabetically arranged and located in cases behind the periodicals stacks. Periodicals are a "Library Use Only" collection. Photocopiers and microform reader/printers are available. For information on periodicals use and policy, contact the Periodicals Supervisor or a reference librarian.

Current Periodicals
All paper issues that are currently arriving are checked in, processed and put on the shelves in call number order for patrons to browse. The older issues are stored behind the shelf until there are enough to bind together. Then they are processed and shelved with the bound periodicals.

Searching by title tells what issues we actually have and clicking on the link to the left which reads “latest received” shows a chart that clearly explains the location of each issue.

Periodicals must remain in the library. They may be photocopied. Please leave any issue that you use on a re-shelving cart so we can track usage. That affects our librarians’ decisions as to what titles should be kept.

Many paper copies have articles that are also available in our electronic databases or have older issues available in another format.

Bound Periodicals
Paper issues that we keep for years are bound together in a hard back volume. Some titles are paged continuously and others start each issue with page one so the date of the individual issue is important to note. The volumes are shelved in call number order and then by date.

Searching by title tells what issues we actually have and clicking on the link to the left which reads “latest received” shows a chart that clearly explains the location of each issue.

Periodicals must remain in the library. They may be photocopied. Please leave any issue that you use on a re-shelving cart so we can track usage. That affects our librarians’ decisions as to what titles should be kept.

Many paper copies have articles that are also available in our electronic databases or have older issues available in another format.

Microfilm Collection
Several active newspapers are stored on reels in our microfilm collection in addition to older newspapers and periodicals. They are arranged alphabetically by title and then in date order. They are located behind the bound periodicals.

They can be viewed on the reader/printers available in the periodicals area.

Microfiche Collection
Some titles are available only in microfiche; others in both microfiche and paper. The Microfiche collection is in the cabinets behind the bound periodicals. They are arranged in alphabetical order by title and then in date order. If you have difficulty please ask for help. Please insert a red marker when removing a piece of microfiche.

They can be viewed on the reader/printers available in the periodicals area.

Ultrafiche Collection
Collections such as the Library of American Civilization (LAC) and the Library of English Literature (LEL) have been preserved on ultrafiche which is extremely small. Some pieces might not be clear enough for copying. These collections are located in cabinets near the Periodicals office. Ultrafiche can be viewed on the reader opposite the cabinets.

Printing an ultrafiche image requires several steps. Use machine A in front of the Periodicals office.

Turn the machine on—the on/off switch is on the side of the viewer. Pull the handle forward to lift the glass and place the ultrafiche face down between the glass plates. Push the handle in to see the small images. If they appear crooked or upside down turn the image rotation button on the right side of the control pad beside the machine. Place the image to be copied in the small rectangle in the middle of the screen and focus as well as you can. Make sure that the green light is lit next to P and at the top of the next column. This will enlarge the image four times in the printer. Put money in the slot and press the green button.

If you have any difficulties with the machines, please ask us for help.

Newspapers
The newspaper collection is located in the middle of the Current Periodicals section in the long wooden bookcase. They are arranged alphabetically by title with the most current issue to the left and older issues to the right and sometimes on lower shelves. The oldest available issue is on the bottom. Some newspapers (Boston Globe, Equinox, Keene Sentinel, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal) are held in paper until the microfilm copy arrives. Weekly news magazines (Advertising Age, Barrons, Chronicle of Higher Education, Entertainment Design, Marketing News and Village Voice) are also shelved with the newspapers.

Other newspapers are:
Burlington Free Press, Concord Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, Gazette(Montreal), Indian Country Today, Journal Francais, Le Monde, Manchester Guardian Weekly, Monadnock Ledger, Nashua Telegraph, Peterborough Transcript, Portsmouth Herald, Times(London), Union Leader, and USA Today.

Some titles are shelved with the Periodicals on the shelves by call number, usually in the AP section.

Using the reader/printers
Each reader/printer has an on/off switch on the side of the machine or under the table to the left. All have handles to pull toward you in order to raise the top glass plate. Place microfiche between the glass plates face side down. Push the handle in so the glass plates close. For microfiche move the handle gently in or out or sideways to view the pages. For microfilm place the reel on the spindle to the left with the film coming over the top to the right. Press the reel firmly against the wall behind it so the film lines up evenly when it is placed between the glass plates and threaded into the take-up reel on the right.

You can move the microfilm from left to right manually or on slow speed (gray button) if the glass is closed. If the glass is raised (by pulling the handle toward you) you can move the film at high speed, stopping to check page numbers occasionally. DO NOT PUSH THE RED BUTTON IF THE GLASS IS CLOSED because friction damages the film and the machine! When finished, rewind by pushing the left arrow WITH THE GLASS UP! If you encounter any difficulty or are not sure how to proceed, ask for help at the periodicals desk or office.

PRINTING: Check that the printer is set to print from your reader/printer and change the setting if necessary. Adjust the size of the image to fit just inside the rectangle marked on the screen. Use the top gear under the screen for image rotation and the gear below it to focus. Microfilm and microfiche vary in quality and therefore the quality of pages printed from them will vary.

Microfilm and microfiche are usually positive images (white background with black letters) so check that PP is selected instead of NP or Automatic.

Put only one dime in the coin box at a time and press the green print button.