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The distinguishing feature of serials is their on-going and changing nature.   Libraries have created procedures and staffing to accommodate the peculiarities of the genre.  Creating records that accurately reflect the repeated payments and receipts are the two most prominent challenges presented.  Given the large number of titles, the monitoring of the subscriptions requires constant effort.  Over the life of a serial the publisher may make many changes including focus, title, frequency, and format; the publisher may sell the journal to another press.  In addition, the libraries' libraries’ commitment to a particular title may change over time, given space constraints, collection development and changing research needs.  Staff working with print material gain familiarity with the institution's institution’s historical practices and unique adaptations. 

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Policies and procedures for both CUL's CUL’s are posted on their wiki sites, and the individual tasks and responsibilities are comparable where they match.   For improved tracking, Columbia has created Google forms for cancellation requests, new standing order requests, and collecting staff work statistics.  Columbia uses email aliases extensively as a method for sharing work information and problem resolution. 

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Print serials staff is not limited by function although some user profiles in Voyager limit updates to Voyager records (bib records cannot be deleted if attached to a purchase order). Requests for changes or maintenance of records received from selectors that require attention from cataloging staff are forwarded to the serials cataloger, although most bibliographic changes are processed by the serials unit.  Vendor records are created by serials staff and "fund “fund of record" record” for orders are changed as requested.  Fund transfers are processed by serials staff.  Central accounting is responsible for the payment processing and the date when actual check or wire transfer is sent for payment is controlled by credits against the vendor's vendor’s account.  Payments processed by Procurement cards are limited to $500. Problems and exceptions are handled by supervisors.

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Because the requirements of print serials are so distinct and dependent on the organizational structures, we have found potential shared activities rather limited.  It is hard to see how staff at the two organizations could effectively substitute for each other.  However, making the organizational structures more similar (e.g., re-centralizing checkin at Columbia, discontinuing series and sets orders at Columbia) might lead to greater similarity in staff expectations and procedures.  With the changes in Cornell's Cornell’s handling of binding tasks, Columbia may also want to reconsider where responsibility for binding and adding is located.

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There may also be some possibility of combining the title lists from both institutions which might result in more desirable service charges, and broader collection development cooperation.   

Cornell's Cornell’s documentation (certainly in the area of print serials) is notably more robust than Columbia'sColumbia’s, and sharing documentation and its upkeep would be very useful, although there are limits to what can be standardized between the two institutions.