This study (1) examines the university's serials system and identifies its problems; (2) analyzes the current manual operations in the serials department, with emphasis on the serials check-in system; and (3) determines whether or not computerization of some or all of the serials subsystems would improve the department's internal effectiveness and its effectiveness in relation to the mission of the library as a whole. Chapters define the problems, review the literature, illustrate study procedures, analyze data, and offer recommendations. Information is also presented on OCLC's Serials Control Subsystem and its functions and benefits. References are included, and appendices contain a sample of OCLC's serial local data record, a general computerized system schematic, a sample of San Jose State's periodical list, and a sample of the California State University and Colleges (CSUC) union list of periodicals. (FM)