Major & Minor Serial Changes Simplified: A Guide for Acquisitions Staff

1. Major & Minor Serial Changes Simplified: A Guide for Acquisitions Staff Rowena Griem Catalog Librarian Sterling Memorial Library

2. Objectives: • To recognize significant changes to serials. • To understand the work flow issues: • Some changes require a new bibliographic record. • Some changes require an update to the existing bibliographic or name authority record. • Others do not require any updates. • There is no need to memorize all of the potential changes. Just be aware of what to look for, then determine whether you should edit the record or forward it to a Cataloger. • Consult the handout enclosed in your packet for details if necessary. There is no need to take notes!

3. Changes to Serial Titles I: • Change or reordering of any of the first five words of the title proper, unless the change is listed elsewhere: • Directory of hotels in Germany Directory of German hotels • Changes to word order, including parallel titles: • Bay, pond & lake news Bay, lake & pond news • Philosophie = Philosophy  Philosophy = Philosophie • ACTION STEP: • Refer to a Cataloger for evaluation.

4. Changes to Serial Titles II: • Changes to the appearance of the title proper, including: • U.S. vs. British spellings: Catalog daily  Catalogue daily • Singular vs. plural: Philosopher Philosophers • Acronym vs. full name: NYC daily  New York City daily • Change in punctuation, conjunctions, prepositions, etc. • Yearbook  Year book • Journal of modern algebra  Journal on modern algebra • ACTION STEP: • Refer to a Cataloger for editing to the existing bibliographic record.

5. Changes to Serial Titles III: • Change to words that describe the resource, including their foreign counterparts: • Philosophy news  Philosophy magazine • Us  Us weekly • ACTION STEP: • Refer to a Cataloger for updating or, in the case of words referring to frequency, a new bibliographic record.

6. Changes to Serial Titles IV: • Change in wording of the enumeration or year information: • 1995 World book 5th World book • This is not a change to the serial title, because the enume-ration/chronology information should not be included in the title proper. In both cases, the title proper is World book. • ACTION STEPS: • If the appropriate bibliographic record exists and you are authorized to do so, relink the incoming item record to the existing MFHD and suppress the extra record. • If you are not authorized, or if no such bibliographic record exists, refer the item to a Cataloger.

7. Change to Subtitle: • Changes to the subtitle that do NOT involve the name of the corporate body: • Academic medicine : $b journal for medicine Academic medicine : $b journal for medical science • This is not a significant change to the serial title, because the subtitle should usually not be included in the title proper. In both cases, the title proper is Academic medicine. • ACTION STEP: • Refer to a Cataloger for updating. They can add the note “Subtitle varies” if desired.

8. Official Change to theName of the Corporate Body: • Official change to the name of the corporate body responsible: • Dutch Restaurant Group  Group of Dutch Restaurateurs • ACTION STEP: • Refer to a Cataloger. May require a new bibliographic record (depending on where in the record the corporate body appears) or update to the name authority record.

9. Change of theCorporate Body Responsible: • The corporate body responsible changes: • American Philosophers’ Association  International Philosophers’ Association • ACTION STEP: • Refer the item to a Cataloger for evaluation.

10. Change in Meaning of Title or Edition Statement: • Title or edition statement reflects a change in subject matter: • Best hotels and inns of Germany  Best hotels and inns of Germany & Austria • German ed.  European ed. • ACTION STEP: • Refer to a Cataloger for a new bibliographic record.

11. Change in Frequency: • Change in frequency: • Monthly  Semiannual • ACTION STEPS: • Edit the bibliographic record if you are authorized to do so. • Otherwise, refer to a Cataloger for updating.

12. Change to Physical Format: • Change to physical format • Print version  CD-ROM version (Print version ceases to exist) • ACTION STEP: • Refer to a Cataloger. The bibliographic record for the print version is closed off and a new record is created for the CD-ROM version.

13. Change Involving ISSN: • ISSN appears on item but not on the bibliographic record. • ACTION STEPS: • Edit the bibliographic record if you are authorized to do so. • Otherwise, refer to a Cataloger for updating. • ISSN on item does not match the ISSN on bibliographic record. • ACTION STEP: • Refer to a Cataloger for evaluation.

14. Change to Imprint: • Change to publisher and/or publication location: • Harvard University Press in Cambridge, MA  Yale University Press in New Haven, CT • ACTION STEP: • Refer to a Cataloger for updating. The 260 is not changed, but a 500 or 550 note is added.

15. Supplements with Separate Title or Enumeration: • New supplement with separate title or enumeration: • World book publishes Asian Supplement, v. 2 • ACTION STEPS: • If the appropriate bibliographic record exists and you are authorized to do so, relink the incoming item record to the existing MFHD and suppress the extra record. • If you are not authorized, or if no such bibliographic record exists, refer the item to a Cataloger.

16. Conclusion: • Familiarize yourself with the possible changes and keep an eye out for them but do not agonize over them. If you are unsure about a change, just send the item to a Cataloger. • If the item needs to be sent to a colleague, insert an explanatory note to save time. Please do not use Post-its, since they can easily get lost.