major or minor change? Fair, Norma J. 10 Sep 2004 21:00 UTC
Hello Serials Catalogers-- I seek guidance on whether a certain title change is major or minor, but more specifically with which issue(s) the change(s) should be noted, since the fullness of the title has varied over time. The title in question is Sprache und Literatur in Wissenschaft und Unterricht (DLC sn84012398; OCLC# 10157898), for which there is also a successive bib record in OCLC: Sprache und Literatur (Paderborn, Germany) (OCLC# 53020797). No CONSER cataloging agency has modified or closed the earlier bibliographic record. Basically I concur the change is "major" in that the deletion of "in Wissenschaft und Unterricht" occurs, or at least starts, in the first five words of the title (the 4th through 7th words deleted). "[I]n Wissenshaft und Unterricht" does not seem to fit the "minor" change critera of a "list" from which words were deleted. The CONSER Cataloging Manual emphasizes that major/minor changes are to be tested against the title proper. According to OCLC#53020797 the major change occurred with 33. Jahrg., 1. Halbjahr (2002) = 89. (That's actually one issue before a change). The cover title was used as the "chief source" for the title proper in OCLC#10157898. From examination of the actual issues, the publication has the following characteristics: 14. Jahrg., 1. Halbjahr = 51 (1983) through 25. Jahrg., 1. Halbjahr = 73 (1994) Cover title: Sprache und Literatur in Wissenschaft und Unterricht Masthead title (p. 2 of cover): Sprache und Literatur in Wissenschaft und Unterricht 25. Jahrg., 2. Halbjahr = 74 (1994) through 33. Jahrg., 1. Halbjahr = 89 (2002) Cover title: Sprache und Literatur Masthead title (p. 2 of cover): Sprache und Literatur in Wissenschaft und Unterricht 33. Jahrg., 2. Halbjahr = 90 (2002)- Cover title: Sprache und Literatur Masthead title (p. 2 of cover): Sprache und Literatur There was a change in editors with this issue. SO, did the title proper change when the cover title changed (in 1994) even though the full title still appeared in the issues; or, did the title proper change when the full title was dropped from publication entirely (in 2002)? Or, does this publication meet the test--if in doubt, consider the change to be minor? The change doesn't affect the meaning of the title or the indication of subject matter. BTW, if a CONSER library holding this title wants to modify the bib records as either a major or a minor change, there was also a change in publisher statement with 33. Jahrg., 2. Halbjahr: Issues published 1994 through 33. Jahrg., 1. Halbjahr list two publisher names (on cover): Ferdinand Schoningh, and: Wilhelm Fink Verlag. Issues for 33. Jahrg., 2. Habljahr- list only Wilhelm Fink Verlag. Norma Fair Serials Cataloger 52 Ellis Library University of Missouri-Columbia E-mail: fairn@missouri.edu