Summary: title changes/call numbers (fwd) Marcia Tuttle 16 Mar 1993 11:36 UTC
---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1993 14:52:00 EST From: SIMPSON%BRANDEIS.BITNET@uga.cc.uga.edu Here is the summary of your very helpful responses to my request for information about the effect of title changes on serial call numbers. I posted my message on March 4th, and received 26 responses. I am new to the world of serials cataloging, so please bear with me: my apologies if I have misunderstood or misstated the information you sent. Thank you all for your messages, both long and short. Of the 26 responses I received, only two respondents said they change a serial's call number when there is a simple title change (without changes in the numbering scheme, merges, splits, or significant changes in scope.) Of those two respondents, one is trying to get the policy changed so that call numbers will remain the same. Some respondents referred to changing call numbers for simple title changes as "the older practice." Authorities cited to justify current policy were: LC practice (the latest LCRI's), ALA practice, and AACR1. One documentary source cited was LC's "Subject Cataloging Manual: Shelflisting." Also, one respondent noted that this topic was discussed in 1992 on AUTOCAT under the theme of Arrangement of Periodicals. In the case of more complex title changes, there was a fairly clear consensus on practice, qualified by appeals to judgement. One respondent noted that no solution will please all the users and public service people all the time. Some examples of special cases follow. If there is a break in the numbering scheme, for example if the old title ended with volume 8 and the new title started with volume 1, the call number is modified. This prevents there being two "volume 1's" within the same title, which would cause shelving conflicts. An exception to this would be the publisher's use of "new ser." to distinguish the old and new titles. In this case, even if the numbering scheme is broken, "new ser." will differentiate volumes with the same number, and the old call number can be retained. When call numbers are changed, the cutter is usually slid to keep the titles together on the shelf, provided the scope of the new title is the same as the old. If the scope differs significantly, the new title will receive a call number which relocates it accordingly. The new title may also be shelved apart if the series is being cuttered alphabetically, and the new title differs alphabetically from the old. In the case of merges, when the merge significantly changes the scope from that of any of the merged titles, a new call number may be assigned. Splits will engender new call numbers: the new titles may be shelved apart, or receive slid cutters, again depending on coverage. One of the new titles may retain the old call number if its coverage is close to that of the old title. One respondent mentioned that the practice of sliding the cutter number for each simple change of entry can create heavy relabeling/reprocessing loads if OCLC later collapses these entries to conform to the latest LCRI. When OCLC splits latest entry records, similar issues arise. Not sliding the cutter thus sidesteps future processing work. That's pretty much it. I hope this is as helpful to the list as it has been to me. Best regards, Matthew Simpson Technical Services Brandeis University Library internet: simpson@binah.cc.brandeis.edu bitnet: simpson@brandeis.bitnet