1.0. General Rules [General Rules for Description]
.Edition or Copy:
When a new manifestation of an item reaches the cataloger, the question arises as to whether this is a copy of an earlier manifestation needing its own bibliographic record. Consult the definition of "Edition" in Appendix D. If, according to this definition, two items are known to be two different editions, create separate records for each.
Also, consider that a new edition is involved whenever:
1. there is an explicit indication of changes (including corrections) of content; or,
2. anything in the following areas or elements of areas differs from one bibliographic record to another: title and statement of responsibility area, edition area, the extent statement of the physical description area, and series area.
Whenever the question relates to the publication, distribution, etc., area or to ISBNs, consider that the item is a copy if the only variation is one or more of the following:
1. a difference in the printing or copyright date when there is also a publication date;
2. a minor variation in an entity’s name. There are relatively few examples of this phenomenon, which arises when a publisher uses multiple forms concurrently. For example, "Duckworth" and "G. Duckworth" and "St. Martin’s Press" have been used at the same time by these publishers. A genuine name change, even if minor, should not be considered as a variation;
3. the addition, deletion, or change of an ISBN;
4. a difference in binding; or,
5. a difference in the edition statement or the series whenever the item is a CIP book issued by the publisher in both a hardbound and a softbound version.
For variations in the publication, distribution, etc., area not covered by the preceding statements, consider that the item is a new edition. Noteworthy examples for the publication, distribution, etc., area are variation involving different places or entities transcribed or any difference in an entity’s name that is suggestive of either a name change or a difference in an entity’s name that is suggestive of either a name change or a different entity. Examples of the latter case are the many instances of a sequence of names used, with one used for some time and another at some point replacing the first. For example, "Harper & Brothers" becomes "Harper & Row"; "Doubleday, Doran" becomes "Doubleday."
N.B. Rare books in general follow the same policy, with exceptions as necessary.
Initial Articles:
Transcribe initial articles as found: in the title and statement of responsibility area (see LCRI 21.30J. for the guidelines on setting the non-filing indicator in relation to the title proper on MARC records), edition area, series area, and note area. For the publication, distribution, etc., area, generally do not transcribe articles preceding the name of the publisher, distributor, etc. (cf., however, 1.4D4. for definite articles added by the cataloger to generics referring to the publisher).
1.0E. Language and script of the description
1.0G. Accents and other diacritical marks
1.0H. Items with several chief sources of information
See also:
1. General Rules for Description
