12.3. Numeric and/or Alphabetic, Chronological, or other Designation Area
Designation Required:
A publication must bear a numeric or chronological designation in order to be considered a serial (cf. LCRI 12.0A ).
Sources:
If a serial has both a numeric and a chronological designation, record both even if they do not appear in the same source. If there is more than one representation of a designation, or part of a designation, generally prefer the most complete presentation, provided that it appears prominently or is stated formally.
Record a designation that does not appear prominently or is not stated formally when there is no other more prominent or formal statement that could serve either as a numeric or chronological designation.
Designation Must identify the Issue:
Numbers or dates that are used alone as the designation must be sufficiently complete to "identify" the issue. For example, the date for a monthly periodical must bear at least the month and year in order to e transcribed as a chronological designation.
If a serial carries both a number and a date, and either one or the other is sufficient to identify the issue, record both as the designation.
A date may serve as a volume number followed by internal numbering that repeats each year. When this is the case, treat both as the numeric designation and record the number following the date.
In these cases also record a chronological designation when one appears on the publication.
Recording the Chronological Designation:
When recording the chronological designation, apply the order of sources given above and also consider the type of date(s) given. The chronological designation may represent the approximate time of publication (e.g., the May 1990 issue of a monthly), the coverage of the contents (e.g., fiscal year 1990), or the date of a meeting or event. A date than reflects the publishing of the serial may be used as a chronological designation when there is no numeric designation to identify each issue, as long as the publishing date identifies the issue. If more than one expression of a chronological designation is given, prefer to use the one that provides the clearest indication of the period covered by the contents (if such a determination is possible).
The chronological designation may be pieced together from several sources in the item when there is no numeric designation by which issues of the serial can be identified.
12.3B. Numeric and/or alphabetic designation
12.3C. Chronological designation
12.3E. Alternative numbering, etc., systems
12.3G. Successive designations
See also:
