An institution may decide to keep all titles in a series together by giving them the same call number or may give each its own call number. The institution may decide to catalog each title separately or not at all. What is more complicated is that another institution may decide to treat the series in a different manner, based on the needs of its users. These decisions are referred to as "series treatment." The decision as to how to treat a series in one way as opposed to another is basically a matter of institutional policy. (4) Series treatment involves three aspects: 1) whether individual titles will be cataloged; 2) whether the titles in the series will be given the same or different call numbers; 3) whether the series is to be traced or untraced. The following terms are applied to series authority records and must be understood for the correct interpretation of these records.

a. Analysis (i.e., cataloging of individual issues; field 644):

Analyzed in full:

Each individual title in the series is cataloged, whether it be a monograph or serial. The titles may be classified separately or collected under the same call number.

Analyzed in part:

Some individual titles are cataloged; others are not. Titles that are not cataloged are checked in on the entry for the series. This type of treatment requires a " collected set record" and a call number under which all the titles are filed, whether they are analyzed or not. With the exception of government documents, this form of treatment is no longer applied to new titles at LC.

Not analyzed:

None of the titles in the series are cataloged. Instead, a collected set record is created.

b. Classification (field 646):

Collected:

All titles in the series are given the same call number (i.e., they are "collected" together on the shelf).

Classified separately (i.e., not collected):

Each title in the series is given its own call number.

c. Traced or untraced? (field 645):

Tracing the series refers to providing an added entry. According to LCRI 21.30L, all analyzed series are traced. (5) This policy was written as a cataloging simplification measure with the idea that it is less time-consuming to always trace the series than to make the decision whether or not to trace each time a new series is established.

Some SARs contain multiple treatment fields that reflect changes in the treatment over the life of the series. This is referred to as a "change in treatment." In the past, LC applied different treatment decisions to multiple sets or copies of the serial. This practice was called "split treatment." See CCM 12.7.1. for more information.

See also:

12.1. Introduction to Series