21.5.  Record consolidation and separation

A CONSER record usually continues to serve its purpose even though the cataloging standards as they were applied to the serial have changed.  According to CEG B4.3.3 , it is generally not necessary to revise a record due solely to a change in the rules or rule interpretations.  Record consolidation or separation should be completed only when there is a practical need or there are cataloging errors clearly involved, but not simply due to a change in cataloging practice.

Records may be consolidated or separated following the general instructions below and the procedures specified in CEG C8.2 .  Record consolidation must not result in the loss of cataloging information (CEG C8.1.1 ).  CEG C8.1.2 also discusses record consolidation/separation processing restrictions and requirements, including the following instructions:

Do not consolidate records authenticated by LAC or ISSN Canada

Consult with NSDP before consolidating authenticated records with multiple ISSN for U.S. publications

Notify LC (srdcat@loc.gov) when deleting authenticated records not retained in record consolidation

21.5.1.  Consolidating records due to fluctuating titles or titles of short duration

AACR2 21.2C2bvii and the LCRI 21.2C provide for treating as a minor change "two or more titles proper used on different issues of a serial according to a regular pattern."  The LCRI says to apply the rule also when the language of the title varies according to the language of the text.  Generally the practice is confined "to titles of short duration only when cataloging retrospectively and no records exist in shared databases and there are no ISSN assignments to the different titles."  This procedure for titles of short duration is used for situations where it is clear the publisher did not intend to change the title or most issues carry one title but one or a few issues another title.

The short duration title is often presented as a series of title changes – title A-title B-title A – with title B appearing on one or a few issues and changing back to title A.  When the second title change occurs, the cataloger is faced with having to create a third record or collapsing the existing two into a single record that includes the latest change.  The example below illustrates the title change from Annual Report to Parliament to Annual General Report to Parliament (single issue) which changes back to the original.

110 1# $a Vanuatu. $b Office of the Ombudsman.

245 10 $a Annual report to Parliament / $c by the Ombudsman of the Republic of Vanuatu.

246 1# $i Issue for 1996 has title: $a Annual general report to Parliament

362 0# $a 1995-

500 ## $a Latest issue consulted: 3rd (1997).

For special cases involving title changes, refer to the following rules and LCRIs:

It may also be necessary to consult with other CONSER members or those in your institution to determine how many records are needed in the situations listed above.

21.5.2.  Record separation

Record separation is often associated with the conversion of pre-AACR2 records that use generic titles as titles proper.  Such records, when converted to AACR2, sometimes must be separated into several AACR2 records because multiple titles are involved.  Record separation is generally discouraged, as is record conversion, unless there is a clear, practical need.  (For specific instructions, see CEG C8.3 .)

21.5.3.  Separating records for parts, cumulations, supplements

Serials issued in cumulation, or in parts, or with supplements, may force a decision whether to separate an existing record into multiple records to cover the parts, cumulations, or supplements.  (OCLC includes in its list of allowable duplicate records those for different frequencies, for the whole and its parts, or records for supplements and parent titles that cover their supplements.)  Refer to LCRI 21.28B to determine treatment for serial supplements to serials; LCRI 12.0 covers serials issued in cumulations or parts.

It can be particularly difficult to determine whether to use a single record or separate records for serials issued in parts.  LCRI 12.0 (pp. 2-3) discusses several criteria involved in determining whether one or more records are needed:

designations for the parts

continuous pagination or enumeration between the parts

availability of the parts

whether they appear to be designed to be used together

Separate an existing record into multiple serial records in the following situations:  1) parts become independently designated; 2) parts become available separately.  Judgment is often involved and the RI includes the clause, "when in doubt, prefer separate records."  It may also be useful to consult with other CONSER members.

Original Record Modified -- Parts Became Available Separately

Conseil national du crédit (France). Rapport annuel (1946), included three separate committee reports along with the council’s report for many years.  The committee reports were issued in a second volume in 1986, and in 1989 each was issued separately.  When the committee reports became available separately, three separate records were created and the original record was modified to include the information shown above in fields 580 and 785.  The annual report of the Conseil national du crédit continued publication.

See also:

Module 21.  Modifying Records