12.0B. Sources of information

Table of Contents:

First Issue:

The basis for the description is the first issue of the serial. In determining which issue is first, disregard the date of publication, etc., and use the designation on the issues. For serials that carry numeric or alphabetic designations, the first issue is the one with the lowest or earliest (in the alphabet) designation. For serials that do not carry numeric or alphabetic designations, the first issue is the one with the earliest chronological designation. (If the actual first issue is not available, use these same guidelines to determine which issue should be used as the basis for the description.)

Serials may be issued with terms such as "premier," "sample," or "preview." The term "premier" generally implies the first true issue. Do not, however, base the description on an issue that bears only wording such as "Sample," "Preview," or "Introductory issue." Such wording generally indicates that the publisher is testing the potential audience for the serial and it is possible that the serial may never be published. Such issues generally do not have numbering. An issue that bears numbering that precedes "1," such as "Vol. 1, no. 0," "No. 0," or "Vol. 0," may be treated as the first issue, provided that there is clear evidence that the issue is not merely serving as a sample or introductory issue.

LC practice: The National Serials Data Program (NSDP) creates records for sample issues in order to assign the ISSN. If LC later catalogs the serial, the description is based on the first "true" issue and a note is given to explain the sample issue.

Because the title page (or title page substitute) of the fist issue is the chief source of information for a printed serial, a title page that is published to cover the volume is generally not used as the chief source. Use a volume title page as the chief source only when there is no source on an individual issue that is sufficient for the description of the serial. In such cases, give a source of title note such as:

500 ## $a Title from volume t.p.

Electronic Serials That Don't Retain Earlier Titles/Bodies:

If an electronic serial is reformatted so that all evidence of the earlier title (or earlier corporate body under which the serial is entered) is removed, base the description on the current presentation.

Give a note that explains the change in the serial. Give notes and added entries for the earlier title proper and/or corporate body; give notes about earlier publishers, etc., if considered to be important. Update the existing record if there is one; otherwise, make a new record that covers the earlier and current presentations.

existing record:

245 00 $a Asian age $h [electronic resource]

same record updated:

245 00 $a Asian age online $h [electronic resource]

247 11 $a Asian age $f <Mar. 6, 2001>

547 ## $a All issues originally published with title Asian age have been reformatted with the new title: Asian age online.

If a further change takes place in the title or corporate body under which the serial is entered and the earlier title/body is retained, make a new record for the new title and/or corporate body and give linking notes on both records.

subsequent change to example above - existing record:

245 00 $a Asian age online $h [electronic resource]

247 11 $a Asian age $f <Mar. 6, 2001>

547 ## $a All issues originally published with title Asian age have been reformatted with the new title: Asian age online. This serial is now continued by: Asian age online journal and discussion list.

785 10 $t Asian age online journal and discussion list

new record:

245 00 $a Asian age online journal and discussion list $h [electronic resource]

780 00 $t Asian age online

Follow these same guidelines if an aggregator presents a range of issues and does not retain the earlier titles (or bodies).

Reprints of Serials:

In order that the description of the reprint resemble and file with the description of the original, the earliest issue reprinted is used as the chief source for the first three areas of the description. Data for these areas may be taken from any place on the reprinted issue without the use of brackets. If it is known that the description of the original would include data that are not on the reprinted issue, the data may be supplied in brackets.

In the publication, distribution, etc., area the place of publication, publisher, and date of the reprint are recorded, using brackets if the data do not come from a prescribed source on the reprint.

The physical description area gives the physical description of the reprint, not the original.

A series is recorded if the reprint appears in a series.

Usually a single note gives important details about the original while other notes give necessary information about the reprint. Notes giving the sources of the title or the issue on which the description is based are not given.

See LCRI 12.0 for guidelines about the number of records for reprints of serials. See LCRI 1.0 for guidelines about cataloging a reprint of serial issues as a serial or as a monograph.

Printed Resources: Title Page Substitute

If a resource lacking a title page has a title (the same title or different titles) on more than one source in the item, choose as the title page substitute the source that appears first in the preferred order of sources listed in the rule. Use the entire page from which the title was taken as the title page substitute, not just the caption area, masthead area, etc. Do not enclose in brackets any data found anywhere on that page.

Printed Serials: Retrospective Cataloging

LC/PCC practice: The following are exceptions to the principle of priority order of sources only when cataloging retrospectively and only when there are no existing records which would have to be cancelled.

1. In instances in which the item has two or more different titles and the title that appears in a less preferred source is known (because of a trademark or other symbol that appears with it) to be the stable title that does not vary from issue to issue, use the source with the stable title as the title page substitute.

2. In instances in which two or more issues are in hand and the title appearing in a less preferred source remains stable from issue to issue (e.g., if the masthead title remains stable but the cover title changes from issue to issue, use the masthead as the title page substitute).

3. In instances when a title page is added or dropped. For example, if the title on the cover and the title on the title page are different and some issues lack a title page, the cover can be used as the chief source.

Direct Access Electronic Resources

The provision in 12.0B2b to use the physical carrier or its labels for direct access electronic resources does take precedence over provisions in chapter 9 for chief source of information.

Nonprint Serials:

Consider that the prescribed source for the Numbering area is the whole resource. (Chapters 3-10 currently lack information about a prescribed source for this type of Material (or type of publication) specific details area.)