Appendix E1. Default guidelines

E1.1.

This appendix addresses the issue of whether to describe bibliographic variants using a single bibliographic record or separate records. As a default approach, the rules contained in DCRM(B) assume that a separate bibliographic record will be created for each bibliographic variant that represents what is referred to as an "edition" in AACR2 and an "issue" in bibliographic scholarship.

LC Rare Book Team Guidelines: Generally follow DCRM(B) by cataloging at the edition level with exceptions per cataloger’s judgment or based on a collection-wide (processing plan) decision.

E1.2.

Following this default approach, generally consider that a new bibliographic record is required whenever the publication distinguishes itself from other variants by one or more of the following characteristics:

change in content (e.g., changes in the title, statement of responsibility, or edition statement that indicate corrections, revisions, expansions, abridgments, or the inclusion of supplementary materials)

different setting of type (e.g., changes in the statement of extent, a change in bibliographic format, or differences in line-endings and catchwords revealed by the comparison of multiple copies)

change in publication status (e.g., an original title page has been cancelled and replaced; an original publication, distribution, etc., statement has been covered with a new label; original sheets have been issued in a new publisher’s cover bearing more recent data than that provided on the title page, or with a new series title page)

E1.3.

In general, do not consider differences relating solely to substantially unchanged impressions, states, binding variants, or copies as an indication that a new record is required. Examples of differences that do not in themselves necessarily signal the need for a new record in the absence of other differences include:

a difference in a statement of printing (e.g., fifth printing)

a difference in the printer or other manufacturer if the publisher has not changed

a difference in the printing or copyright date if the publication date has not changed

a difference in the publisher’s cover that does not provide evidence of a discrete publishing unit (e.g., a change of color in publisher’s cloth)

a difference relating to inserted publisher’s advertisements and catalogs (unless they are integral to the publication)

stop-press corrections

the presence or absence of an errata slip

the addition, deletion, or change of an ISBN

E1.4.

These basic default guidelines result in a single bibliographic record being used to represent multiple impressions, states, and binding variants relating to a single edition or issue. This record may include, in local notes, information that does not apply to all copies of the edition or issue, whether the information applies to an impression, a state, a binding variant or an individual item.