This cooperative project was designed to enrich the CONSER database with information about title coverage by abstracting and indexing (A&I) services. The project has provided a need link between A&I services’ citations and library catalogs, enabling researchers to learn where serials of interest are indexed, and facilitating access to high demand serials (i.e., those that are indexes). In addition, by making standardized data about cited publications more widely available, the project has improved related operations in the participating A&I services and in the many libraries that use CONSER bibliographic records.

The goals of the project include:

1. Ensuring that the CONSER database contains records for all serial titles covered by a selected core group of the most widely used A&I services in the U.S. and Canada.

2. Adding to those records information describing where each serial is indexed or abstracted.

3. Providing to the participating A&I services standardized bibliographic data (e.g., ISSN, key titles, library entries) for each serial title they cover, enabling them to cite the serials they index in standardized library form.

4. Developing the capability to produce machine-readable serials lists for use by participating A&I services.

5. Keeping the A&I information in the CONSER database up-to-date.

Each A&I service that covers a particular title is represented by a separate 510 (Citation note) field in the record for that title. In addition, the project assures the presence of ISDS data elements (ISSN, key title, abbreviated title) in each record. Included are services that produce printed products as well as online databases.

The project was developed by five major institutions or organization- -the Library of Congress, the National Library of Canada, OCLC, NFAIS (National Federation of Abstracting and Information Services), and ARL (Association of Research Libraries)- -and was supported by a planning grant from the Council on Library Resources.

Ongoing maintenance of the project is handled by NSDP, NLC, NAL and NLM.

See also:

A6. CONSER-Based Programs and Projects