NASIG Newsletter

PRECONFERENCE 

Basic Serials Cataloging

Joe Hinger, Associate Director of Library Technical Services, St. John’s University
Reported by Victoria Stanton 

Joe Hinger presented the Basic Serials Cataloging Workshop.  He is the Associate Director for Technical Services at Rittenbery Law Library of St. John’s University.   The workshop was developed by the Serials Cataloging Cooperative Training Program, under the auspices of CONSER.  The twenty participants represented a cross section of libraries, from academic, public, and special libraries to the U.S. Postal Library and the Supreme Court Library.  The participants were catalogers, reference librarians, electronic resource librarians, and acquisitions staff.  The mélange of positions and experience offered good practical discussions as the class worked through practice cataloging.  

Hinger explained that the course covered serials, but not integrating resources, and took great pains to explain the difference.  He recommended the CONSER Editing Guide and the CONSER Cataloging Manual as basic tools to use in conjunction with AACRII (2002 revision) and the MARC21 manual.    The participants each received a copy of the Basic Serials Cataloging Workshop Trainee Manual.  This is a well organized resource divided into nine sections, with practice exercises and helpful appendices including a summary of MARC tags, a glossary, and acronyms relating to serials. 

The instructor presented an explanation of the fixed fields, and emphasized the need to keep frequency, language, and place of publication fields up to date.  He discussed choosing the chief source of information, and gave many examples.  The class discussed choice of main entry, and Hinger gave examples and rational for the major/minor title change rules of 2002. The participants had enthusiastic discussions on the use of 246 added titles, enlivened with the practical examples from patron questions and frustrations.  The presenter defined the need for a uniform title to differentiate the same titles, and explained that the uniform title was used to separate serial titles rather than to collocate.  

Hinger introduced the need for description and notes fields.  Notes fields are essential in documenting the many variations in publisher and publication history of a serial.  They may describe where title information was found, and the latest issue consulted.  Notes will also describe change of publisher, issuing body, and irregularities in publication.   

Much attention was given to title changes and use of 780, 785, and 580 fields.  Hinger gave excellent explanations and examples of major title changes, including mergers and splits.  He made great use of personification in describing family relationships that also apply to journals.  The instructor provided a good overview of successive vs. latest entry cataloging, and described the basic rational of the pre-AACR rules, including choice of entry and punctuation.  

The final session covered electronic titles.  Hinger discussed direct access serials, such as titles on CD-ROM, and remote access serials, which are often accessed via the Internet or email.  There are special requirements for the 006, 007, and 008 fields, and specific notes for system requirements and type of file.  He described the aggregator neutral record, and provided background on the international discussions about multiple versions. 

The presenter made the two day workshop lively and fun with his personal anecdotes and practical advice.  He went out of his way to make complicated concepts clear. The participants applied the rules through the many practical examples, and Hinger was patient and logical as he offered suggestions.   The course presented concepts in a clear fashion, and the many examples provided plenty of hands-on practice.  The workshop was an excellent introduction to the ever changing world of serials cataloging.