Dear Mr. Washkevich:

Many title changes require that a new bibliographic record be created and
a new ISSN assigned.  It's the title change that drives the ISSN and
record change, not the other way around.

As you stated, Avionics changed its title to Avionics Magazine.  That
change apparently occurred (according to the OCLC records) some time
between May 1988 and August 1995.  A new ISSN was assigned to Avionics
Magazine.  Unfortunately, the National Serials Data Program (the U.S. ISSN
Center) does not always have timely information about when title changes
take place.  In this case it appears that our information came from the US
Postal Service, with whom we collaborate in the assignment of ISSN to
certain titles mailed at periodical rates.  That information came to us in
1995, rather late for a 1991 title change but apparently the publisher did
not file the required paperwork with USPS to inform them that the title
had changed until that time.

If a library does not have the first issue of the changed title or exact
information about when the title change took place, that information will
not apear in the catalog record.  That seems to be the case here.

Finally, new rules for when to make a new catalog record and assign a new
ISSN to changed titles were revised effective at the Library of Congress
and its cataloging partners in Dec. 2002.  Under these revised rules the
addition or dropping of the word "magazine" would no longer require a new
record or a new ISSN.  However, the rules are not applied retroactively so
this new record and new ISSN still stand.

If you have further questions, please feel free to contact me.

Regina Reynolds
Head, National Serials Data Program (the U.S. ISSN center)
rrey@loc.gov

On Tue, 27 May 2003, Washkevich, Peter wrote:

> Can anyone out there shed some light on this/these title(s)?  Was there a
> title change and if so, when?
>
> In 1991, January I think, Avionics added the word Magazine onto the cover.
>
> Avionics (OCLC #6908947) had ISSN 0273-7639.  In July of 2001, the ISSN
> changed to 1085-9284.  But I can't seem to pinpoint when the title change
> occurred, or even if one occurred.
>
> Ulrich's online lists Avionics as current, while OCLC record #33448517 says
> Avionics Magazine superceded Avionics, but it doesn't state when this
> occurred.
>
> Phillips Business Information : Potomac, MD, Inc is the publisher
> throughout.
>
> Does a new ISSN constitute a title change?
>
> Thanks in advance for any help!
>
> Peter Washkevich
> Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
> Daytona Beach, FL
> peter.washkevich@erau.edu
>

Regina  R. Reynolds                     email: rrey@loc.gov
Head, National Serials Data Program     voice: (202) 707-6379
Library of Congress                     fax    (202) 707-6333
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.           ISSN Web page: lcweb.loc.gov/issn/
Washington, D.C. 20540-4160