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Description based on notes Birdie MacLennan 21 Jul 1992 21:24 UTC

4 messages, 87 lines:
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Date:         Mon, 20 Jul 1992 18:25:54 HST
From:         Sophia McMillen <SOPHIA@UHUNIX.BITNET>
Subject:      Re: Description based on notes

On "Description based on" notes:   I agree with Nebraska that this note is
for catalogers rather than users, but feel it is useful.  We use it in our
original input because a) it's prescribed in AACR2, and b) we appreciate it
when we find it in someone else's record and the info helps identify/clarify
your own possible sketchy holdings of a particular title.  I sometimes edit
the note in an outside member record to reflect our earliest issue held on
the grounds that this note would be doubly confusing to the public if it
did not match our holdings.   But I feel that serials catalogers are no less
an important category of bib record user than the great public beyond tech
services dept. doors.  A portion of the bib record which helps or speeds up
our own work need not be purged from bib records, in my opinion.

   Sophia McMillen  /  University of Hawaii at Manoa

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Date:         Tue, 21 Jul 1992 08:47:00 GMT
From:         "John Radencich,
              Library Cataloging Dept." <RADENCIC@SERVAX.BITNET>
Subject:      Description Based on Notes

Personally, I love description based on notes.  Indeed, I think it is one of
the best innovations of AACRII.  Before then I felt that the user searching
for information on a serial was left hanging if you didn't have the first
issue of a serial to base the cataloging on.  Where did the description
information come from?  Vol. 1, no. 2; vol. 10, no. 9; vol. 3, no. 4?  What
was the description information relevant to?  Most of the run of the serial,
some, the last few issues?  With the description based on note you can give
an anchor to your cataloging of a serial.  It gives you a distinctive
beginning point for your description and makes it clear exactly what parts
of a serial (in terms of its history) you are referring to.

John Radencich
Florida International University
RADENCIC@SERVAX.BITNET
RADENCIC@SERVAX.FIU.EDU

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Date:         Tue, 21 Jul 1992 08:18:17 PDT
From:         George Janczyn <janczyn%nowalls.ucsd.edu@SDSC.BITNET>
Subject:      Description based on notes

My reply assumes the question is limited to serials.

At our library (UC San Diego) we use "description based on notes"
because our policy is to follow AACR2(r) and the LCRIs for it.
Rule 12.7B23 states "If the description is not based on the first
issue, identify the issue used as the basis for the description."
This is not an optional rule.  There are good reasons for this rule,
and I'm sure plenty of other serials catalogers will have something
to say something about this.  Obviously the note will help to
distinguish the title in question from other serials with the same
title, as well as assist other catalogers in ascertaining when a
title change may have taken place.  Many other reasons will no doubt
be put forth by serials catalogers.

George J. Janczyn
Acting Head, Serials Cataloging
Central Library
University of California, San Diego
janczyn@nowalls.ucsd.edu

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Date:         Tue, 21 Jul 1992 15:40:11 -0400
From:         Sara Davenport <davenpor@CLOY.OSWEGO.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Description based on notes

I believe that the "Description based on" note is most useful for
catalogers, particularly serials catalogers. I find this is particularly
true when I am creating an original record for a locally created serial
(such as a local business directory, published in the early 1900s, which
only contains chronology and no enumeration on the piece). The cataloging
record should be created from the first issue of a serial, but sometimes it
is difficult to determine if you have the first issue. In this case,
the "description based on" note is helpful to future catalogers who may
discover earlier or later issues of the title you cataloged.

Sara Davenport - Head of Serials and Acquisitions
Penfield Library            Voice:     (315) 341-3545
SUNY Oswego                 Bitnet:    davenpor@snyoswva
Oswego, NY 13126            Internet:  davenpor@oswego.oswego.edu