Subject Subdivision for Electronic Journals William C. Anderson 03 Nov 1995 21:15 UTC
This message is being forwarded to the list at the request of the author. From: Patrick Bernard, Policy Specialist for Computer Files, LC Cataloging Policy and Support Office To: CONSRLST, SERIALST, INTERCAT, EMEDIA Re: Subject Subdivisions for Electronic Journals The statement below on the assignment of subject subdivisions to electronic journals has been approved by the LC Cataloging Policy and Support Office as a new addition to the *Subject Cataloging Manual*. In addition to being made available here on EMEDIA, it will be published in the next issue of *Cataloging Service Bulletin* and I also plan to post it to INTERCAT, to SERIALST, and to CONSERLST, and possibly to CONSERline. I would like to use this statement as a starting point for a discussion of the broader issues of subject subdivisions currently being assigned to other forms of computer files. I will issue a follow-up statement shortly detailing the practice announced below for computer file serials as contrasted with the practice now reflected in LC's cataloging of monographic computer files. The crux of the issue is that with computer file serials, the subdivision "--Periodicals" alone is assigned, while with monographic computer files, catalogers assign the appropriate form subdivision and then add as a further subdivision "--Databases" to indicate that the particular catalog, directory, index, pictorial work, etc. is a computer file catalog, a computer file directory, a computer file index, a computer file pictorial work, etc. Patrick Bernard, Policy Specialist for Computer Files Cataloging Policy and Support Office Library of Congress Phone: 202 707-1132 Fax: 202 707-6629 Internet: pber@loc.gov ----------------------- Here is the text of the new *Subject Cataloging Manual: Subject Headings,* H1580.5, on ELECTRONIC SERIALS: ----------------------- BACKGROUND: An electronic serial is a work issued in successive designated parts for an indefinite period of time (that is, it meets the definition of a serial), in a machine-readable format. It may be a remote access serial, such as those available on the Internet and accessed via input/output devices connected electronically to a computer, or it may be a direct access serial, such as those issued on CD-ROM or floppy disks. This instruction sheet describes Library of Congress practice on the assignment of subject headings to electronic serials. PROCEDURE: To an electronic serial, assign the appropriate heading(s) subdivided by "--Periodicals." Examples: Title: Electronic journal of differential equations [computer file]. 650-0 $a Differential equations $x Periodicals. Title: TESL-EJ [computer file] : teaching English as a second or foreign language : an electronic journal. 650-0 $a English language $x Study and teaching $x Foreign speakers $x Periodicals. Assign headings of the type "[topic]--Databases-- Periodicals" only to periodicals about databases, whether in print or electronic form. Assign headings of the type "[topic]--Periodicals-- Databases" only to databases about periodicals.