To SERIALST subscribers,

The CONSER Program is currently drafting a new module for the _CONSER
Cataloging Manual_ called "Modifying Records."  Sections on converting
(upgrading) records from pre-AACR2 to AACR2 are in an early draft form.
I'd like to offer an excerpt of the draft in response to the recent
message on "upgrades to OCLC bibliographic records" for clarification of
policies found in the CEG.  Restrictions are also discussed in the CEG and
relate to LC, NLC, and latest entry records.

---------------Excerpt from DRAFT----------------
CEG B4.3 states that "in general, an authenticated record should
not be updated merely to reflect changes in cataloging codes or
CONSER practice." CEG B4.2.4 clarifies that changes to records
input according to an earlier cataloging code should generally be
made in the context of the rules governing the record.  If the
cataloger cannot modify the record according to the earlier code,
the record should be converted to AACR2.  CONSER catalogers are
free to convert pre-AACR2 records according to the instructions
below.

REQUIREMENTS
In order to convert a record to AACR2 cataloging, an issue must
be available on which to base the description.  The AACR2 record
must then include a formatted 362 note (indicator 0) or a
"description based on" note.  Two situations require conversion
to AACR2:

     1) A monographic series with a pre-AACR2 bibliographic
     record and an AACR2 series authority record (CEG, C9);

     2) A publication in which changes occur that would lead to
     an additional pre-AACR2 entry yet would be covered on a
     single AACR2 record.

The second requirement above includes changes involving the main
entry in a pre-AACR2 record that would necessitate successive
entries according to earlier rules but not according to current
AACR2 practice.  This typically happens when a publication
previously handled as body main entry is currently treated as
title main entry.

            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            Bill Anderson       CONSER Specialist
            wand@loc.gov        Library of Congress
            202/707-5185        101 Independence Ave. SE
                                Washington, DC 20540-4160
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~