- Email: [email protected]
Notes for serials cataloging
Those of you who like human interest stories will enjoy reading how Albert Davis, Jr., came to dislike and distrust Robert Maxwell. The anecdotes about Faxon’s World War II service, along with the story of being subpoenaed to testify in the Powell sedition trial in the late 195Os, are just some of the interesting facts you’ll discover. Foster also does a well-balanced job discussing Faxon’s recent challenges and changes. While I question the placement of the subsection on the back issues department (it did not seem to fall chronologically in with the rest of the chapter), it is a wellwritten, thoroughly entertaining chapter which concludes with a chronological appendix. I must admit that when I first perused the volume, the chapters appeared so dissimilar that I was concerned the volume would be a hodge-podge rather than concise view of current serials management practices. I’m pleased to say my initial fears were unfounded and the chapters showed a remarkable way of blending into a very readable, global view of prevailing serials views and practices. The information is pertinent and offers timely, invaluable information to serialists everywhere. There are one or two editing errors, and I believe it would have been helpful to list the contributors affiliations with the chapters themselves rather than on a separate page at the beginning of the volume. I flipped back to this page once too often! However, the volume overall is an excellent reference handbook and stands up well against the previous five volumes of Advances in Serials Management. I, for one, look forward to seeing just how these top-notch editors could surpass this work with volume 7! McKee is Serials Specialist for Blackwell’s Information Services, 7942 W. Bell Road, C-5, #181, Glendale, AZ 85308, e-mail: .
Notes for Serials Cataloging, 2nd ed., revised and edited by Beverley Geer and Beatrice L. Caraway. Englewood,
CO: Libraries
Unlimited, Inc., 1998. 168~. $38.50. ISBN I -56308-449-X. Kathleen Thorne
One of the true pleasures in life is discovering that a new edition of a book one considers a faithful old friend is even better than the original. The first edition of
-TOOLSOFTHESERIALSTRADE-
Notes for Serials Cataloging, compiled by Nancy Tho-
mas and Rosanna O’Neil in 1986, has been used extensively by serials catalogers and recommended as one of the best aids for new serialists entering the cataloging field. Times change, however, and while the majority of the information in that first edition is still helpful, there have been rule changes and a dramatic shift in format from paper copy to various forms of electronic production and delivery. These changes require some subtle redefinition of the notes previously used and the addition of notes for electronic versions. Physically, Notes is aesthetically pleasing. It is still a small enough book to be comfortably held, it does not take up much space on a desk, and the binding allows the book to lie flat and stay open when in use. Both the cover and the spine clearly identify the book by title and edition, a true godsend for those of us with crowded workspace, crowded bookcases, and increasingly poor eyesight. The format of this second edition of Notes is similar to the first edition, arranged in MARC field order, but with some pleasing differences. It uses a slightly larger type font than the earlier edition, with the MARC field number printed in white within a black bar. The headings for each of the MARC fields are in much larger bold-faced type, making it easier to see whether one is using the correct note field. Equally appealing is the use of slightly larger, bold-faced subheadings within each MARC field, and the box around the “Definition/ Scope” section that sets it apart from the examples which follow. Unlike the earlier edition, Geer and Caraway provide a “Definition/Scope” for each of the MARC note fields, quoting from the OCLC Bibliographic Formats and Standards, 2nd edition, and the CONSER Editing Guide, 1994 edition, as well as a few other sources when clarification is needed. While more experienced serials catalogers may find the notes unnecessary or superfluous, librarians and support staff who are just beginning to catalog serials will certainly appreciate them. The main body of Notes remains the compilation of notes taken from the OCLC online union catalog and the 1994 edition of the CONSER Editing Guide, that serve as examples for catalogers constructing bibliographic records for serial publications. In addition to including new notes and deleting notes that were substantively similar, the editors have rechecked the source of each note given in the original edition and updated the text of the note when appropriate. VOL.~~, NO.~(%JMMER 1998) 139
New in this edition of Notes is a section on MARC field 246, Varying Forms of Title. Since this field may be used for generating notes, its inclusion is a valuable source of information that was lacking in the earlier edition.
140 SERIALSREVIEW
ence. The section does, however, include more than double the number of entries. The editors redeemed themselves by including a well-organized index that lists the contents by concepts rather than as simple terms, a change that will be particularly helpful for new serials catalogers. There is a recent shift in many libraries from the practice of having serials cataloged by professional serials catalogers with extensive knowledge of the vagaries of serial publications to that of employing monograph catalogers and support staff to catalog all formats including serials. In this environment, Notes for Serials Cataloging becomes an even more important cataloging tool than it was in the past. As Regina Reynolds, the author of the introductory statement, states, “ ...it is precisely this book’s ability to provide models and inspirations for more quickly and easily constructing useful and informative notes that makes it such a valuable resource for today’s time-pressed cataloger.” Well said, Ms. Reynolds! The volume is an excellent cataloging tool and is highly recommended for cataloging departments in all libraries. Thorne is Serials Cataloger at Clark Library, San Jose
State University, Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192-0028, e-mail:.
The Future of the Descriptive Cataloging Rules, edited by Brian E. C. Schottlaendel: Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 1998. (ALCTS Papers on Library Technical Services and Collections, no. 6) 135 p. $22.00. ISBN O-8389-3477-3. Jeffrey Holland
In 1995 the ALCTS Cataloging and Classification Section sponsored the AACR20OOPreconference at ALA’s annual conference in Chicago. Eight of the cataloging world’s premier practitioners and theorists presented their thoughts on the future of cataloging and AACR2’s relevance in an increasingly digital world of information. This volume in the ALCTS Papers on Library Technical Services and Collections series is a collection of the papers delivered at the preconference. The papers have been revised for publication and, in some cases, to account for post-conference developments.
- TERESAMALINOWSKI-
Notes for Serials Cataloging, 2nd ed., revised and edited by Beverley Geer and Beatrice L. Caraway. Englewood,
CO: Libraries
Unlimited, Inc., 1998. 168~. $38.50. ISBN I -56308-449-X. Kathleen Thorne
One of the true pleasures in life is discovering that a new edition of a book one considers a faithful old friend is even better than the original. The first edition of
-TOOLSOFTHESERIALSTRADE-
Notes for Serials Cataloging, compiled by Nancy Tho-
mas and Rosanna O’Neil in 1986, has been used extensively by serials catalogers and recommended as one of the best aids for new serialists entering the cataloging field. Times change, however, and while the majority of the information in that first edition is still helpful, there have been rule changes and a dramatic shift in format from paper copy to various forms of electronic production and delivery. These changes require some subtle redefinition of the notes previously used and the addition of notes for electronic versions. Physically, Notes is aesthetically pleasing. It is still a small enough book to be comfortably held, it does not take up much space on a desk, and the binding allows the book to lie flat and stay open when in use. Both the cover and the spine clearly identify the book by title and edition, a true godsend for those of us with crowded workspace, crowded bookcases, and increasingly poor eyesight. The format of this second edition of Notes is similar to the first edition, arranged in MARC field order, but with some pleasing differences. It uses a slightly larger type font than the earlier edition, with the MARC field number printed in white within a black bar. The headings for each of the MARC fields are in much larger bold-faced type, making it easier to see whether one is using the correct note field. Equally appealing is the use of slightly larger, bold-faced subheadings within each MARC field, and the box around the “Definition/ Scope” section that sets it apart from the examples which follow. Unlike the earlier edition, Geer and Caraway provide a “Definition/Scope” for each of the MARC note fields, quoting from the OCLC Bibliographic Formats and Standards, 2nd edition, and the CONSER Editing Guide, 1994 edition, as well as a few other sources when clarification is needed. While more experienced serials catalogers may find the notes unnecessary or superfluous, librarians and support staff who are just beginning to catalog serials will certainly appreciate them. The main body of Notes remains the compilation of notes taken from the OCLC online union catalog and the 1994 edition of the CONSER Editing Guide, that serve as examples for catalogers constructing bibliographic records for serial publications. In addition to including new notes and deleting notes that were substantively similar, the editors have rechecked the source of each note given in the original edition and updated the text of the note when appropriate. VOL.~~, NO.~(%JMMER 1998) 139
New in this edition of Notes is a section on MARC field 246, Varying Forms of Title. Since this field may be used for generating notes, its inclusion is a valuable source of information that was lacking in the earlier edition.
140 SERIALSREVIEW
ence. The section does, however, include more than double the number of entries. The editors redeemed themselves by including a well-organized index that lists the contents by concepts rather than as simple terms, a change that will be particularly helpful for new serials catalogers. There is a recent shift in many libraries from the practice of having serials cataloged by professional serials catalogers with extensive knowledge of the vagaries of serial publications to that of employing monograph catalogers and support staff to catalog all formats including serials. In this environment, Notes for Serials Cataloging becomes an even more important cataloging tool than it was in the past. As Regina Reynolds, the author of the introductory statement, states, “ ...it is precisely this book’s ability to provide models and inspirations for more quickly and easily constructing useful and informative notes that makes it such a valuable resource for today’s time-pressed cataloger.” Well said, Ms. Reynolds! The volume is an excellent cataloging tool and is highly recommended for cataloging departments in all libraries. Thorne is Serials Cataloger at Clark Library, San Jose
State University, Washington Square, San Jose, CA 95192-0028, e-mail:
The Future of the Descriptive Cataloging Rules, edited by Brian E. C. Schottlaendel: Chicago, IL: American Library Association, 1998. (ALCTS Papers on Library Technical Services and Collections, no. 6) 135 p. $22.00. ISBN O-8389-3477-3. Jeffrey Holland
In 1995 the ALCTS Cataloging and Classification Section sponsored the AACR20OOPreconference at ALA’s annual conference in Chicago. Eight of the cataloging world’s premier practitioners and theorists presented their thoughts on the future of cataloging and AACR2’s relevance in an increasingly digital world of information. This volume in the ALCTS Papers on Library Technical Services and Collections series is a collection of the papers delivered at the preconference. The papers have been revised for publication and, in some cases, to account for post-conference developments.
- TERESAMALINOWSKI-