Cataloging Periodicals

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Cataloging Periodicals

• Lecture 13
• LIS 522
• Daniel Stuhlman

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Role of Periodicals

• Periodical or serials are important components of
  a library collection.
• Unlike monographs they are come in many formats
  and require an ongoing subscription commitment
  from the library.
• Periodicals publish materials more quickly than
  monographs, yet are less comprehensive in their
  coverage.

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Formats

• Periodicals may be published in print, CD-ROM, on
  line, or in microform. The library may receive
  multiple formats for the same periodical. There
  are no set periods the issues may be daily,
  weekly, monthly, years or irregular. Individual
  issues may be bound together. These present
  significant issues for the cataloger.

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Definitions

• What is a serial is not an easy question to
  answer. One way to answer is to explain what it
  is not. A monograph even in a series is meant to
  be published as a single entity. A serial is
  published in parts as an open ended publication.
  The title will remain the same for the indefinite
  future.
• The terms periodical, journal, magazine, and
  serials are sometimes used interchangeably.

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Definitions 2

• Serial Any publication published in parts at a
  stated or unstated interval. This includes,
  annuals, regular reports of businesses or
  organizations, and transactions of learned
  societies.
• Periodical Any publication with a distinctive
  title intended to be published in successive
  parts at stated interval. Each part generally has
  contributions from multiple authors or entities.

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Definitions 3

• Periodical A publication with issues published
  a stated intervals usually one year or less.
• Journal A periodical publication usually
  associated with a special interest group such as
  a learned or profession society. May contain both
  scholarly articles, articles for professional
  development or news of the organization.
• Magazine A periodical of general interest.
  Usually written by professional writers or
  journalists.
• Serial Any publication issued as consecutively
  numbered issues without a defined end.

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Popular Magazines

• Examples Time, Chicago Tribune, Popular
  Science.

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Scholarly Publications
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Definitions 4

• All of the previous terms are now being grouped
  under continuing resources. Continuing resources
  also includes any library resource that has no
  definite end. This includes serial and periodical
  publications, web resources (web sites), loose
  leaf publications, and data bases.

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Scope of Cataloging

• For the most part, cataloging of serials is
  beyond the scope of this class. Many large
  libraries have specialists who catalog only
  serials or only monographs.

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Form of Entry

• For the most part serials are entered under
  title. If published by or for an organization or
  society that entity will get an added entry.
• AACR Chapter 12 Continuing Resources has the
  rules for descriptive cataloging.

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General Rules

• The basis of the entry is the first issue or the
  earliest issue in the library. Remember that
  periodicals do change names, titles, and editors.
• For an integrating resource, such as a web site,
  use the current iteration except when stating the
  beginning of publication.
• The chief source of information is the title page
  or its substitute. Lacking a formal title page
  choose in this order analytical title page,
  cover information, caption, masthead, information
  on editorial page, colophon, any other statements
  of responsibility.

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Subject Headings

• Subject headings will be assigned based on the
  expected subject of the publication over its
  expected life span, not on the subject of
  individual issues. Sometimes based on local
  interest subject headings will be added. Topical
  or geographic headings are assigned as
  appropriate. The following list of free floating
  subdivisions are most frequently used for
  serials
• --Congresses
• --Directories
• --Periodicals
• --Societies
• (Personally I think Congresses is rather
  useless for finding materials.)

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Subject Heading Examples

• Illinois -- Chicago Periodicals.
• French poetry Periodicals.
• Massachusetts Wooster Directories.
• Biography Periodicals.
• Chemistry Periodicals. (Not journals)
• United States Biography Periodicals.

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Classification

• Many libraries arrange their periodicals without
  classification. However, the LC classification
  tables include numbers for periodicals that
  generally at the beginning of the class. For
  example
• B 1-31 is for philosophy periodicals
• BF 1-31 is for psychology periodicals
• DS 1 is for periodicals on the history of Asia

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End