Numbering is one of the defining features of serials requiring special and separate coverage. Topics covered in this section are:
With the exception of unnumbered series, every CONSER RDA serial description must have numbering given in two 588 fields, the “Description based on” note and the “Latest issue consulted” note. (If the first or last issue of the serial is in hand or known, numbering is also given in field 362.)
Serial numbering may include a numeral, a letter, any other character, or the combination of these with or without an accompanying caption (volume, number, etc.) and/or a chronological designation.
Numeric and chronological information (designation and value) can be acquired from different sources and joined or pieced together to construct a complete (362) and (588) statement.
CONSER catalogers generally prefer a source with the most complete presentation of the numbering (any sequence of sequence of numerals, letters, and/or dates) provided it appears prominently or is stated formally. The lack of completeness in source of numbering information sometimes complicates the source identified in the Description based on not.
Cover (Source of title proper) has: November/December 2013; table of contents has: Volume 4, Number 6 (November/December 2013)
Record as: 588 0# Vol. 4, no. 6 (November/December 2013); title from cover.
Treat the numbering appearing in the 362 1#, 588 fields, and other fields where issue designation is recorded as transcribed data. Record the captions and numbering as they appear on the piece following the guidelines in RDA 1.7 and RDA 1.8, staying consistent with established capitalization conventions (CCM:8.4.1)
Form of Numbering. PCC catalogers currently have the option to record the numbering as it appears or substitute Arabic forms for other numeric systems.
Issue has: volume XVI, number 1:
Record as: 362 1# $a Began with: Volume 16, number 1.
Convert words to Numbers. CONSER practice is to convert numbers expressed in words into numbers. (CCM: 8.4.2)
Issue has: First Issue February 1991.
Record as: 362 1# $a 1st (February 1991)
When the numbering is presented as a year and a number that is a division of the year, record the year first, then the number.
The issue has 1:2000.
Record: 362 1# $a Began with: 2000/1.