Form of the Description Based On & Latest issue Consulted Notes

⮚Description Based On Note

Always give the numbering for the earliest available issue in field 588. his field must be given for all descriptions of serials even if it is the issue cited in the 362 1# and the “Latest issue consulted” note. Include the numbering of the earliest issue in hand.  If there is no chronological designation, give the publishing date in addition to the numerical designation in order to supply some indication of the time frame. When a numeric designation alone is given in a "Description based on" note, add the date of publishing or copyright if possible.  Former CONSER practice was to give the numbering for the earliest available issue preceded by the words Description based on text.

588 ## $a Description based on: No. 8, published in 1990; title from title page.

588 ## $a Description based on: No. 2, copyright 1989; title from caption.

Current practice is to omit the text and use 0 as the first indicate to enable the automatic display of the note.

588 0# $a Description based on: No. 2, copyright 1989; title from caption.

588 0# $a Description based on: 3, published 1989; title from cover?

When the description is based on a record for a different format of the resource, do not use 0 as the first indicator.

588 ## $a Description based on print version record. 

⮚Latest Issue Consulted Note

CONSER practice is to always provide the “Latest issue consulted note” when creating a new record, even if it is the same issue cited in the “Description based on” note. The practice of always providing the two notes when creating a new record simplifies training and sets up the record with the note in place so that other catalogers can easily update it based on later issues. The “Latest issue consulted” note is used when there is more than one issue in hand when the serial is first described or when changes are later made to a record because of changes on later issues that have an impact on the identification the serial.

When recording the “Latest issue consulted” note, for the sake of consistency, apply the same rules that would be applied to the numbering given in an unformatted 362 field and in a “Description based on” note. As with the “Description based on” note, when a numeric designation alone is given, add the date of publishing or copyright if possible.

Like the Description Based on Note, current CONSER practice is to omit the text and use 1 as the first indicate to enable the automatic display of the note.

588 1# $a 1988.

588 1# $a Vol. 4, no. 5 (May 1990).