Rare serials

Owned by Sal Hamerman
Last updated: Jul 22, 2020Version comment
8 min read

Updated 10/2018

Table of Contents

Introduction and standards:

Guidelines for most commonly used MARC fields:

Guidelines for rare serials relationships and special topics:

Introduction and scope:

Catalogers on the Rare Books team will be cataloging serials to the standards used by the CAMS Serials & Electronic Resources team. Please refer to the serials documentation for a broader overview of these standards.

The following guidelines are intended to treat special cases related to rare serials, and are intended as a supplement to the serials documentation. Like the books in special collections, rare serials may require more detailed description, such as item-specific information that may aid in identifying individual copies. 

The Rare Books Cataloging Team is responsible for cataloging early printed serials (published prior to the 1830s), as well as little magazines and other small-press or historically significant serials from the 19th and 20th centuries. 

Cataloging standards

For early printed serials, catalogers should follow the provisions for rare serials as expressed in the RDA CONSER Standard Record (CSR). The CSR provisions for rare materials are closely aligned with the DCRM(S). Elements in DCRM(S) that are not included in the RDA CSR may be applied by rare serials catalogers.

For rare serials published after the 1830s, including 20th century materials, catalogers should apply rules in the CONSER Cataloging Manual (CCM) and CONSER Editing Guide (CEG), as updated to reflect the RDA content standard. As applicable, catalogers can follow the RDA CSR provisions for rare materials, when cataloging modern rare serials.

Guidelines on transcription and punctuation

Use DCRM(S) as the “designated published style manual” in place of the instructions under RDA 1.7.2-1.7.9 for transcribing punctuation, numerals, symbols, abbreviations, etc.
For early printed resources, transcribe numbers expressed as numerals or words as they appear on the source. 

245: Title statement

The title and statement of responsibility should be transcribed as they appear on the resource, with the title page serving as the prescribed source of information.
Transcribe acronyms or initialisms of the title proper as other information in field 245, following DCRM(S) guidelines. Record the acronyms in a 246 field for added access.

Example:
245 0 0 ‡a Bonniers litterära magasin :‡b BLM.
246 3 1 ‡a BLM Bonniers litterära magasin

For early printed resources, record all parallel titles appearing on the same source as the title proper in 245 and record also in 246 for access.
Follow DCRM(S) guidelines for transcribing all other title information.

246: Varying Form of Title

Record all variant forms of title in the 246 field, including alternate transcriptions, transpositions, or spellings of the title.
Minor title changes can also be recorded in the 246. Consult the rare books page for further information ontranscription.

Examples are forthcoming.

264: Production, distribution, publication, manufacture, and copyright notice

Generally transcribe all places of publication in the order that they appear on the resource in the 246 ‡a. 
Exception: If the places associated with a publisher are too numerous to list, a phrase indicating the number of omitted places may be supplied in square brackets.
If a place of publication is known to be fictitious or incorrect, supply the correction in square brackets. 
If the place of publication or distribution changes in a subsequent volume or issue, record the later place of publication in a 500 note.

Example:
264 _ 1 ‡a Wichita, Kansas : ‡b Leonid Press, ‡c 1934-
500 _ _ ‡a Place of publication varies. Issue 8- : Lawrence, Kansas.

Transcribe all publishers’ names as they appear on the resource. If a publisher’s name is known to be fictitious, supply a correction in square brackets.
Transcribe dates of publication of first and last issues as they appear on the resource. If dates appear in Roman numerals, they should be recorded as such, with the Arabic numbers supplied in square brackets.
A 264 _ 3 field for manufacture (i.e. printing) and a 264 _ 2 field for distribution should be recorded if this information appears in the resource in addition to publisher information.

Additional examples are forthcoming.

310/321: Frequency

Current frequency (310) is a core CONSER element, if known. For rare materials, also record former frequency (321), if known. 

Example: 
310 _ _ ‡a Semiannually, ‡b 1922-
321 _ _ ‡a Quarterly, ‡b 1898-1922.

362: Dates of publication and/or sequential designation

For original records, use the unformatted 362 field with the first indicator of 1.
Record alphabetic/numeric and chronological designation for the first and/or last issue, whether that comes from the item in hand or is confirmed from an external source. 

Example: 
362 1 _‡a Began with: volume 1, number 1 (January 1977); ceased with: number 11 (December 1982).

For early printed resources, follow DCRM(S) rules for transcribing numbering and dates.

5xx Fields: Copy-specific information for rare serials

For rare serials, record copy-specific information related to:

  • Imperfections, incomplete copies, and insertions (500)
  • Provenance (561)
  • Binding (563)

Catalogers should follow the instructions above for recording copy-specific information for rare books. In addition, record the numbering for the issue(s) to which the notes pertain. DCRM(S) states that the numbering should appear at the end of the note, followed by a colon.

Example: 
561 _ _ ‡3 Princeton copy 1 ‡a Vol. 3, no. 1: Contains MS. note from Pat Smith to Ken Irby. Vol. 4, no. 1: Contains postcard addressed to Ken Irby from Pat Smith. Vol. 4, no. 2: Contains broadside with MS. inscription from Pat Smith to Ken Irby. ‡5 NjP

Provide a 700 note for “former owner” for an individual, family, or corporate body determined to be the prior owner of an item. The note can be added, using cataloger’s judgment, for the former owner of one or more issues of a serial.
The presence of mailing labels or address statements on serials can be used to establish provenance -- for instance, in the case of a periodical that was mailed or hand-addressed to a subscriber. 

Example:
561 _ _ ‡3 Princeton copy 1 ‡a Addressed in manuscript to Kenneth Irby.  ‡5 NjP
700 1 _ ‡a Irby, Kenneth, ‡d 1936- ‡e former owner.

Sequential relationships

For sequential relationships between serials, such as “continued by,” “absorbed by,” “merged with,” or others, consult the CAMS cataloging documentation for serials and the CONSER Cataloging Manual, available through Cataloger’s Desktop for instructions on use of linking entry fields for other types of sequential relationships. The following example, on mergers, is provided in addition to these resources.
For complex sequential relationships that are not fully covered by the options within the CONSER manual, rare materials catalogers should provide a linking complexity note in the 580 field.

Serial merged with another title 

  • A ‘merger’ occurs when two serials come together, and are both continued by a third serial, under a new title.
  • Include a 580 linking issue complexity note and 780/785/787 linking entry notes in the records for both the preceding and succeeding titles.
  • Both preceding serials and the serial formed by their merger should receive a 580 note to express the relationship between them.
  • For 78x fields, use Voyager Bib ID in subfield w. Do not include the source of the Bib ID in parentheses. Use a first indicator of 0 for 'display'.

Example:
245 0 0 ‡a New wilderness letter.
580 _ _ ‡a Merged with: Wch way, to form: Wch way/New wilderness letter.

245 0 0 ‡a Wch way/new wilderness letter.
580 _ _ ‡a Formed by the union of: Wch way; and: New wilderness letter.

Each of the preceding publications receives a 785 field for the new title and for the title it merged with.

Example: 
245 0 0 ‡a New wilderness letter.
785 0 7 ‡t Wch way/New wilderness letter ‡w 9589323
785 0 7 ‡t Wch way ‡w 9583559

The new title that resulted from the merger receives a 780 field for each of the preceding titles.

Example:
245 0 0 Wch way/new wilderness letter.
780 0 4 ‡t Wch way ‡w 9583559
780 0 4 ‡t New wilderness letter ‡w 10822065

Supplements

There are many different types of supplements, and depending on their nature, they can be cataloged separately, or mentioned in a note in the ‘parent’ serial. Some supplements are serials in themselves. Catalogers should follow guidelines for supplements in the CONSER Cataloging Manual (CCM). 
A 525 field records the presence of supplements which are not cataloged as separate records. 

Example: 525 _ _ ‡a Has numerous supplements.

If the supplement’s title differs from that of the main work and a separate record is not created, include a 740 field for the title of the supplement. 

Example:
245 0 0 ‡a Health plans.
525 _ _ ‡a Has supplement: Current changes in health plans.
740 0 2 ‡a Current changes in health plans.

Supplement cataloged separately:

In some cases, the library will create a separate catalog record for a supplement. In this case, use linking entry fields 770 (Has supplement) and 772 (Supplement to) to relate the main work record to the supplement record. 
The record for the supplement should also include a 730  (added entry: uniform title) for the title of the main work.

Example:
245 0 0 ‡a Spectacular diseases.
770 0 _ ‡i Supplement (work): ‡t Loot. ‡w 
    
245 0 0 ‡a Loot.
730 0 _ ‡a Spectacular diseases.
772 0 _ ‡i Supplement to (work): ‡t Spectacular diseases. ‡w 7895602

Single and special issues    

If the work was intended as a serial, but ceased publication after the first issue:

  • If the cataloger determines that the publisher intended the work to be a serial, it should be cataloged as such. Publication may contain features such as issue/volume number, intended frequency of publication, etc. 
  • Use Bibliographic Level ‘S’ in the fixed fields.
  • Code Frequency as ‘u’ (unknown) and Regularity as ‘u’ (Unknown).
Example:
245 0 4 ‡a The Tsatsawassans.
300 _ _  ‡a 1 volume ; ‡c 28 cm
362 1 _ ‡a Began with: Issue Number One (2009); ceased with: Issue Number One (2009).
500 _ _ ‡a Sole issue ever published.
588 0 _ ‡a Description based on: Issue Number One (2009).

Optionally, cataloger may also cite booksellers’ or collectors’ descriptions in a 500 note, indicating that no further issues were published.

If the library has collected a special issue, or another single issue of interest:

  • The library might also collect a single issue of a longer-running serial -- either one that was released as a special issue, or is deemed of special interest to Princeton RBSC. In this case, the issue can be cataloged as a monograph. 
  • Follow DCRM-S guidelines for Individual and Special Issues of Serials. (Examples below are taken from the DCRM-S).
  • Use Bibliographic Level ‘M’ in the fixed fields.
  • If the issue has a special title, use this as the 245.
  • If the issue has no distinctive title, transcribe the serial title and numbering.
Example:
245 0 4 ‡a The American printer. ‡p Franklin bi-centennial number. ‡n January 20, 1923. 

To relate the description of the single issue of the serial to the serial as a whole, make a series added entry, using the uniform title for the serial. 
If the serial for which you are creating the record does not have a distinctive title, add an 830 field for series added entry.

Example:
245 0 0 ‡a Hoopoe. ‡n Spring 1991, issue no. 7. 
830 0 _ ‡a Hoopoe ; ‡v issue no. 7. 

If the issue cataloged as a monograph has a distinctive title, add a 440 (simple series statement) if the serial title will be traced in the form it appears on the item. If the series is traced in a different form, use a 490 (uncontrolled series statement) and an 830 field.

Examples: 
245 0 2 ‡a A book of humorous limericks / ‡c edited by Clement Wood. 
440 0 _ ‡a Little blue book ; ‡v no. 1018 

245 0 0 ‡a Earthquake potential in Colorado. 
490 1 _ ‡a Bulletin / Colorado Geological Survey, Department of Natural Resources, State of Colorado ; ‡v 43 
830 _0 ‡a Bulletin (Colorado Geological Survey) ; ‡v 43.

In-analytic records   

Rarely, Princeton RBSC will deem it necessary to create a separate bibliographic record to provide access to a single article or component of a serial issue. In these cases, you may create an in-analytic entry:

  • Consult with curator before creating one of these records.
  • Use Bibliographic Level ‘A’ for component parts in the fixed fields.
  • For the 245 field, include the title and author of the article/section as it appears on the item.
  • Omit the 264 field.
  • The 300 field should provide a physical description for the article/section only, including pagination.
  • Include a 773 field, “host item entry,” for linking the analytic record to the serial of which it is a part.
Example:
100 1_ ‡a Glasscock, Jane.
245 1 0 ‡a Research on customer requirements for transit service design and delivery / ‡c Jane Glasscock.
300 _ _ ‡a Pages 121-127 : ‡b illustrations ; ‡c 28 cm
650 _ 0 ‡a Local transit. ‡z Washington (State). ‡z Seattle Metropolitan Area ‡x Evaluation.
773 0 _ ‡7 nnas ‡t Transportation research record ‡g No. 1604 (1997) ‡w (OCoLC)1259379