Usually when a title ceases, you indicate this by closing the
numeric/chronological designation information in the 362 field.  If you
aren't sure what was the last issue published, you might use an
unformatted-style 362, e.g.:  362 1 Ceased in 1989.  ...but in cases where
you do have exact information about the final issue, there would be no
other note about the cease.  The closed 362 is the main indication that
the title is dead.
        Several other changes would be made to the record at time of
cease--fixed field dates closed, dates of publication (260 subfield c)
closed, extent of item (300 subfield a) updated to indicate total no. of
volumes published.
        I can't answer your question about whether this is a change from
earlier practice; there's been no change in the last 15+ years.  Back in
the days when we added serial holdings on cards, it was a matter of
replacing penciled-in library's holdings with typed-in final volume
information, but even that was essentially the same thing.

                                Nancy Burns
                                Cataloging Unit IV (Serials)
                                Princeton University Library
                                nburns@princeton.edu

On Mon, 3 Feb 2003, Steve Black wrote:
> What's the scoop on the use of "ceased publication" notes in serials
> records?