Hello Serials Catalogers--

I seek guidance on whether a certain title change is major or minor, but
more specifically with which issue(s) the change(s) should be noted, since
the fullness of the title has varied over time.

The title in question is Sprache und Literatur in Wissenschaft und
Unterricht (DLC sn84012398; OCLC# 10157898), for which there is also a
successive bib record in OCLC: Sprache und Literatur (Paderborn, Germany)
(OCLC# 53020797). No CONSER cataloging agency has modified or closed the
earlier bibliographic record.

Basically I concur the change is "major" in that the deletion of "in
Wissenschaft und Unterricht" occurs, or at least starts, in the first five
words of the title (the 4th through 7th words deleted).  "[I]n Wissenshaft
und Unterricht" does not seem to fit the "minor" change critera of a
"list" from which words were deleted.

The CONSER Cataloging Manual emphasizes that major/minor changes are to
be tested against the title proper. According to OCLC#53020797 the major
change occurred with 33. Jahrg., 1. Halbjahr (2002) = 89. (That's
actually one issue before a change). The cover title was used as the
"chief source" for the title proper in OCLC#10157898. From examination
of the actual issues, the publication has the following characteristics:

14. Jahrg., 1. Halbjahr = 51 (1983) through 25. Jahrg., 1. Halbjahr = 73 (1994)
Cover title:  Sprache und Literatur in Wissenschaft und Unterricht
Masthead title (p. 2 of cover): Sprache und Literatur in Wissenschaft und Unterricht

25. Jahrg., 2. Halbjahr = 74 (1994) through 33. Jahrg., 1. Halbjahr = 89 (2002)
Cover title: Sprache und Literatur
Masthead title (p. 2 of cover): Sprache und Literatur in Wissenschaft und Unterricht

33. Jahrg., 2. Halbjahr = 90 (2002)-
Cover title: Sprache und Literatur
Masthead title (p. 2 of cover): Sprache und Literatur
There was a change in editors with this issue.

SO, did the title proper change when the cover title changed (in 1994)
even though the full title still appeared in the issues; or, did the title
proper change when the full title was dropped from publication entirely
(in 2002)? Or, does this publication meet the test--if in doubt, consider
the change to be minor? The change doesn't affect the meaning of the title
or the indication of subject matter.

BTW, if a CONSER library holding this title wants to modify the bib
records as either a major or a minor change, there was also a change in
publisher statement with 33. Jahrg., 2. Halbjahr: Issues published 1994
through 33. Jahrg., 1. Halbjahr list two publisher names (on cover):
Ferdinand Schoningh, and: Wilhelm Fink Verlag. Issues for 33. Jahrg., 2.
Habljahr-  list only Wilhelm Fink Verlag.

Norma Fair

Serials Cataloger
52 Ellis Library
University of Missouri-Columbia
E-mail: fairn@missouri.edu