At SUNY-Binghamton, we have just begun cataloging the CD-ROM products that
Reference receives. We currently catalog them directly on RLIN into the MDF por
tion of the database.  They are then tape-loaded onto our NOTIS online public
catalog system.  We are just in the beginning stages of cataloging monographs
directly into NOTIS in preparation for all original cataloging to be input
directly by the original cataloguers.

Since these CD-ROM titles are housed in reference and are non-circulating
items, no copy holdings statements are entered into the RLIN record.  At
present, these CD-ROM titles are cumulatively updated with each new disk
received, further doing away with the need having an item record to cope
with and add to database maintenance problems. In the LCAL field of RLIN
the phrase \for\assistance\ask\at\reference\desk appears in the record.
The reference librarian is responsible for checking out/in and assisting
the patron with using the material.

Currently, we only have 12 titles to worry about so our method of
dealing with CD-ROM may change as the incoming materials change.

To aid in access for patron and ref staff we utilize a 690 local
subject heading field with CD-ROM as the phrase.  THus, in our
ELIXIR opac, a patron can search under s=CD-ROM and have a list
of all titles currently owned by us.

I hope this rather long message is of some use and I will be very
interested in learning how other institutions handle these new
formats.

Erna Chamberlain, Original Cataloger
SUNY-Binghamton
FAC379@BINGVMA  (Bitnet)