Date:     Sat, 8 Oct 1994 09:50 MST
From: YVONNE STROUP  <YSTROUP@ALEXANDRIA.LIB.UTAH.EDU>
Subject:  Re: CONSER Proposal: Core Record for Serials (Mitch Turitz)

Mitch Turitz originally wrote:

   However, I must disagree with the Minimal level which states "1.c.
   - Subject headings are not required".  My reasons are as follows:

      From my experience of having worked in both public and university
   libraries, whenever a CONSER record is used, the library in question must
   assign a subject heading whenever the bibliographic record is lacking one.
   Not only is this task multiplied by the thousands of libraries which have
   to do the same work over, but we are NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO UPDATE THE OCLC
   RECORD as enhance libraries are for monographs. Once a record is "locked"
   (by the addition of the 042 to the CONSER record) we cannot even let other
   libraries benefit by the update which we have done to our own records.

      My recommendation is:  if you must insist on allowing minimal level
   records to have neither classification nor subject headings, then you MUST
   allow non-CONSER libraries the capability of upgrading the same records as
   the enhance libraries which can upgrade monographic records (by adding
   subject headings, etc.)

      And while I am on the subject, I would also request that non-CONSER
   libraries also be allowed to update (online) ANY record when it comes to
   closing off the dates (362) and adding links (78X) to other bibliographic
   records (e.g. when the title changes).

   ----------
I couldn't agree with Mitch more on all of the above statements.  It is my
feeling that at least one subject heading should be required regardless of
what level the record is.  The head of our Cataloging Division agrees with
me.  While I want enough information in the bib record to identify the
serial, we shouldn't forget that the end product of that record it to help
the library users find what they need.  One of the main advantages of
cooperative cataloging is not having the same work repeated by library after
library.  Please add subject headings as a required field.

I have also felt frustrated for years that there was not a way I could add
362 and 78x information to serial records in OCLC.  This is especially true
for state documents and other locally published materials that we will get
before anyone else and probably have a more complete run.  It would be nice
to be able to add information that I have to the record so that others could
benefit from it.

Oops, just discovered I'm a day slow in getting this sent.  Soory about that.

Yvonne Stroup
Serials Cataloger
Marriott Library
University of Utah
(ystroup@alexandria.lib.utah.edu)