To John Nicklen:

The use of angle brackets is not just a CONSER practice. It has become gene-
ral practice: use of angle brackets is shown in the old Serials format
manual from OCLC. It originated with LC's serials cataloging practice,
and then passed over into CONSER
(I distinctly remember it in the old CONSER editing guide, dealing
with transcription of LC serial records out of NUC and modernizing them).
There were always good guidelines for commas and brackets. For LC's catalog
the bracketed data printed as blanks and was filled in by pencilled-in data.

There is also warrant for this practice:

515    Vols. for 19  -June 1994 carry whole numbers.

I think it's not going to far to say that it is an American practice that
evolved over time, emanating from LC, and then to the old CONSER
editing guide, and then to the general serials cataloging community through
OCLC.

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* Rick Gildemeister                                               *
* Cataloger/OCLC Enhance Coordinator                              *
* Lehman College, CUNY                                            *
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* Voice: (718) 960-8831                                           *
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