I've just run across a phenomenon that I can't find documented in CONSER
Editing Guide or CONSER Cataloging Manual:  disappearing 042 fields.

We have a standing order to a publication we consider to be a series, and
apparently LC used to consider it a series also.  While trying to merge LC's
name authority file into our local file, we discovered that LC no longer
considers this publication to be a series.

The current title is:  Symposia of the Society for General Microbiology.
The OCLC number is 8920293; this record had formerly contained field 042 $a
lc; now it contains NO field 042, and no valid LCCN appears in field 010.

The same situation applies to a former title:  Symposia (Society for General
Microbiology); OCLC number 8704087.

LC authority record 83-718122 states:  "The term 'Symposia' appearing on the
page facing the t.p. should be treated as a publisher's listing and should
be ignored altogether; previous to AACR 2 treated as a series classified as
a collection: QR1.S6233"

What is going on here?  Why don't the serial records contain 042 $a xlc
(which is what I would expect, if LC no longer considers it a serial)?  If
LC previously treated this as a classed together series, what did they do
with those previously cataloged volumes when they changed their mind?  Did
they reclassify them as separates?

How are other libraries handling this publication?

Kevin M. Randall
Head, Serials Cataloging Section
Northwestern University Library
Evanston, IL   60208-2300

internet: kmr@nwu.edu
   phone: (708) 491-2939
     fax: (708) 491-7637