---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 11:15:22 CST
From: Vicki Parke <VPARKE@SLIS.LIB.UOKNOR.EDU>
Subject: newspapers

I would appreciate a clarification on the definition of a newspaper
as opposed to other serials.  The International Organization for
Standardization definition is:

    "A serial publication which contains news on current events of
    special or general interest.  The individual parts are listed
    chronologically or numerically and appear usually at least once a
    week.  Newspapers usally have a masthead rather than a cover and
    are normally larger than A3 (297 mm X 420 mm) in size."

The _Serials Cataloging Manual_ states that:

    "Newspapers cover general news.  Ethnic newspapers, whose focus
    is news of interest to a specific ethnic group, are also cataloged
    as newspapers.  Publications that are issued in newspaper format
    or on newsprint and that cover a specific topic (e.g., _Women's
    wear daily_) are not newspapers, nor are publications that call
    themselves newspapers but cover a specific topic (e.g., _The
    Economist_)."

These two definitions seem to conflict.  My confusion is that the ISO
definition states that a newspaper can contain news on current events
of a special interest.  The discussion in the _Serials Cataloging
Manual_ seems to eliminate this possibility except for ethnic
newspapers.  Could there not be publications which cover current
events on a specific topic and not the topic itself?  Or is this just
splitting hairs?

Vicki Parke
vparke@slis.lib.uoknor.edu