Date: Thu, 12 Oct 1995 13:17:14 -0700 (PDT)
From: kathleen thorne <KATHLEEN@SJSUVM1.BITNET>
Subject: Re: Uniform title authorities (Rick Gildemeister)

In reply to Enrique Gildemeister's query about place vs. corporate body
vs. .... for uniform headings:

Sometimes all 2, 3, or 5 (anyway, all of 'em) titles are published in
the same place by the same folks and the REAL distinguishing feature about
them is simply the dates.  So what's wrong with using the dates?

Seems to me that in a way this is the tail wagging the dog: yes, we need
uniformity and conformity to some sort of rules, but often the "rule"
isn't what works best for a particular library -- so there must be some
leeway at least for doing what works for the library one catalogs for rather
than following hidebound rules that make life more difficult for patrons.

Does this make sense? Years ago when I first started in serials, both the
serials cataloger and the serials librarian at Univ. of Denver advised me
that there are some elements one must play fast and loose with (ie, don't
tie yourself to a subheading as part of the title when the publisher is
wellknown for changing subtitles), some elements where one has complete
freedom (ie, adding subject headings to accomodate the library and clientele
one is cataloging for, and some elements where there are rules ... and one
reads the rules ... and sometimes bends them a bit to fit one's own
collection.  The fun is in getting the necessary years of experience to
be able to recognize each of these kinds of elements; but that's what makes
serials cataloging such a lovely intricate and sophisticated game!  Of course,
as is currently happening here, sometimes serials cataloging is handed over
willynilly to support staff with no serials cataloging background and the
whole thing goes to hell in a handbasket remarkably quickly and the support
staff/inexperienced monograph cataloger-dept. head don't have the ability
to even see the chaos they're creating.

Anyway, what about dates?

Kathleen Thorne
Serials Cataloger In Exile (with many years of serials cat. exper)
San Jose State University