Here is the summary of the minutes of the Committee to Study Serials
Cataloging from last January.  We apologize for the delay.  ALA's electronic
environment changed, and they were not able to give us instructions for
retrieving the full minutes until last week.

This message has also been posted to Autocat.  C.Myall

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Summary of the ALCTS/Serials Section/Committee to Study Serials Cataloging
Meeting, January 22, 1996.

The Committee heard reports from liaisons from CC:DA and LC/NSDP, and
reports of the sessions of MARBI held during the Midwinter Conference.
Following discussion with members of the audience, the Committee selected
topics for a presentation at the 1996 ALA Annual Meeting--format
integration, and cataloging computer-file serials--and identified two
promising program subjects for possible Committee co-sponsorship at the 1997
Annual Meeting--restructuring of serials cataloging, and collection
management and cataloging of electronic serials.  Two members of the
Committee, J. Altimus and M. Mering, facilitated a discussion on the topic,
"What elements of AACR2 no longer work for serials cataloging?"
Discrepancies between cataloging requirements and the use of serial records
for a variety of library functions, aspects of successive entry cataloging,
and AACR2's emphasis on description of serials vs. the need for
identification of serials emerged as serious difficulties for serials
catalogers.  In a shared environment, and also for purposes of linking with
indexing and abstracting services, the "hook" is essential; and while the
ISSN is best, participants observed that it is not always reliable.  M. Horn
proposed that ISSN be repeatable, beyond subfield y, as a means of
overcoming inaccurate ISSN data elsewhere.

Submitted by Carolynne Myall.

The full text of the minutes is available through the ALA Gopher
(gopher.ala.org) or through the ALA web page, http://www.ala.org.