---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 08:33:02 -0600
From: Lisa Villiere <lvillier@DU.EDU>
Subject: Re: definition of a serial (Ilona Harsanyi)

Dear Ilona,
        Our serials cataloger gave us a list of definitions,
including the definition of a serial and a periodical when we had
to do a presentation on our department (Serials Dept.) to the staff
of the library.  Here is what I have:

Serial:  a publication in any medium, issued in successive parts,
bearing numerical or chronological designations, and intended to be
continued indefinitely.  Serials can be issued at regular or irregular
intervals.  They can also consist of periodicals or non-periodicals,
e.g., yearbooks, annuals, conference proceedings, transactions of
societies, memoirs, and monographic series.

Periodical:  a publication which is a serial, but rather consists of
journals, magazines, or newspapers.  A periodical is intended to appear
regularly and more than once a year.  Periodicals are issued in parts,
e.g., volume ___, number ___, so that they may be collected into a
bound volume.  They are of unlimited duration.  (Ther term "periodical"
was replaced in AACR2 by the term "serial".

Monographic series:  a collection of monographs written on the same
subject.  Each monographic in the collection possesses an overall series
title in addition to a distinctive title.  A monographic series is
actually a serial by nature, published irregularly, and can be either
numbered or un-numbered.

        Hope this helps.

Lisa Villiere                                          lvillier@du.edu
University of Denver Library, 2150 E. Evans Ave., Denver CO 80208  USA