Date: Fri, 02 May 1997 21:01:29 -0400
From: Enrique Gildemeister <Riquili@AOL.COM>
Subject: Re: Authority Records for Uniform Title Headings (Ann Jones)

Ann,

The whole issue of uniform titles for serials is fraught with controversy. As
I understand them, these uniform titles enable all serials with the same
title proper to collocate. Uniform titles are created in order to
differentiate identical titles, not to inform. They are simple filing titles.
This is the LC and CONSER stance as I understand it.

It's been said many times that uniform titles should "make sense", i.e.
inform the user somehow of the nature of the title. The remedy proposed is
that uniform titles be used when necessary but the qualifier should be a
corporate body, not a place (place of publication can vary radically, and a
long-running title may be associated with its present place, but the place
used in the 130 matches the first issue),

The main problem with the use of corporate body qualifier is that it requires
the cataloger to treat a change in body like a title change.

Now and then there is talk of eliminating uniform titles for serials
completely, since machine collocation can be achieved without a formal
distinguishing data field. Who needs a filing title anyway when the body of
the record and the note area allow you to distinguish two serials (yes, but
what about brief entry union lists, are we going to lift a note out of the
cataloging record and paste it onto the union list record?)

I'm glad that the issue of uniform titles has arisen again. Given the present
use of the serial uniform title, *it should not have an authority record,* as
the various access points that point to the 130 are already in the bib record
(7xx, 246, etc.), so why repeat this in an authority record?

I've thrown up my hands many times after reaching a dead end on this
question. But Ann asks us if authority control over 130 fields can do any
good. I think perhaps it can in limited cases. Have an authorized heading in
the 130 use a place qualifier, and then make 430's in the authority record
using corporate body qualifiers.

Somehow all of this seems very expensive and time consuming. I'm surprised
that a manager would propose such a thing (it's usually the other way
around).

Them's my two bits, Ann.

Rick Gildemeister
Serials Cataloger and Head/Cataloging Division
Lehman College, CUNY
Riquili@aol.com