One Record Policy

[   History  |    Policy Change  |    Procedures  |    Table of Contents (General Guidelines)  |    Table of Contents (Top)]

History

When Queen's University originally automated its library catalogue, there were separate technical services units for Documents, Health Sciences, Law and what is now Central Technical Services. Each of these 'processing units' maintained separate records. As a result, if the same title was purchased and catalogued in multiple processing units, there were completely separate bibliographic records for the different physical items.

In addition, separate bibliographic records were purchased and loaded into the computer for large microfilm collections such as Microlog, or Early English Books.

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Policy Change

When the Voyager library management system was purchased, the decision to maintain separate records was reviewed, and a change of policy determined. The new policy is now that titles catalogued in house will have only a single bibliographic record for the same title, regardless of whether the copy was received for Documents, Health Sciences, Law or elsewhere in the Library system.

We do continue to have separate records for material that is batch loaded into the system. This continues to include the Microlog, Early English Books, and CIHM microform collections. More recently, we batch loaded the ProQuest e-journal records. These records should not be combined with records for the titles individually ordered and received. Other batch loaded packages may be added in the future.

This will include the records received from Serials Solutions for electronic journals. However, in this instance, all versions of the e-journal monitored by the company will be included on the same record.

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Procedures

If a bibliographic record already exists for a title (unless it is a batch loaded record as described above), no matter who catalogued it, additional copies should be added to that record. If necessary:

• Update a brief record to a full record, either by overlaying it with full cataloguing copy, or by performing original cataloguing;
• Add local information, such as alternative subject headings (LC or MeSH), local notes, etc.;
• Add additional holding(s) and item record(s) to the existing bibliographic record.

If you need to do extensive work to an existing bibliographic record, and two bibliographic records already exist for the same title, you may combine the two records into one.

• Keep the bibliographic record with any attached order information.
• Add any necessary bibliographic information from the bibliographic record being discarded to the one being kept (e.g. local notes, alternative subject headings).
• Relink the holdings record(s) to the bibliographic record being retained.
• Delete the bibliographic record being discarded. If you are unable to delete the record (because of attached order information), suppress the record from the OPAC.

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Section 1, One Record
created June 2, 2004 by E. Read
Revised Nov. 2, 2004 by E. Read
Included in new index, Nov. 2, 2004.

Page maintained by Elizabeth A. Read, readel@queensu.ca. Created: June 2, 2004 Updated: 02-Nov-2004 05:51 PM