Series Headings

[   Introduction  |    Standard Series  |    Variations in Title  |    Table of Contents (Access Points)  |    Table of Contents (Top)]

Introduction

AACR2 rev. defines a series as follows:

1. A group of separate items related to one another by the fact that each item bears, in addition to its own title proper, a collective title applying to the group as a whole. The individual items may or may not be numbered.
2. Each of two or more volumes of essays, lectures, articles, or other writings, similar in character and issued in sequence (e.g., Lowell's Among my books, second series).
3. A separately numbered sequence of volumes within a series or serial (e.g., Notes and queries, 1st series, 2nd series, etc.).

An access point is made for a series in almost all instances. In some cases, the title may clearly be there for the publisher's convenience, and not for any real access purposes (e.g. "A Meridian book".) In all other situations, we want to provide access to the series title in the record.

A series title is, in fact, a kind of uniform title — the most common one in use in the library catalogue. The Staff Series and U.T. Search in the Voyager system will give you a combined search, including cross-references. (There is also a new index, Series Numerical (440 830) which will give you a series listing in number sequence.). The same kind of general principles should be utilized with series:

• Use one standard form of heading for the series.
• Variant forms of the heading should be recorded as cross-references on the authority record. This includes foreign language variants.
• If there is more than one series with the same form of the name, a qualifier of some kind is used to distinguish one series from another.
• Series may have subsections or parts. Parts may have an associated numbering scheme.
• Headings or references may include a language qualifier with the translated form of the heading.

Unlike other uniform titles, there are additional concerns connected with series, including if and how the series is numbered; whether or not the series is treated as an added volume rather than separate records; whether the series is classed together; and whether we have a specific local practice regarding the series here at Queen's. For more information on this area, see the Authorities Manual.

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Standard Series

Most series are fairly straightforward. The title is simple, and used consistently from volume to volume. These series are generally listed in a 440 field in the bibliographic record.

440 0 |a Mowbray's emerging church series

If the series is numbered, include this in the field. Historically, here at Queen's we have tried to make the series file numerically, by ensuring a standard number size of three (or for very large series, four) digits. We do this by adding leading zeroes to the volume numbering where necessary.

440 0 |a Caudernos bibliotecologicos ; |v no. 054

We have also discovered there is a problem with the filing of a series if the indexed series field includes an ISSN number (as it can) prior to the volume numbering.

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Variations in Title

If the publisher uses several versions of the title, then one version is selected as the 'established' heading, with cross-references on the authority record from the alternate version(s). If the item in hand uses the 'established' form of the series, it can be included in the bibliographic record as above, in a 440 field.

If an alternate version of the series appears on the item, record it in a 490 field, and use the 'established' version in an 830 field.

490 1 |a Studies and texts in English
830 0 |a Studies & texts in English.

Variations in title may also include parallel titles (titles in different languages). If more than one language version of the title appears on the item, record them in the 490 field as parallel titles, and use the established form in the 830 field.

490 1 |a Publications of the Algonquian Text Society = Collection de la Société d'édition de textes algonquiens
830 0 |a Publications of the Algonquian Text Society.

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Qualified Series

As with other access points, each series should have a unique established form. However, it is not uncommon for there to be multiple series with the same basic title. In order to distinguish between the different series, the title is given a qualifier. For a publisher's series, this is most often the place of publication, or the name of the publisher. Again, with these types of series titles, you would use a 490/830 field combination.

490 1 |a Progress in mathematics ; |v v. 75
830 0 |a Progress in mathematics (Boston, Mass.) ; |v v. 075.

490 1 |a Sciences humaines
830 0 |a Sciences humaines (Centurion).

490 1 |a Sciences humaines
830 0 |a Sciences humaines (Flammarion)

If LC has added a qualifier to the series on your item, use the qualifier whether or not this is the only version of the series in our catalogue.

If you are in doubt as to whether the series on the title you are cataloguing is the same as one already established, create a new authority record for your series, and qualify the title. It is easier to combine them at a later date, than it is to separate them if they do prove to be different.

Some series consist solely of a generic word such as 'Bibliography', 'Report', or 'Publications'. These series are usually qualified by the name of the corporate body that produced them.

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Section 02a, Part Series
Created June 10, 2004 by E. Read

Page maintained by Elizabeth A. Read, readel@queensu.ca. Created June 10, 2004; Updated 10-Jun-2004 03:07 PM