Use the following guidelines to determine whether a title is a Periodical or not.
1.K-State Libraries WORKING DEFINITIONS
PERIODICAL
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Frequency/publication pattern--intended to be issued more
than once a year. To sum up on frequency-- PERIODICALS MUST BE INTENDED
TO BE PUBLISHED MORE FREQUENTLY THAN ONCE A YEAR, BUT OTHER SERIALS
MAY BE PUBLISHED MORE THAN ONCE A YEAR.
Regularity--usually issued at regular or stated intervals and are usually numbered or dated consecutively. However, regularity is not a must in our working definition.
Numbering schemes--almost always given a numbering scheme (enumeration is the technical term), usually involving a date sequence (chronology is the technical term).
Distinctive titles--periodicals almost never have distinctive titles on each or most issues. (Once in a while an issue or supplement may have a title of its own). Titles must have distinctive titles in order to be analyzed or cataloged separately. Therefore, titles that are regularly analyzed, partially analyzed or cataloged separately are NOT periodicals.
Other--the proceedings, papers, or other publications of corporate bodies primarily related to their meetings, are NOT periodicals. If these types of publications are part of the regular numbering of a periodical (or issued occasionally as special issues or supplements), an appropriate note should be included in the bibliographic record. Route to the Serials Cataloger for verification.
SERIALS OTHER THAN PERIODICALS
-
Frequency/publication pattern--intended to be issued indefinitely.
Serials vary greatly in frequency. Some serials are published annually
or less frequently, but others may publish numerous items within a
single year.
Regularity--usually issued irregularly. However, there are some serial titles which are published on a regular schedule.
Numbering schemes--often, but not nearly always, given a numbering scheme (enumeration is the technical term). Usually NOT given a date sequence other than the year (chronology is the technical term).
Distinctive titles--serials which are not periodicals very often have distinctive titles on each or most items. Titles must have distinctive titles in order to be analyzed or cataloged separately. Therefore, titles that are regularly analyzed or cataloged separately are treated as serials other than periodicals.
Other--the proceedings, papers, or other publications of corporate bodies primarily related to their meetings, are treated as serials other than periodicals.
2. All serial holdings records will be coded PER for titles which are periodicals. The per or ser will be placed in the 2nd subfield x in the 852 field.
3. If a currently received title is shelved in Hale's Social Sciences/Humanities Periodicals Reading area, the Love Science Library's Periodicals Reading area, the DOW Multicultural Periodicals Reading area, or the Fiedler Engineering Library Periodicals Reading area, their bound volumes will be located in main.
4. The old rule, once a periodical, always a periodical will no longer apply (effective 1999). If a periodical becomes a serial, the title will be received and processed from that point forward as a serial.
5. If a serial becomes a periodical, all holdings from that point forward will go to the current reading area (based on location/call no.) ; bound volumes go to their appropriate bound location.
6. Binding
- Periodicals should be bound as periodicals:
- Other (non-periodical) serials--each piece should be bound separately
as much as is feasible.
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Loan code": "book/ser" for circulating collections; "no
loan" for non-circulating locations
7. Marking
Pre- 1997, a separate location was maintained for bound periodicals.
Those pieces in the Bound Periodicals Stacks were marked with "Per"
over the call number. This was done either during the binding process
or by means of a sticker placed over the call no.
8. New Titles
The Serial Catalogers will decide on whether a new title is a Periodical
or not. Catalogers will indicate this decision by placing the proper
code in the MFHD 852 subfield x.
9. Title changes
- If a title changes in a straightforward manner (no splits,
mergers, etc.) and therefore retains its call no., the previous
decision on whether the title was PER or SER should be retained.
- If a title undergoes a more complex change, the cataloger will make the PER/SER decision on a title-by-title basis according to the working definition.
10. Keeping Related Publications Together
Indexes, supplements, cumulated volumes, buyers guides, special issues, etc, related to particular serial/periodical titles will be shelved with the title (though they may be cataloged on a separate record--with the call no. adjusted appropriately), regardless of the publishing characteristics of the Index/Supplement itself.
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Exception: certain buyers guides & special issues
are ordered as added copies and are shelved in Reference.
11. Locations
Locations which have the PER/SER split:
| SER | PER |
| Veterinary Medical Library | Vet Med Bound Periodicals Stacks |
| Math/Physics Library | Math/Physics Bound Periodicals Stacks |
12. Non-print publications
The above guidelines apply to print publications only.
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