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Series Authority

The goal for the Technical Services Dept. at K-State Libraries is to establish policies, procedures and guidelines for the usage of series in the VOYAGER database.

General Principles

Series: Theory and Practice for Serials Staff
General Principles

Series: "a group of works published separately, usually in some sequence, having in addition to individual titles, a collective series title." Clack, Doris H. Authority Control. Chicago: American Library Association, 1990, p. 32.

Authority control is:

  • creation of consistent and unique access points
  • collocation of headings allows easier access

Decisions concerning tracing, analyzing or cataloging separately may be based on piece in hand and/or online research, including OCLC authority files.

Series: Theory and Practice for Serials Staff

AACR2r (and corresponding LCRIs)
Cheat Sheet For Documentation

Form of series heading is generally:

  • As stated on piece (440); or
    Traced differently using an authoritative/unique form (4901_/8XX).

Chapter 1.6/AACR2 - Series Area Highlights 
1.6A2 Sources of information: series title page, monograph title page, cover, rest of publication
1.6B Title proper of series
1.6G Numbering within series
1.6H Subseries
1.6J More than 1 series

  • Series Statement Present Only in Cataloging Data (CIP)/Bibliography
  • series vs. phrase
  • republications
  • Archival Moving Image Materials
  • special nos. and unnumbered supplements
  • selected issues of periodicals published separately
  • one or several series headings
  • multipart items vs. series

    Chapter 25.5B - Conflict Resolution

    Series must be unique to distinguish them/to tie in all parts of the series. Qualify series by an authorized form, where applicable. (These are in no particular order-see 25.5B to determine which may be appropriate.) For example, qualify:

      *by corporate body
      *by place
      *by section title
      *by form
    KSU Practice Regarding Series Authority Work

    OVERVIEW

    • a serial record will be maintained for check-in purposes for all standing orders that are part of a numbered series
    • a series authority and/or serial record will be maintained when there are more than ten occurrences of a series in the database; the authority record and/or serial record will reflect past and current/future practice
    • create/maintain a serial record for other numbered series as deemed appropriate to facilitate the acquisitions verification process
    • verify/create/import series based on established routines
    • copy catalogers will verify form and practice as outlined in the series verification routine.

    Tracing and practice will be based:

    • on the piece in hand, guided by appropriate research and cataloger judgement
    • generally follow LC practice

    Establishing series in Voyager

    Searching is the most important step in series processing. You must determine whether your series is already present in the database; if not, you must know what other series are already in the database so your series will "fit" and not conflict with headings on authority and bibliographic records. -- from the Descriptive Cataloging Manual - Z1: Series Authority Records.

    Verify that no authority record exists on Voyager

      Look for series on the piece in hand. The series t.p. would be the chief source, but if there are multiple representations of the series you should try each one (and/or keywords from each one) in order to search the series.

      Search Voyager

        General
        • A Voyager staff title search:
          • retrieves series authority records; and
          • performs a left-anchored search in the database for the title, pulling from the following fields: 130, 440, 730, 830
        • A Voyager name/title search:
          • performs a left-anchored search for name/title headings pulling from the 800 field
        • A Voyager title search:
          • performs a left-anchored search on the fields mentioned above and many others (245, 246, 740)

        Strategies for searching for series on Voyager

        • Use the staff title search to look for an authority record
          • Series found? Verify that the form and tracing practice are correct and reflected on the series authority record; verify that the publisher matches the item in hand
          • Numbered series? If yes, a serial record may also exist and will need updating; the serial holdings will also indicate the tracing practice and must be compared to the series authority record. (You may need to search by "journal title" to retrieve the serial.)
        • No hits using staff title? Do a builder search. Search significant keywords from your series in case the series has been established in a different form; then try that form as a staff title search
        • Use the builder search "as a phrase" in order to retrieve series that may not have been traced or input in 440 or 830 field - essential for database cleanup!

    Verify that no authority record exists on OCLC

    Searching OCLC (Connexion)

      Search the online authority file. There are many ways to search the authority file. The most common: Shift + F2 (command line or keyword searching), or, Alt + F2 (browse searching)

      • Alt + F2 will find a series if it exists in the authority file by conducting a browse search. If the series is not present, it will bring you to the general area.
      • ISSN on piece? Try Shift + F2 and use the keyword box; select the dropdown menu for ISSN (do not use hyphens); OR
      • use the command line search for derived searches: 3,2,2,1 search for titles (the Browse and Keyword searches are better options)

        Verify that you have chosen the correct series:

        • check the 643 field (publisher info)
        • check the 642 field (numbering)
        • check 670s and their corresponding bibliographic records

          Examples: searching the authority file (Shift + F2)

            Search strategies for European series (Centre for European Studies):
              Input: European series centre European studies and select Titles (ti:) from the dropdown menu; OR
              From the command line: eur,se,ce,f

              NOTE: searching eur,se,, will NOT retrieve this series authority.

      Can't find an authority record on OCLC?

        Try keyword searches for series in the OCLC online catalog in order to determine how the series has been used. There are many ways to serach in Connexion. For further instructions, see: http://www.oclc.org/support/documentation/connexion/client/

        • Use keyword searching (F2)
        • Input word(s) from the series and select Series (se:) from the dropdown menu.
        • If the series uses common words, include a word from the publisher as well. Use a different search box, input word from publisher, and select Publisher (pb:) from the drop-down menu.
        • If you find the series in the online catalog is in a form different than what you had searched in the authority file, return to the authority file and look for the authorized form as found in the online catalog
        • Apply AACR2 rules and cataloger judgment when deciding on the form of the series in Voyager
        • If no authority is found in OCLC, create a local series authority record in Voyager. See: Creating Local Series document for further information.

    Conflict Resolution Between LC and KSU Practice

    Local practice LC Practice Resolution
    KSU collects LC analyzes or cat seps KSU will analyze
    KSU analyzes LC cat seps KSU will analyze
    KSU analyzes LC collects cataloger judgement: what is subject area? Consult with bibliographer if subject is questionable. Original cataloging considerations?
    For certain subjects (Ag, Vet med) KSU leans toward analyzing LC collects KSU will analyze
    KSU cat seps LC collects cataloger judgement: what is subject area? Consult with bibliographer if subject is questionable. Original cataloging considerations?
    KSU cat seps LC analyzes cataloger judgement: in most instances, continue KSU practice to avoid split practice.

    Monograph Cataloging and Related Procedures
    Serials Cataloging on Voyager
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