BIBCO Working Group on Series Numbering

Statement of the Situation:

AACR2 21.30L gives the option to "add the numeric or other designation of each work in the series" but does not provide any procedural guidance. LCRI 21.30L states that LC will follow the option provided in AACR2 and provides procedural guidance. This guidance is clearly labeled "LC practice" which means that PCC partners may choose to differ from the procedures. Each library's procedures are dependent upon its local system.

In 1997 when BIBCO participants decided in favor of a national -level tracing practice (SAR 645=t $5 DPCC) it was also thought that in order for users of PCC records to find a predictable numerical sort order in series added entries it would be advisable to also declare that the form of the numbering in the SAR should be the authorized form; and thus the DPCC designation should also be in the 642. This meant that BIBCO libraries when making series added entries on bibliographic records designated PCC would follow the procedures set out in LCRI 21.30L for recording numbers in series added entries (PCC practice matches LC practice in this procedure). If choosing not to follow this procedure BIBCO libraries have the option of not designating the bibliographic record as PCC. [N.b.: for newly established SARs this is not a problem since the number on the item is the number to be used in the series added entry as well as recorded in the SAR]

At the April 1999 meeting of the BIBCO Operations Committee a proposal was brought to the table by the National Library of Medicine calling for the discontinuation of this practice for BIBCO participants. Several possible solutions were discussed at that meeting (cf.: Summary report of the OpCo meeting). Subsequently, the PCC Policy Committee (PoCo) authorized the formation of this Working Group and charged it with delivering a paper for discussion at the PoCo annual meeting, November 1999.

Charge: The BIBCO Working Group on Series Numbering shall investigate the feasibility of discontinuing the practice of explicitly tracing a series in an 8XX field when the only difference between the transcription of the series statement and the added entry is the form of the series numbering. The Working Group's report should evaluate the impact that the discontinuance of this practice might have on OPAC displays, timeliness of cataloging, impact on the BIBCO program, etc. and make recommendations/proposals to the PoCo for future action.

Deadline: October 1999