[DCRM-L] Signatures on periodical records?

[Randal Brandt]

Ted,

Yes, there is indeed a DCRM manual for serials. DCRM(S) was published by 
the Bibliographic Standards Committee and the Library of Congress in 
2008 and is available through Cataloger's Desktop, if you've got access 
to that.

Signatures are covered in rule 7B11 of DCRM(S):

    Make a note giving details of the signatures of a serial, if
    considered important. Give these signature details generally
    according to DCRM(B) 7B9. Preface this note with the word
    "Signatures" and a colon.

    /[Examples omitted]/

    Omit signature statements if there are too many volumes, or if the
    collation is too complex.


When we were addressing signatures in serials, we considered the 
cataloging of multi-volume monographs as comparable to serials. If 
you've got a book issued in several volumes, how do you deal with 
signatures? It's the same for serials. If you only have 3 out of 41 
volumes, it might not be worth the trouble of including the signatures. 
And, if you had all 41 volumes, the note would probably fall under the 
"too many volumes" clause of 7B11.

Please note, however, that there are many other rules in DCRM(S) that 
differ greatly from standard AACR2/CONSER serials cataloging rules (and 
are certainly not covered in DCRM(B)). If you don't have access to the 
rules, you won't be able to code the record as "dcrms".

All the best,
Randal Brandt
(member of the DCRM(S) editorial team)



On 3/23/2012 9:23 AM, Ted P Gemberling wrote:
>
> We are using the DCRM(b) rules at my library for materials before 
> 1801. I assume there might be a DCRM(s) manual for serials, but we do 
> not currently have that, and I don't know if we will get it because we 
> don't have a real extensive collection of serials from before 1801.
>
> Our practice has been to put signatures on pre-1801 materials, though 
> I don't believe that's mandated by DCRM(b) except for incunabula. At 
> this point, I am recording the signatures for a periodical from the 
> late 18^th century. We do not have the entire collection, just volumes 
> 3, 9, and 15, and index volumes for volumes 1-12 and 13-24. There are 
> a total of 41 volumes. Would you recommend I put them on the OCLC 
> master record for this journal?
>
> I suppose it could be informative for others. There are currently no 
> signatures on the record. However, it occurred to me that recording 
> signatures for every volume of a journal could take up a tremendous 
> amount of space on an OCLC record. Would we want to?
>
> Thanks, Ted Gemberling
>
> UAB Lister Hill Library
>
> (205)934-2461
>

-- 
__________________________
Randal Brandt
Principal Cataloger
The Bancroft Library
(510) 643-2275
rbrandt at library.berkeley.edu
http://bancroft.berkeley.edu
"It's hard enough to remember my opinions without
remembering my reasons for them"--The Streets.

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