SERIALS CONTROL
POLICY
CAP is
responsible for maintaining serials control records for all subscriptions in the
Lackawanna County Library System. Libraries / departments are responsible for
checking in individual issues. CAP's
goal is to ensure the accuracy of subscription information and to present
clear and up-to-date holdings information in the public catalog. CAP
is also responsible for updating our holdings in shared databases including the NPLN Union List of Serials.
PROCEDURES
All serials received by LCLS libraries are represented by a bibliographic record in the catalog. This includes print serials and electronic serials. Print serial records contain holdings information for all libraries.
Circulating copies of print periodicals are barcoded and the specific issues entered into the catalog. They are attached to the bibliographic record for that title.
Selected electronic-only serials are represented in our catalog. Currently, records from Masterfile Premier portion of Ebscohost/Power Library are loaded. The records include a hotlink to the article. Ebscohost records are updated monthly. Pre-existing records are completely overwritten.
“Serials” (for CAP purposes) include Reference periodicals, newspapers, and circulating magazines that are received monthly, weekly, or daily. Titles that are received quarterly, semi-annually, or annually are considered “Continuations.”
The Serials Coordinator maintains subscriptions
and claims missing issues for all
Scranton agencies. The
community libraries manage their own
subscriptions, check-ins, and claims.
Each serial title has a linked “control record.” The control record
includes title and subscription information, a calendar pattern which determines when issues are expected,
and special instructions/notes about vendors,
subscriptions, and special handling.
Agencies that check in serials must communicate with the Serials Coordinator whenever there are checkin problems. These issues may include, but are not limited to, lack of a control record or incorrect predictions.
Reference Titles
Reference
periodicals and newspapers are non-circulating, do not receive barcodes, and
do not appear as separate “copies” in Unicorn.
There will be one generic copy with an Item Type of MAGAZINE-RE and a
Location of PERIODICAL. The
bibliographic record includes dates of the last three issues received. “Textual holdings” information summarizes
holding ranges of paper copies, microfilm, microfiche, and also Ebscohost availability if applicable. If the title has changed, there will also be a
reference to the former title or the current title.
Adult Circulating Titles and Teen Collection
Titles that circulate will have copies for each issue attached to the title record. Each copy has a call number constructed as in this example: MAGAZINE MARTHA 2008. This denotes the March 2008 issue of Martha Stewart Living. Title records for circulation-only magazines do not contain the Latest Issues field.
Titles with Both Reference and Circulating Copies
When a given title has both reference only and circulating copies, the display is more complicated. The Latest Issues field appears, but individual circulating copies are also attached. The textual holdings reflect information on both reference and circulation holdings.
Children's Titles
Juvenile magazines will have copies for each issue attached to the title record. Each copy is assigned a call number that is constructed as in this example: JUV MAGAZINE NICKELODEON MAR 2008. This denotes the March 2008 issue of Nickelodeon Magazine. For children's circulating titles, the Latest Issues field is not populated.
