Helen,
Are you cataloging according to AACR2? How you catalog the serial governs this: In the past, we cataloged all the title changes of a serial on one bibliographic record (latest entry cataloging). Today, we create a new bibliographic record every time the title changes (successive entry cataloging).
Latest entry cataloging is not allowed under today's cataloging rules. Latest entry cataloging was used until 1967 (implemented somewhat later in the U.S.) when Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules was first published. AACR (both AACR1 and AACR2) requires successive entry cataloging. The OCLC database (for example) still contains some latest entry records, but most are now successive entry. The bib records are coded successive or latest entry in the MARC21 008 field, position 34.
In LATEST ENTRY cataloging, 247 may have been used both for former and for variant titles. That's before my time! But 246 is used only for variant titles, not for former titles.
If it's cataloged by successive entry, you don't use 247 fields. You create a bib record for the particular title, show what volumes are under that title in the 362 field, and add 780 and/or 785 linking entry fields to point to the earlier and later titles. Optionally also a 580 note field to explain the earlier and later titles.
246 fields are for VARIANTS of the title in the 245 field in successive entry cataloging. The indicators of the 246 field define what kind of variant it is. But the 246 field does not include earlier or later titles.
Warning: 247 has just been re-defined for a new, different use, not yet implemented, for certain integrating resources (web sites and integrating loose-leaf sets). But this has just been defined and isn't in use until the new AACR2 cataloging rules for continuing resources (serials, etc.) come out, maybe next summer. 247 still won't be used for former titles of print serials.
I hope this helps.
Ellen
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Ellen C. Rappaport
Head of Technical Services
Albany Law School Library [log in to unmask]
80 New Scotland Avenue Phone: (518) 445-2342
Albany NY 12208 Fax: 518-472-5842
>>> [log in to unmask] 11/24/01 09:02AM >>>
We have recently converted to MARC21 and I wonder if anyone has some
advice on something I am unclear about: the former/variant title
field for periodicals. It seemed to me that 247 was the correct field,
especially as it includes subfield "f" where you can give the holdings of
issues published under that form of the title.
But looking at some periodical records from other libraries it seems the
practice is to use 246. Is anyone out there using 247?
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Helen Jarvis, Senior Cataloguer, Technical Services, Templeman Library,
University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NU. Tel: 01227 764000 Ext 3128.
Email: [log in to unmask]
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