Current series practice at the University of Georgia Libraries:

Series are always traced.  We continue to consider series as an important access point, not only for reference and public searching, but also for collection development, interlibrary loan, acquisitions and cataloging functions.

Our authorities vendor, MARCIVE, fixes series access points on our bibliographic records when possible and provides a listing of unmatched main headings.  This report includes 490 0, 440 and 8XX headings which have not been matched.  A cataloger in the Authorities Section of the Cataloging Dept. works on this report as time allows.  

Cataloged materials handled by the Acquisitions Department:  If a series as given on a bibliographic record is not verified by our local system (Voyager), Acquisitions staff search the local authority file and OCLC for a matching record and edit the bibliographic record as needed.  If no matching record is found the item is routed to the Copy Cataloging Section of the Cataloging Department with a problems routing slip.

Cataloged materials handled by the Copy Cataloging and Monographs Original Cataloging Sections of the Cataloging Department:  If a series as given on a bibliographic record is not verified by our local system (Voyager), staff search the local authority files and OCLC for a matching record and edit the bibliographic record as needed.  If no matching record is found the item is routed to a series problems shelf.

Items routed to the problems shelf are checked by an original cataloger trained to establish series.  The item is searched again.  If no authority record is found the series is established in the OCLC file.  A local series authority record may be created instead for certain problematic series – those with issues that cannot be resolved with the pieces we have in hand. 

The Serials Cataloging and Music Cataloging Sections do their own series work as needed.

Classed separately versus classed together:  Materials are routed, as in the past, to a “Is this a serial” shelf or to the Monographs Original Cataloging section if there is a question about classing items together.  Collection Development staff can also request that materials be classed together. 

Jenifer Marquardt
Ass't Hd. of Cataloging/Authorities Librarian
University of Georgia Libraries
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