To BIBCO members:

The PCC Ad Hoc Series Review Task Force is preparing its final recommendations for PCC series tracing policies. Several BIBCO institutions have contributed their comments to the group during their deliberations. Before the report is sent to the PCC Standing Committee on Standards, you may send additional comments to me by March 28. I'll be away from LC March 20-24, returning to my desk Tuesday, March 25. Thank you.

Carolyn Sturtevant
BIBCO Coordinator
Library of Congress
[log in to unmask]
202-707-4551
202-252-5082 fax

The text of this message is adapted from a message that Les Hawkins sent to the CONSER discussion list. One of the biggest impacts will be on CONSER and LC policies for checking the series authority file for existing SARs and tracing requirements. Les is collecting comments from CONSER members.

Summary for BIBCO: The recommendation maintains current PCC series tracing requirements for full level and core level BIBCO records.

What it means: Implementation of the recommendation allows libraries following PCC series practices to contribute BIBCO full and core records. Records meeting the requirements will carry the 042 pcc. The only optionality in the recommendation comes into play after the cataloger searches the series authority file and finds no existing series authority record. At this point, a library may contribute a core level monograph record and may choose whether or not to create a new series authority record. Such a core record can be coded 042 pcc, whether or not the new series authority was contributed. Current LC monographic cataloging practice does not include searching the series authority file, disqualifying these records as BIBCO core level.

Summary for CONSER: It recommends that series tracing policies for the CONSER standard record follow the previous full level practice for CONSER full level records. Series tracing, checking for the existence of series authority records, and following tracing decisions on authority records are completely optional for CONSER minimal level records. CONSER minimal level record guidelines will be redefined to accommodate this change.

What it means: Implementation of the recommendation means that LC records for serials continue to be contributed to the CONSER file of records, though if they contain a series statement and the authority file wasn't checked for the existance of a SAR, they'd be coded minimal level 7 records.
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Here is the complete recommendation from the Task Group report:

The PCC Series Review Task Force recommends that PCC standards remain as they currently exist for BIBCO full and core records. The Task Force further recommends that the CONSER standard record follow the same requirements as the former definition of the CONSER full level record (i.e. the same current requirements as BIBCO full level.) We also recommend that the CONSER minimal record guidelines be revised so that the series authority file does not need to be checked and series do not need
to be traced on CONSER minimal level records. (There is currently no BIBCO minimal record.)

The details for this proposal are as follows:

BIBCO Full records and the CONSER standard record

. Series authority file must be checked
. Existing PCC treatment decision must be followed
. New series must be traced
. If an institution that is not doing series authority work uses a CONSER standard record or earlier CONSER full record and there is a new series on the piece, the record should not be downgraded to minimal. The institution should either consult with another CONSER institution to have the series
authority work done or not add the new series statement to the national record.

Core records (BIBCO only)

. Series authority file must be checked
. Existing PCC treatment decision must be followed
. New series may or may not be traced
. If new series is traced, authority record must be created

Minimal records (CONSER only)

. Series authority file may or may not be checked
. Existing PCC treatment decision may or may not be followed
. If existing series is traced, form must match series authority record
. New series may or may not be traced
. If new series is traced, authority record must be created
. Encoding level (ELvl) is 7 (minimal level) if series is not traced
. Authentication code (042) reflects whether headings that are in the record are established in the national authority file, so it could be lc, lccopycat, or lcd (if all headings are established) or msc (if one or more headings are not established)