I think basing the description on the latest issue makes sense, especially in the context of a centralized database. This is essentially what we do already for integrating resources (RDA 2.1.2.4). Germany always seems to be years ahead of us technologically. Maybe they can propose a revision to RDA.
------------------------------------------ John Hostage Authorities and Database Integrity Librarian Harvard Library--Information and Technical Services Langdell Hall 194 Cambridge, MA 02138 host...@law.harvard.edu +(1)(617) 495-3974 (voice) +(1)(617) 496-4409 (fax) > -----Original Message----- > From: Resource Description and Access / Resource Description and Access > [mailto:RDA-L@LISTSERV.LAC-BAC.GC.CA] On Behalf Of Heidrun Wiesenmüller > Sent: Thursday, October 25, 2012 02:21 > To: RDA-L@LISTSERV.LAC-BAC.GC.CA > Subject: [RDA-L] First issue vs. latest issue > > I'd like your thoughts on a problem which the German library community > has to face when making the move to RDA: It's the question of whether > the description of a serial should be based on the first or the latest > issue (in cases of minor variations, which do not call for a new entry > altogether). > > RDA, of course, is quite clear on the matter: "If the issues or parts > are sequentially numbered, choose a source of information identifying > the lowest numbered issue or part available" (2.1.2.3). Information > that appears on later issues has, I believe, traditionally been handled > by notes in Anglo-American cataloguing. > > Now our problem is that we do it exactly the other way round, i.e. the > description is always based on the latest issue, with information > regarding earlier issues given as notes. The reasoning behind this is > that the current information (current title, current publisher...) is > what our users are most interested in, and what is also needed for > acquisitions and used in the relevant systems. So we want to give this > information prominently. > > When reading up a bit on the matter I got the impression that the > 'principle of the first issue' was introduced to AACR2 mainly for > practical reasons, in order to facilitate the re-using of serials > records on a national level. But in Germany the 'principle of the > latest issue' doesn't hinder sharing of serials records at all. I > assume that this is due to a different technical environment: We have a > centralized serials database, the "Zeitschriftendatenbank" (serials > union catalogue, ZDB), which is used cooperatively by more than 4000 > libraries in Germany and Austria. The master records for the serials > are kept (and updated, if necessary) in the ZDB, and the holdings of > all the libraries are stored in this database as well. It comprises > about 1.6 million bibliographical records and 11.5 million holdings > records. Automatic processes copy the relevant records to the local ILS > of each participating library. And whenever a master record is updated > by one of the cooperating partners, again there are automatic > mechanisms which ensure that the copies in the local ILS of all > libraries are updated as well. > > If we were to change to 'first issue' in order to adhere to RDA, this > would mean a vast amount of work on the existing data (which cannot be > done automatically, as the serials specialists point out). Now I > wonder: > What would we gain in return for this huge effort? > > So my questions are: What are your feelings about first vs. latest > issue > - which advantages and disadvantages do you see? If you were free to > choose, i.e. if there was no existing data to consider, and if we > assume (for the sake of the argument) that both methods were equally > well suited for the sharing of data: Which method would you prefer? And > also: > Would you see it as a problem if the German library community were to > stick to its practice of 'latest issue' when moving to RDA? > > Heidrun > > -- > --------------------- > Prof. Heidrun Wiesenmueller M.A. > Stuttgart Media University > Faculty of Information and Communication Wolframstr. 32, 70191 > Stuttgart, Germany www.hdm-stuttgart.de/bi
