RDS@UF: Authenticating/Upgrading Serials

Last updated December 2021 by Hank Young

Authenticating / Upgrading Serials

Or, How Do I "CONSER" a Record?

The specific instructions for creating original records at, or upgrading copy to the CONSER level (AKA authenticating), are described in CONSER Editing Guide C2. This is a paraphrase and overview of that information.

Encoding level: Locally, we generally catalog CONSER original and authenticate records at either encoding level (blank) with pcc in an 042 field. When we cannot verify or create authority records for all headings, we use encoding level 7 with msc in an 042 field. As you can see from the table below, there is not much difference in the record requirements otherwise, so we will generally catalog at the full level unless we are working with material in a non-Roman alphabet language.

Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) and 010 field: An LCCN should be added to the record, if it does not already have one. LCCN stickers are no longer being printed, so you will need to obtained the numbers from the Principal Serials Cataloger and enter it manually into the 010 field.

You must log on to OCLC with the CONSER login to be able to authenticate, or "CONSER", a record. If you do not have a CONSER Connexion logon, ask the Principal Serials Cataloger or the Resource Description Services Department Head for the correct logon information.

Use this table to determine which fields are Mandatory, Mandatory if Applicable, Required if Available, or Optional