RDS@UF: When a New Monograph Record is Needed

Last reviewed by Hank Young, July 2022

When a New Monograph Record is Needed

When to Input a New Record – https://www.oclc.org/bibformats/en/input.html

When an item in hand does not exactly match an OCLC bibliographic record, but does to some degree, it is necessary to decide if a new record must be input.

When you input new records, exercise caution. When in doubt, do not create a duplicate record, use an existing record. But do follow later rules on how to avoid your record merging with an existing record.

Specific differences in the wording of the main title (not subtitle) justify a new record.
This, more than likely, will include variations in:

• date designation,
• edition statement,
• statements indicating difference in content,
• statements indicating abridgment,
• enlargement, draft, preliminary, etc.,
• difference in geographic coverage, language statement,
• if the items is illustrated vs. not, or
• certain sections are present or absent.

Difference in place of publication or name of publisher may justify a new record but not difference in place of printing or name of printer. A different series title justifies a new record. Consult above source for Reproduction notes.

If the number of pages is within plus or minus 10, do not create a new record.

Parallel records – these are the same resource but cataloged in a DIFFERENT language (|b in 040 field). Only concerned with English language records.

Discrepancies

• Errors do not justify the creation of a duplicate record.
• Absence or presence of angle-bracketed information does not justify a new record.
• Absence or presence of a field or subfield, whether optional or required, fixed or variable, does not justify a new record.

Replacing existing records (https://www.oclc.org/bibformats/en/quality.html#replacingrecords) – Upgrades/Ehancements – with proper authorization lower-level records may be upgrade to full-level records, including up to PCC level.

Comparing records may include:

• treatment of accompanying material,
• analytical vs comprehensive entry,
• CIP records,
• diifferent editions,
• non-Latin scripts,
• record format.

How to avoid a record getting merged - Consult the “Cataloging Defensively” presentations for both general guidelines and specific formats, https://www.oclc.org/en/events/cataloging-defensively.html --

Different editions - If an item lacks an edition statement but is known to contain significant changes from other editions, supply a suitable brief statement in the Edition element (250 Marc field) and enclose it in square brackets if description is not directly transcribed.

Examples:

Title 1                                    Title 2

Second edition.                 Second edition, Instructor’s edition.

September 1979.              November 1979.

Unabridged.                       Abridged, further expanded.

[Draft].                                 [First edition].

Full screen.                         Wide Screen.