“Single-Record versus Separate-Record Approaches for Cataloging E-Serials in the OCLC WorldCat Local Environment” by Lihong Zhu

Zhu’s article reconsiders the single versus separate record decision for cataloging online serials from the perspective of a library using network-level cataloging via OCLC’s WorldCat Local platform. The author outlines the decision-making process that led Washington State University to abandon the single-record approach for the separate-record approach.

"Single-Record versus Separate-Record Approaches for Cataloging E-Serials in the OCLC WorldCat Local Environment" is published in Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, vol. 47, no. 2 (2009), pages 161-170.


Note to LibX users: This article is only available online on the InformaWorld site and not the old Haworth Press site. If the InformaWorld link has not been added to your OpenURL resolver, try this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01639370802575583

"MARC Record Services: A Comparative Study of Library Practices and Perceptions" by Rebecca Kemp

In this article, Kemp looks at MARC record services for electronic serial bibliographic records. Following a literature review and the presentation of case studies of two libraries’ implementations of MARC record services (one using Serials Solutions’ 360 MARC Updates and the other using Ex Libris MARCit!), the results of Kemp’s 2007 survey are discussed. The survey garnered 130 responses, although only 26 respondents completed the entire survey. Results presented cover issues related to separate vs. single records, challenges associated with brief records, and overall satisfaction/dissatisfaction with MARC record services.

Ms. Kemp’s article can be found in The Serials Librarian, vol. 55, no. 3 (2008), pages 379-410.

"Single, Separate, or Something in Between: Results of a Survey on Representing Electronic Serials in the Catalog" by Abigail C. Bordeaux

Volume 7, Issue 3/4 (2007) of the Journal of Internet Cataloging includes Bordeaux's article on the single vs. separate record debate concerning the cataloging of electronic serials. I first discovered this article as a pre-print a couple months ago while doing research on the topic. While a number of articles already address the debate, Bordeaux's article provides a fresh perspective by using a survey to find out what libraries are doing in the real world. While her survey showed no clear preference in practice, those using separate records were more likely to have the majority (76-100%) of their electronic serials represented in the online library catalog. Also notable is the similar perception of patron satisfaction between libraries using the single record approach versus the separate record approach.