Cataloging guidelines for monograph conference proceedings for Engineering and Science

Introduction

The MIT Libraries generally follow LC cataloging practices for conferences. However, we have long made exceptions for the Barker and Sciences Libraries. Our current policy for these libraries is described in this document.

Summary

• Conferences will be classed by subject for the Science Library; conferences will be classed together for the Barker Engineering Library.
• All conferences, which are in a hierarchical relationship to a higher body, will be classed at the subconference level and not subsumed under the classification assigned to the parent body. This includes unnamed subconferences.
• Where Engineering and Science titles overlap, if they do, Engineering’s practice will prevail.
• These policies will apply to Aero, as a branch of Barker and to Lindgren as a branch of the Science Library.

Guidelines

For monographs, LC classifies conference proceedings separately by subject rather than together by conference. MIT will follow LC practice for conferences purchased for the collection in Science but will follow our years long practice of classing together conferences for Barker Engineering. LC usually catalogs serial conference proceedings as monographs. MIT consolidates separate monograph records into single serial conference records for all locations, when appropriate.

When Barker or Science orders a conference publication for an ongoing conference which already has an established classed-together call number, they indicate this call number on the receipt slip at the time the order is made.

The general principle behind the guidelines given below is that there should be reasonable, unambiguous limits to how far the cataloger should go in searching for previous manifestations of a conference in situations where no call number is given, or in special situations. Furthermore, while it is recognized that there are times when reclassifying previously cataloged items is necessary and appropriate, in the interest of streamlining there should be clear limits established on the process of re-examining previously cataloged items.

Current principles governing recataloging of conference records from monograph to serial are, in general, compatible with the following guidelines, and remain unaffected.

Searching guidelines when no call number is given

When no call number is indicated on the receipt slip for an item containing conference proceedings, the following steps should be taken by the cataloger to determine whether or not MIT has previously cataloged earlier proceedings of the same conference for Barker or Science:

1. If the conference is named and appears as an access point in the bibliographic record, search Barton:
   1. if not found, and the conference is unnumbered (i.e. does not appear to be an ongoing conference), do not search further.
   2. if not found, and the conference is numbered (i.e. appears to be an ongoing conference), search the OCLC authority file for potential reference to a different form of name, or an earlier/later name; if no such reference is found, do not search further.
2. If the conference is unnamed, but a close approximation of a conference name is mentioned prominently in the item, search Barton. If no other instance of the conference can be identified, do not search further.

For example: Photon Propagation in Tissues III has been given the same call number as Photon Propagation in Tissues II (QC793.5.P428.P75) and Proceedings of Photon Propagation in Tissues (all are issued by the same body in the same series), in order to keep them together.

Materials Research Society symposia

For books that come in on the standing order for Materials Research Society symposia proceedings, LC and other libraries are inconsistent in their choice and form of entry for conference headings. While the main symposium is not a problem, each book represents a smaller symposium ("Symposium K") within this larger meeting. It is unclear whether these individual meetings should be considered named or unnamed. Furthermore, although the smaller conference may be ongoing, as reflected in the title proper, the letter assigned to the symposium varies greatly from year to year.

1. We will consider the main symposium to be named, and give it an added entry in the catalog record.
2. We will consider the individual symposium to be unnamed. We will provide a note with complete information concerning the individual symposium, generally taken from the preface.
3. We will class these together as ongoing conferences, based on the title proper (which typically includes the year of the conference). This is the same as our practice with SPIE proceedings.
4. These decisions apply to contributed copy. Generally accept LC copy even if it varies from our local decisions, unless such variance is not one of interpretation but of inaccuracy. Do not attempt to edit LC authority records for these headings, or to link them to earlier forms we might have in our local authority file.

Example:

245 00 Flexible electronics - materials and device technology: symposium held April 22-25, 2003, San Francisco, California, U.S.A.

500 "Symposium H, 'Flexible Electronics - Materials and Device Technology,' was held April 22-25 at the 2003 MRS Spring Meeting in San Francisco, California"--P. xiii.

710 20 Materials Research Society. Meeting (2003 :San Francisco, Calif.)

TK7868.P7.F562 2003

245 00 Flexible electronics 2004 - materials and device technology: symposium held April 13-16, 2004, San Francisco, California, U.S.A.

500 "Symposium I, 'Flexible Electronics 2004 - Materials and Device Technology,' was held April 13-16 at the 2004 MRS Spring Meeting in San Francisco,California"--P. xiii.

710 2 Materials Research Society. Meeting (2004 : San Francisco, Calif.)
TK7868.P7.F562 2004

On contributed copy, do not create, and delete if found, such entries for
the individual symposia as:

111 2 Symposium H, "Flexible Electronics - Materials and Device Technology" (2003 : San Francisco, Calif.)

On LC or contributed copy, delete entries where the cataloger has fabricated part of the name (e.g. the word "on"), which is not found on the item, like:

711 2 Symposium H on Flexible Electronics - Materials and Device Technology (2003 :San Francisco, Calif.)

Special situations

Library-supplied call number

Sometimes in the course of other searching, the cataloger discovers that the call number supplied by Barker or Science is called into question. In these ambiguous situations, the cataloger will apply the following guidelines:

Do not use the supplied classed-together call number if:

• The item in hand does not appear to contain conference proceedings.
• The item is not the same conference or variant conference name as the one for which the call number is given, although the topic may be the same.

Multiple conference call numbers

Catalogers will apply the following guidelines when encountering a conference for which multiple call numbers have previously been assigned:

• MIT has earlier ongoing conferences classed separately: All subsequent conference receipts will be classed together. Earlier conferences will be reclassed only when there are three or less.
• MIT has classed an ongoing conference together, but some have been missed: Missed items will be reclassed only when there are three or fewer.
• MIT has erroneously established multiple classed-together call number sequences for one conference. If one call number is clearly predominant, subsequent conference receipts will be classed in that number. If no call number is clearly predominant, the most recent call number will be used.

Earlier conference receipts will be reclassed only if there are three or less in a call number sequence.

For Science, we will normally reclass by subject only conferences held in the last 3 years. We will consider reclassing older materials on a case-by-case basis.

Hierarchical conference relationships

Some conferences have individually-named (or unnamed) subconferences, spin-off conferences, or other conferences which exist in hierarchical relationships to the parent conference. If a (sub)conference has an individual name, but is related in a hierarchical way to a parent conference, the cataloger will class with the individually named (or unnamed) subconferences.