Analysis of Readex's Serial Set MARC records: improving the data for the library catalog

Includes bibliographical references.Colorado State University Libraries (CSUL) purchased the digitized United States Congressional Serial Set, 1817-1994 and American State Papers (1789-1838) from the Readex Division of NewsBank, inc and, once funds and records were available, the accompanying MARC records. The breadth of information found in the Serial Set is described, along with the difficulties in using the print version (incorporated in the literature review, which includes citations of announcements of the digital collections and reviews of the software). The digital version of the Serial Set has its advantages, but there are additional rewards (much greater discovery opportunities) when items in the digital collection are directly accessible from the library catalog. The purchased MARC records, while overall excellent, had problems that needed to be corrected before they were loaded into CSUL's Innovative Interfaces library catalog. Patron access impact was used as a criterion when determining which of the records would be fixed before loading. High impact problems were identified and solutions derived for: multiple 245 (title) fields; 245 second indicator zero with titles beginning with a, an, or the; dollar sign used in text; fixed field date; languages; subject headings; creating proxy URLs; classification numbers; and author authority control (e.g. corporate entries and presidential entry errors)

Duplication of Serial Set publications in the American State Papers: an annotated inventory

Includes bibliographical references (page 22).Article and Appendixes: Foreign Relations, Indian Affairs, Commerce & Navigation, Post Office, and Miscellaneous tables.The American State Papers collection of Congressional and Executive Branch publications, which in total number more than 6,300 documents, not only covers the fourteen Congresses before the initiation of the Congressional Serial Set in Dec. 1817 but for the final three-fifths of the collection overlaps chronologically with the first two decades of the Serial Set. Over 2,650 of the American State Papers publications reprint, with some occasional minor alterations and a few major ones, Reports and Documents originally published in the Serial Set. This paper provides for the first time an annotated list of all those duplicated publications