CONSER Best Practice for Commercially Produced Reproductions (Microforms, CD-ROMs, etc.) (draft)

Linking fields

Detailed information about the components of a linking entry field in CONSER records is found in the CONSER Cataloging Manual (CCM) 14.1.4.

In general, the components of a link between records for commercially produced reproductions and original publications (in the most ordinary case, when both resources do not have the same physical format) would be:

Subfield |i

CONSER preference is generally to use the natural language labels "Print version," "Online version," "CD-ROM version," "Microfilm version," etc., in such linking fields, when appropriate. However, there are examples throughout CONSER documentation that instead use relationship designators. For instance, the examples in the draft newly revised CCM 32.3 show a preference for "Microfilm version," but CCM 32.3.3 states that "Reproduction of (manifestation)" can be used instead of "Print version" when linking from records for reproductions to print originals.

Relationships between originals published on tangible media and remote electronic reproductions have necessitated the development of special conventions. A major reason for this is that retrospective digitization of past issues is generally anticipated.

In cases in which an earlier/later relationship is combined into a 776 link between print and electronic versions (i.e., when a print resources ceases, but continues online), CONSER uses specific wording in subfield |i to reflect this (see CCM 14.5.4):

776 08 |i Continued online:

Chronological or numeric designations may be combined with labels in subfield |i when the relationship described only applies to specific parts or a specific span of the other manifestation. (CONSER opted to use |i instead of |g for this information in this case.)

For example:

776 08 |i Print version, 1899-2016: