Examples of Minor Changes to Title Proper

Although not listed under any of the a.-i. categories, remember that a change beyond the first five words that doesn't indicate a different subject matter is a minor change.

130 ON EXISTING SAR TITLE ON CURRENT ITEM. Minor change; no new SAR; update existing SAR with 430
Immigration and emigration studies. Part A, Northern Europe and Scandinavia Immigration & emigration studies. Part A, Scandinavia and Northern Europe

a. Difference in representation is minor

 
One spelling vs. another is minor, e.g. Color catalog vs. Colour catalogue
 
130 ON EXISTING SAR​ TITLE ON CURRENT ITEM. Minor change; no new SAR; update existing SAR with 430
Labor statistical studies Labour statistical study

(NOTE: above example is a spelling variant and also a change in grammatical form from plural to singular; see more examples of the latter below)

Abbreviated word, sign or symbol vs. spelled out form is minor

Acronym or initialism vs. full form is minor

HISTORICAL NOTE. Under the AACR2 pre2002 rules, change from full form to initialism and vice versa was major but full form to an abbreviated form (and vice versa) was minor; it was therefore necessary to distinguish between an abbreviation and an acronym/initialism when deciding whether the change was minor. Under the AACR2 2002 rules, unchanged with RDA, it doesn't matter whether the name is in the form of an abbreviation or an acronym/initialism; a change from either of these to the full form, and vice versa, is MINOR. Note that the rule applies even if the entire title proper becomes an acronym/initialism, and vice versa.

245 ON EXISTING RECORD TITLE ON CURRENT ISSUE. Minor change; retain 245; update existing record
Accommodations and trav​el services Accommodations & travel services
Television monthly TV monthly
Ga. peach statistics Georgia peach statistics
Saint Paul reporter St. Paul reporter
Journal of applied mechanics JAM
Los Angeles woman LA woman
 
Arabic vs. Roman numeral is minor; numbers or dates vs. spelled-out forms is minor
 
245 ON EXISTING RECORD TITLE ON CURRENT ISSUE. Minor change; retain 245; update ex​isting record (with 246)
4 corners power review IV corners power review
245 ON EXISTING RECORD​ NEXT ISSUE RECEIVED. Minor change; retain 245; update existing record (with 246)
4 corners power review Four corners power review
 
Hyphenated vs. unhyphenated words is minor
 
245 ON EXISTING ​RECORD TITLE ON CURRENT ISSUE. Minor change; retain 245; update existing record (with 246)
Yearbook Year book
245 ON EXISTING RECORD​ TITLE ON NEXT ISSUE RECEIVED. Minor change; retain 245; update existing record (with 246)
Yearbook Year-book
 
One word vs. two word compounds (see also example above) is minor
 
 
245 ON EXISTING RECORD​ TITLE ON CURRENT ISSUE. Minor change; retain 245; update existing record (with 246)
Openhouse review Open house review
130 ON EXISTING SAR TITLE ON CURRENT ITEM. Minor change; no new SAR; update existing SAR with 430
Data base applications Database applications
 
Change in grammatical form, e.g. singular to plural or noun to adjective, is minor:
 
 
245 ON EXISTING RECORD​ TITLE ON CURRENT ISSUE. Minor change; retain 245; update existing record (with 246)
Fishery report Fisheries report
Africa news watch African news watch
245 ON EXISTING RECORD TITLE ON CURRENT ISSUE. Minor change; retain 245; update existing record (with 246)
Alumni directory Alumnae directory
245 ON EXISTING RECORD TITLE ON NEXT ISSUE RECEIVED. Minor change; retain 245; update existing record (with 246)
Alumni directory Alumni/ae directory
130 ON EXISTING SAR TITLE ON CURRENT ITEM. Minor change; no new SAR; update existing SAR with 430
Papers on Asia art Papers on Asian art

b. Addition, deletion, or change of articles, prepositions, or conjunctions anywhere in the title is minor

See also the Bulletin of the Willower Group example under c. below

245 ON EXISTING RECORD TITLE ON CURRENT ISSUE. Minor change; retain 245; update existing record (with 246)
Annual report of pipeline safety Annual report on pipeline safety
130 ON EXISTING SAR TITLE ON CURRENT ITEM. Minor change; no new SAR; update existing SAR with 430
Research on immunology Research in immunology

See also the Series on genealogical research example under i. below

c. Difference involving name of the same corporate body anywhere in the title is minor

e.g. the addition, deletion, or rearrangement of the name of the same corporate body or the substitution of a variant form. Compare the last example with the major change example #1 above.

245 ON EXISTING RECORD TITLE ON CURRENT ISSUE. Minor change; retain 245; update existing record (with 246)
Journal of the Association of Computing Machinery Journal of the ACM
Annual report and recommendations of the Connecticut Public Transportation Commission Annual report and recommendations of the CPTC
130 ON EXISTING SAR TITLE ON CURRENT ITEM. Minor change; no new SAR; update existing SAR with 430
Bulletin of the Willower Group Willower Group bulletin
IEA study Study of the Iowa Education Association
Discussion paper (Behavioral Analysis Society) Behavioral Analysis Society discussion paper
Engebretson Foundation research report Research report of the Engebretson Foundation
AT historical guides Historical guides 
<publisher American Tutoring Pub. Co. remains the same>

d. Addition, deletion, or change of punctuation, including initialisms and letters with separating punction vs. those without separating punctuation, anywhere in the title is minor

245 ON EXISTING RECORD TITLE ON CURRENT ISSUE. Minor change; retain 245; update existing record (with 246)
GBB G.B.B.
Alberta's reserves of gas Albertas reserves of gas

e. A different order of titles when the title is given in more than one language in the chief source is minor, provided that the title chosen as the title proper still appears as a parallel title:

245 ON EXISTING RECORD TITLE ON CURRENT ISSUE. Minor change; retain 245; update existing record with 500 Order of titles varies.
South African medical journal = Suid Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde Suid Afrikaanse tydskrif vir geneeskunde = South African medical journal

f. The addition, deletion, or change of words anywhere in the title that link the title to the numbering is minor

245 ON EXISTING RECORD TITLE ON CURRENT ISSUE. Minor change; retain 245
OSMRE annual report for ... OSMRE annual report for the year ...

g. Two or more titles proper used on different issues of a serial according to a regular pattern is minor

The CONSER Cataloging Manual uses the example of the Washington Post. In April 15 1878 the Washington Post changed its title to The Washington Post and Union, but changed back to The Washington Post April 30 1878. Instead of creating a new record, the Washington Post and Union title was entered in 246. CONSER generally treats Saturday and Sunday titles of newspapers as fluctuating titles.  

The LC-PCC PS 2.3.13.2. Category G adds that the instruction should be extended to bilingual serial titles that fluctuate from one language to the other, e.g. L'Idée nouvelle and The New idea. 

CONSER generally applies 2.3.13.2 g. retroactively only. In other words, don't anticipate until you're sure.

h. An addition to, deletion from, or change in the order of words in a list anywhere in the title, provided that there is no significant change in the subject matter, is minor

Note that The section title must also be considered when making the decision on a title change. When in doubt, consider it to be a minor change.

245 ON EXISTING RECORD TITLE ON CURRENT ISSUE. Minor change; retain 245; update existing record with 500 Order of titles varies.
245 00 ‡a Philosophical magazine. ‡n B, ‡p Physics of condensed matter, electronic, optical, and magnetic properties 245 00 ‡a Philosophical magazine. ‡n B, ‡p Physics of condensed matter, structural, electronic, optical, and magnetic properties
130 ON EXISTING SAR TITLE ON CURRENT ITEM. Minor change; no new SAR; update existing SAR with 430
Studies on growing roses, lilacs, azaleas, peonies, and other plants Studies on growing roses, azaleas, peonies, and other plants

i. The addition, deletion, or rearrangement anywhere in the title of words that indicate the type of resource such as "magazine," "journal," or "newsletter" or the equivalent in other languages is minor

245 ON EXISTING RECORD TITLE ON CURRENT ISSUE. Minor change; retain 245; update existing record with 246 and 500 Order of titles varies.
Yearbook of Nordic statistics Nordic statistical yearbook
Organic chemistry review Review of organic chemistry
130 ON EXISTING SAR TITLE ON CURRENT ITEM. Minor change; no new SAR; update existing SAR with 430
Série Littérature française Littérature française
Series on genealogical research Genealogical research series
Linguistics Linguistics series

The Yearbook of Nordic statistics is an example of "multiple minor changes do not make a major change." The insertion of a preposition is minor, and the grammatical change from "statistics" (noun) to "statistical" (adjective) is minor, and since multiple minors do not make a major; and since the changes do not affect the scope of the title, the change is minor.

The Series on genealogical research is an example of both type b. and type i. Minor changes.

Note that the rule does not apply to words indicating frequency. If Atlantic changes to Atlantic monthly, this is a major change; a new record must be created.

Note also that a change from one term denoting type of resource to another resource term is a major change. If ACE newsletter changes to ACE journal, this is a major change; a new record must be created.


Example sources: Jean Hirons July 2002 NASIG presentation (modified locally to account for LCRIs); CONSER Cataloging Manual (2002; modified locally to account for AACR2 updates and LCRIs); Judy Kuhagen AACR2 2002 Revision: Monographs at LC (local modifications). NOTE: RDA has not affected the examples.

Last modified: 
Friday, January 16, 2015 - 11:19am