Yale Collection Cataloging Policies & Procedures

Yale Collection

1. No in-process record; you won’t be able to retrieve a record with a barcode search.  Always verify to make sure the item has not been cataloged for a different collection. If it has, treat it as an added copy, using smlyal (call no. will be Yale Collection or LCC depending on sublocation; see 5. British Art exhibition catalogs will usually be cataloged by BAC catalogers before a copy is received by the Yale Collection; watch out for these when searching. BAC and Art Gallery catalogs of exhibitions received for cataloging by SMLYAL are often ephemeral and given away free to the public and should not be confused with thoroughly researched exhibition catalogs that may have the same title as the freebie; if you find copy in Orbis, always check the physical description.
2. Because MSSA has not created an in-process record, you will need to search all publications in OCLC. Often the memoirs of Yale grads have already been cataloged on OCLC.  Recommend that you create a more detailed template for both original monographs and serials. For serials I have included a local subject for undergraduate periodicals in the template. For examples search College student newspapers and periodicals---Connecticut—New Haven. Coded as genre and local, since lcsh genre doesn’t allow geographic subdivisions.  For 050 I sometimes assign 2 class numbers, one for the topic and the other for student publications.
3. Do not mark any of the items; do not create an item record; do not leave cataloged items on the Preparations trucks. Currently, there is a pick up and delivery arrangement with MSSA.
4. You will often receive 2 copies.  The copy number is not entered in the MFHD.
5. Use the Yale Collection schedules with the exception of smlyal items for the reference collection, which take regular LCC.  LCC call numbers take “(LC)” at the end of the number.  For the reference collections, precede ‡b with ‡k MSSA Reference.  (Addition of MSSA is recent; most only have “Reference.”) The Yale Collection call numbers are of no use in filtering by classification, so create an 050 _4 with the class number whenever possible, or you will isolate the collection from future discovery systems.
   • LCC range for Yale University: LD6300-LD6359
6. Cuttering for Yale Collection numbers is not explicit in the schedule; do a call number search (use the Other index to filter out LCC) to determine the pattern.
   1. The main entry Cutter is often the initial letters in lower case following the date.
   2. The first part of the Cutter will sometimes be the numbers for the century-decade-year minus the initial digit for the millennium. When applicable to 21^st century items, include the digit for the millennium. Example: main entry Smith, published 1996: 996sm; for main entry Smith, published 2013: 2013sm
   3. Use ‡m Oversize;  SMLYAL uses the same oversize as SML.
   4. Do not enter a period between the SMLYAL classification number and the subsequent Cutter number, since this will throw off the indexing of the call number.  Generally enter all Cutters (single or double) in subfield i.
   5. For the alpha portion of the title Cutter, “Yale,” “Yale University” etc at the beginning of the title is skipped; the Cuttering is usually based on the first significant term following the “Yale” part at the beginning of the title or name .
7. New serial titles created by undergraduates are continually received for cataloging.  I haven’t been treating them as published by Yale University (there are often explicit disclaimers). Often the frequency will not become apparent until later issues are received.  Numbering and other designations can be inconsistent or sometimes non-existent and may need to be added retroactively.  Information about frequency, scope,  and digital surrogates of the first issue can sometimes be found on the journal’s website if the print issues are fairly recent.
   • LCC for College and school magazines and papers, U.S.: LH1
8. Reunion directories for undergraduate and school and departmental classes are common.  School classes are established as corporate names, so the class is the main entry for a reunion directory. If you establish a school class (quite routine authority work), be sure to verify that the school itself has been established.  Keep in mind that there is a Subject Heading Manual pattern heading instruction sheet listing useful (i.e. valid) free floating subdivisions for individual institutions of higher learning (Harvard is the pattern).
9. Verify that Yale departments, institutes, libraries, etc. have been re-coded to RDA in their NARs.  Establish Yale corporate names whenever possible.
   1.  Remember that intermediate subordinate bodies need to be checked for RDA coding.
   2. When establishing corporate names, remember the rule that requires the full name of the higher body if the subordinate body is entered subordinately.  If the name includes “Yale University,” enter the body subordinately; if the name only includes “Yale” it is entered directly: Yale University. Library (appears in publications as Yale University Library) BUT Yale Law School.  If it appears without “Yale” or “Yale University,” and the name is “generic,” it would be entered subordinately to Yale University as a field of study. Named library collections that do not incorporate the full name of the library are entered directly, often qualified by the library name.  The old LCRI that instructs you to consider the name of the library that includes the name of the honoree as a building name and not the official corporate name of the library is still in effect in the RDA PS, but apparently it is OK to use the building name as a 4xx on the NAR.
   3. Remember that with RDA “department” in corporate names is spelled out unless abbreviated consistently in the body’s publications.
   4. Yale corporate bodies often have their names in a familiar abridged form in day to day publications like the bulletins or even the web pages. Since library users will often search under the short form, look out for variants of this kind and include them as references in the NARs (the NAR for the Music Library had a 410 for the Irving Gilmore Library but not for the Gilmore Library, the name used on the YUL site’s collections page). The guidelines for acronym/initialism qualifiers have gone back and forth in the policy statements. The current understanding (Feb. 2014) is that a 110 acronym/initialism requires a qualifier. You can qualify by type, e.g. (Institution), or the spelled out form of the abbreviation/acronym, e.g. IAD (Institute for Advanced Doodling); however, a qualifier for a 410 is not required unless it conflicts with a 1xx. In that case, qualify the 410 rather than update the 110 to reduce unnecessary maintenance.
   5. In some cases it may be necessary to add new numbers or Cutters to the SMLYAL schedules as new institutes are established.  The most up to date section on Yale institutions is now linked; insert new numbers as needed.