BACKGROUND:  In 1982, the decision was made to add the imprint date to the call number of all monographic works.  Prior to that date, several formal and informal memos were used as guidelines to determine if a date was needed in the call number.  This instruction provides guidelines on adding the date to the call number for monographic works.

1.  General rule

Add the date of imprint to all monographs.

Examples:

1976?

use 1976

ca. 1976

use 1976

1981, c1980

use 1981

1971, cl972

use 1972

1979 [i.e.1978]

use 1978

1962 or 1963

use 1962

1969 (1973 printing)

use 1969

1980 printing, c1957

use 1957

1979 [distributed] 1980

use 1979

1979-1981

use 1979

between 1977 and 1980

use 1977

1978/79 [i.e. 1978 or 1979]

use 1978

1977 (cover 1978)

use 1978

197-

use 1970z  [if corporate body, use 1970]

197-?

use 1970z  [if corporate body, use 1970]

19--

use 1900z  [if corporate body, use 1900]

19--?

use 1900z  [if corporate body, use 1900]

1998 for 1997

use 1998

2.  Special situations

a.  Congress or conference headings.  If the date of a congress or conference is present in the main entry, use the date of the congress or conference.  If a date is not present, use the imprint date (cf. G 230).

Example:

111  20  $a International Congress of Navigation $n (25th : $d 1981 : $c Edinburgh, Scotland)

use 1981 in the call number

b.  Multiparts.  Add the date of imprint of the first/earliest part (i.e. the earliest date found in either the 260 field or the 362 1 field ) to the call number, unless the new multipart item is in a larger multipart item/monographic series classed as a collection.  (See the ILS Supplement, Workflow #4 for details.)  Upon receipt of additional volumes, it may be discovered that the date used in the call number is not the earliest date.  Although earlier policy was to reclass to reflect the earlier date, it is no longer necessary to do this.

c.  Photocopy or facsimile editions.  Add the date of the original edition and the work letter a.

d.  Other editions.  For later editions of the same work, use the imprint date.  If another edition is received with the same imprint date, use the work letters starting with b.

Examples:

.I33 1982

.I33 1982b

.I33 1982c, etc.

e.  Corporate authorship.  For works entered under a corporate body, use the imprint date.  If another work by the same corporate body is received, use work letters starting with a (cf. G 220).

Examples:

.R37 1981

.R37 1981a

.R37 1981b, etc.

f.  Printing dates in the note area.  Disregard the printing dates in the note area and use the imprint date.

Example:

260  $c [1982-<1984>

500  $a Vol. 1: 1983 printing; vol. 2: 1984 printing.

use 1982 in the call number

g.  Date in main entry uniform title area.  When there is a date in the main entry uniform title area, use the imprint date.

Example:

130  0#  $a Survey of minority owned business enterprises (1982)

260 $b U.S. Govt. Print. Off., $c 1985

use 1985 in the call number

3.  Exceptions to adding a date

a.  Supplement and indexes.  Do not add a date to the call number after the designations Suppl. or Index.

Examples:

.C64 1977

.C64 1977 Suppl.

.C64 1977 Suppl. 2

 

.C64 1977

.C64 1977 Index

.C64 1977 Index 2

b.  Classes subarranged by date only.  If a work is classed in an area which is subarranged by date only, do not add another date to the call number.  Instead, add a work letter starting with a to the date.

Example:

In the classification schedule:

 

Tennyson, Alfred Lord

PR 5551

Selected works. By date

In the shelflist:

PR 5551 1968

 

PR 5551 1968b

 

c.  Classes subarranged by date and main entry.  If a class is subarranged by date and main entry add the imprint date to the number.  Follow this instruction even if a date appears as part of the classification number.

Example:

In the classification schedule:

 

Olympic games. (Modern revivals)

GV 722

Individual contest. By year

 

Subarrange by author

In the shelflist:

GV722 1952.W4

 

1981

 

d.  Loose-leaf materials.  Do not add a date to call numbers for the following types of publications:

Loose-leaf services that are cataloged as such, with "loose-leaf" in subfield $a of the 300 field of the bibliographic record, and continuously kept up to date.  (Not all publications with holes punched in pages are "updating loose-leafs."  The term "loose-leaf" appearing with an ISBN is not sufficient indication that the publication is an "updating loose-leaf.")

Note:  Although this rule applies to all classes, the vast majority of such publications are in Class K.

Legal publications where the final Cutter is selected from a span based on dates.  For these publications, the date is "built in" to the final Cutter and the further addition of a numerical date is superfluous.

Note:  In the rare cases where it is necessary to distinguish between different editions of these types of publications, use successive Cutter numbers.

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