ABSTRACT
To uncover the problems of serials cataloging with AACR2, an examination was made of the literature specifically focused on serials cataloging, the Library of Congress’ rule interpretations and policy decisions published in Cataloging Service Bulletin, and the work of the ALA RTSD Serials Section Committee to Study Serials Cataloging. While entry of serials was intensely debated during code revision, it has received little attention since the publication of AACR2. The absence of a rule for uniform titles specific to serials presented a serious problem. The guidelines formulated jointly by the Library of Congress and the National Library of Canada have provided a resolution. Uniform titles continue to be a controversial issue, however, and more research is needed in this area. Various complexities of titles proper of serials and other areas of description where the code lacks explicitness have been addressed by Cataloging Service Bulletin and the Committee to Study Serials Cataloging. The Library of Congress has taken a very pro-AACR2 stance in its rule interpretations and policy decisions, and in recent years the Committee to Study Serials Cataloging has assumed a more aggressive role in matters pertinent to its charge.
