How Do I "CONSER" a Record?

The specific instructions for creating original records at, or upgrading copy to, the CONSER level, are described in CONSER Editing Guide C2. This is a paraphrase and overview of that information.

Encoding level: Locally, we generally catalog CONSER original and upgrade records at either encoding level (blank) with a field 042 lcd. When we cannot verify or create authority records for all headings, we use encoding level 7 with a field 042 msc. As you can see from the table below, there is not much difference in the record requirements otherwise, so we will generally catalog at the Full level unless we are working with material in a non-Roman alphabet language.

Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN) and 010 field: An LCCN should be added to the record, if it does not already have one. LCCN stickers can be obtained from the Principal Serials Cataloger. They can be scanned with a barcode reader or entered manually.

You must log on to OCLC with the CONSER login to be able to authenticate, or "CONSER", a record. If you do not have a CONSER Connexion logon, ask the Principal Serials Cataloger or the Cataloging & Metadata Department Head for the correct logon information.

Use this table to determine which fields are Mandatory, Mandatory if Applicable, Required if Available, or Optional