University of Missouri-Columbia Libraries

General Policy Manual Policy #23

UMC LIBRARIES MICROFORM POLICY

0.0 CONTENTS

1.0 Scope

2.0 Definitions

3.0 Location of Microforms

4.0 Acquisition of Microforms

5.0 Bibliographic Control of Microforms

6.0 Circulation of Microforms

7.0 Reproduction of Microforms

1.0 SCOPE OF POLICY

This policy refers to all microforms in UMC Libraries.

2.0 DEFINITIONS

Microform refers to all microformats.

3.0 LOCATION OF MICROFORMS

3.1 General. All microforms in Ellis Library will be centralized in Special Collections except as noted below.

3.2 Exceptions. The following exceptions in location may be made:

3.2.1 Subject collections requiring subject expertise or specialized servicing may be housed in areas outside Special Collections (e.g. ERIC).

3.2.2 Government documents in microform are normally located in Documents.

3.2.3 Indexes in microform to extensive hardcopy collections may be housed in the area with the hardcopy collections.

3.2.4 Microfiche which is supplemental to a hardcopy and accompanies the hardcopy will be shelved with the hardcopy.

3.3 Microforms ordered by a branch library will be housed in that branch library.

3.4 After considering the microforms themselves, the equipment needed to use them, and the bibliographic control provided, the Special Collections librarian and the appropriate branch or reference librarian will determine the location most desirable for effective use.

4.0 ACQUISITIONS OF MICROFORMS

4.1 Microform purchase requests are initiated in the same manner and from the same sources as are hardcopy purchase requests.

4.2 The Special Collections librarian's role in microform selection for Ellis Library will be to review gaps in collections, to recommend completion of collections, and to recommend purchase of microform collections to supplement our existing collections. The Special Collections librarian will discuss such acquisitions with the appropriate reference librarian(s).

4.3 The preferred format for periodical back files over 2 volumes is microfilm, but exceptions should be made for specific types of material.

4.4 Purchase orders for collections of microforms and long runs of serials, accompanied by descriptive literature when available, will be sent to the Special Collections librarian prior to order to ascertain:

4.4.1 That the format is compatible with present equipment.

4.4.2 That the microforms have been produced according to recognized standards.

4.4.3 That there will be adequate storage facilities for the microforms (in the case of materials in Ellis Library).

4.4.4 That the microforms do not necessarily duplicate material in microform that we already own.

5.0 BIBLIOGRAPHIC CONTROL OF MICROFORMS

5.1 Cataloging of microforms. All microforms in UMC Libraries, both collections and individual titles, will be cataloged. Decisions on analyzing serials/series will be made according to the UMC Libraries policy on analyzed series (Policy #7). Commercially and cooperatively produced machine-readable cataloging for microform sets should be purchased when available, if the Library Systems Office (LSO) can use the format available and if UM Libraries agree to the addition of the data to the MERLIN database.

Whether microforms are to be separately cataloged from their hardcopy manifestations is dependent on MERLIN standards.

All printed guides accompanying microforms will be cataloged fully. These guides will be cataloged to the area in Ellis or to the branch where the microforms are held.

5.1.1 Exceptions: United States and Missouri documents in microfiche will not be cataloged and will be filed in the document number unless the series was already established and analyzed. In this instance, the microfiche series would continue to be cataloged and analyzed.

5.2 Classification of Microforms

5.2.1 All call numbers for microforms will receive a call number prefix showing the location of the microform (e.g. SPEC, REF-R, ENGR, etc.). No such prefix will be assigned to government documents in microformat unless they are classified according to the schemes for non-document microforms.

5.2.2 Microopaques. Microopaques will be classified as follows: An alphabetic code (MICPT, MICD) followed by a broad Dewey Decimal number.

E.g.: SPEC

MICPT

630.5

5.2.3 Microfiche.

5.2.3.1 New individual titles, new unanalyzed series, new analyzed series, and new titles in analyzed series already being received in Special Collections will be classified with the code MICF followed by a serial numbering beginning with the number 1000. Those series requiring collection (e.g. unanalyzed series), may receive a unique identification number as a third element in the call number, e.g., date, volume, fiche number, or other as appropriate in the same manner as hardcopy serial volumes are differentiated.

E.g.: SPEC

MICPT

1000

no. 13

5.2.3.2 New titles in unanalyzed series currently being received in Special Collections (e.g., HRAF, Q-Data Files) and current periodicals will retain their previous classifications so as to keep the series together. (It may be appropriate to reclassify these series at a later time.)

5.2.3.3 Documents on microfiche will be "classified" according to numerous schemes already in use. Some examples:

5.2.3.3.1 ASI, DDRS, SCAN are arranged by their own numbers that correspond to citations in their own indexes.

5.2.3.3.2 GPO microfiche should be housed in DOCS (except for titles at branch libraries and analyzed series in Ellis) and should be classified the same as hardcopy documents (353.8 and SuDocs numbers).

5.2.3.3.3 Missouri documents on microfiche should be classified in the MODocs numbering system as they are arranged in Missouri State Government Publications.

5.2.3.4 Microfiche in other areas of Ellis Library should be classified according to the same system as in Special Collections, with the addition of piece identifiers (e.g. dated, volume, fiche number) and different location symbols.

E.g.: REF

MICF

1001

no. 36

New titles in unanalyzed series currently being received in other areas of Ellis (e.g. ERIC, phone fiche, College Catalogs on Fiche) will retain their previous classifications so as to keep the series together.

5.2.3.4.1 The AEC and DOE collections are unclassified and arranged by their own document numbers as cited in their indexes.

5.2.3.5 Microfiche at branches are classed in a variety of ways.

5.2.3.5.1 Geology's Open File Reports are to be classified as documents (353.8 plus SuDocs number) with a unique numbering added for filing. Access is through Bibliography and Index of Geology and GEOREF. Other microfiche should be classified according to the Special Collections model but with the location symbol GEOL.

5.2.3.5.2 Microfiche in the Health Sciences and Veterinary Medical Libraries receive a consecutive numbering and a piece designation.

5.2.3.5.3 Other microfiche in other branches should be classified as those in Special Collections but with the appropriate location symbols.

E.g.: ENGR

MICF

1002

1984/37

5.2.4 Microfilms in all areas except the Health Sciences and Veterinary Medical Libraries will be classified using the following model:

a.. Location symbol again, excepting government documents in document classifications.

b. Format code: FILM.

c. Type of publication code: BOOK (includes books, collections, masters theses, and doctoral dissertations), NEWS (newspaper), PER (periodical).

d. A number:

1)                  For those items which are best arranged alphabetically (PER and NEWS), the numbers 1-35 will be used corresponding to the first letter or word of the main entry. (See Appendix 1 to this policy for the numbering system used.) This will be followed by a cutter based on the second letter of the main entry.

2)                  BOOK will receive a one-up, sequential number. UMC masters theses and UMC doctoral dissertations will be treated as two collections numbered 1 and 2 respectively. All reels within each collection will receive the same collection number plus a unique identifier.

e. A unique identifier. The identifier chose will be the one most suited to the pieces. Examples:

3)                  the APS and most other collections will receive reel numbers.

4)                  UMC masters theses will receive a date plus a one-up, sequential number to be repeated each year.

5)                  UMC doctoral dissertations will not receive a unique identifier.

6)                  NEWS and PER will receive a date.

Examples:

A book: SPEC

FILM

BOOK

0003

A UMC doctoral dissertation by Schilling:

SPEC

FILM

BOOK

0002

A UMC masters theses:

SPEC

FILM

BOOK

0001

1983-200

A periodical, American Quarterly:

SPEC

FILM

PER

1

.M4

A newspaper, New York Times:

SPEC

FILM

NEWS

19

.E8

5.2.4.1 New titles received in series currently being received but not analyzed (e.g. STC I and STC II) will be classified under their old designations until the entire series can be reclassified.

5.2.4.2 Microfilms in the Health Sciences and Veterinary Medical Libraries receive a consecutive numbering and a piece designation.

5.3 Microforms which are new manifestations of works previously issued in hardcopy, are to be classified according to this policy and not in the same number as the hardcopy. For serials which were issued in hardcopy and which were subsequently continued in a microformat, wooden "dummies" placed at the correct location in the stacks may be used to direct users to the microforms.