When to use a new record

In addition to OCLC guidelines

Create a new record for books when the following occurs:

• A difference in illustrations, including the absence vs. presence, or color vs. black & white
• A difference in edition
• A significant difference in font size
• A difference in pagination of 10% or more
• A difference in height or width of more than 2 cm, or
• A difference in significant content (e.g. readers guides, book club questions)
• Absence or presence of significant additional material (e.g. test preparation books with CD-ROMs)

Create a new record for sound recordings and videorecordings when the following occurs:

• A difference in sound (e.g. analog vs. stereo, sound vs. silent)
• A difference in narrators of audiobooks
• A difference in format (e.g. widescreen vs. full screen, color vs. black & white), or
• A difference in lyrics (e.g. explicit vs. another version)

When a library receives a copy that requires a new record according to these guidelines, that library may choose to attach it to an existing record. If this is done, the existing record must not be modified to reflect this nonstandard usage.

While it can be useful in the consortium to have “close enough” versions on the same local record, be aware that this may cause state or national problems with Interlibrary Loan. A library may request your copy via OCLC, but what is owned is not exactly what the patron wanted.

When in doubt, create a new record.