Classification Guidelines for Digital Reproductions of Monographs

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Home > Cataloging > Classification Guidelines for Digital Reproductions of Monographs

Written on Tuesday, 19 May 2009

With the increasing availability of digital reproductions of older U.S. Government publications, Library Technical Information Services (LTIS) has developed new procedures for assigning Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) classification numbers and item numbers to these publications as they are being added to the Catalog of U.S. Government Publications (CGP). Many of these digital reproductions represent publications that were never previously distributed through the FDLP. Others represent legacy publications that were distributed in a tangible format, i.e. print and/or microfiche. Serials will be addressed separately.

Library Technical Information Services (LTIS) assigns SuDoc classification numbers and item numbers to all publications disseminated through the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). Publications within scope of the Cataloging and Indexing Program but not the FDLP receive a SuDoc class number and no item number. The Superintendent of Documents Classification numbering system was developed between 1895 and 1903 and groups publications together based on the publishing agency. Item numbers, which were developed after 1923, are used by Federal depository libraries to select the publications they wish to receive at their library. However, item numbers did not appear in the Monthly Catalog of U.S. Government Publications until the early 1940s.

LTIS staff will conduct research to determine if the publication is a fugitive or if it has previously been distributed in a tangible format. If the publication has been distributed in a tangible format, additional research will be conducted to determine the class and item number, if any, of the tangible version.

Type of Publication	Status	SuDoc Number	Item Number	MARC 500 Note
Digital reproduction of a previously distributed publication	SuDoc and item number are still active	Same as tangible version	Same as tangible version
	SuDoc and item number are inactive	Same as tangible version	Same as tangible version
	SuDoc number but no item number; Distributed prior to 1940 and no item number assigned at time of distribution	Same as tangible version	No item number is included in the bibliographic record.	'Distributed to depository libraries prior to 1940. No depository item number available.'
Digital reproduction of a fugitive publication	Falls under active SuDoc stem and item number	Active SuDoc stem used and appropriate suffix assigned	Item number of SuDoc stem included in the bibliographic record.
	Falls under inactive SuDoc stem and item number	Inactive SuDoc stem used and appropriate suffix assigned	Item number of SuDoc stem included in the bibliographic record.
	Falls under inactive SuDoc stem but predates item number	Inactive SuDoc stem used and appropriate suffix assigned	No item number is included in the bibliographic record.	"Publication pre-dates item numbers. No item number has been assigned."
	Fugitive does not fall under existing SuDoc stem	New SuDoc stem created and appropriate suffix assigned	No item number is created if the agency is no longer active	If no item number assigned, "Agency is no longer active. No depository item number has been assigned."
	Fugitive does not fall under existing SuDoc stem		Item number created if agency is still active

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