Part I. D.

Dates

General notes

If there is a question about matching dates:  For new titles, OCLC and TULANET should be searched (or re-searched), while for adds, at least TULANET should be searched.  All records that are possible candidates for a match should be carefully reviewed.  Other factors being equal, the record with the earliest acceptable date(s) is preferred.  Please note that quality of cataloguing copy is not a factor.

An important caveat is that the significant date(s) in the 260 $c subfield cannot be later than the date(s) in the piece; in other words, you can move backward in time from a date in the piece that is not considered significant, but you cannot move forward.  For example, if your piece has a U.S. copyright date of 1935 and a later printing date of 1942, you may use a record with a copyright date of 1935.  On the other hand, you could not use a record with a copyright date of 1946.

One exception involving copyright dates:  If you have only a copyright date in your piece, but you have reason to believe that the actual date of publication was later than that copyright date, you may move forward in time to use a record with a later bracketed publication date.  (See "Copyright dates:  Exceptions" for examples.)

Since simple printing dates are not considered significant, a 260 $g printing date does not affect matching even if it is later than any date in your piece.

Cataloguers (including adds cataloguers) who are trained to detect printing dates:  If you can determine that a date in the 260 $c subfield of a record is simply a printing date, you may disregard that date for matching purposes and instead match based on any significant date (such as a copyright date).  (Cf. Part II.B.2, section on editing printing dates.)

E.g.      T.p.:  1903

            T.p. verso:  c1898

            260 $c 1905, c1898

            We already have copy 1 on this "1905" record.  Comparing the pieces, you can tell that they are simply

            different printings of the same edition.

            The ideal matching record for both copies would be an 1898 record.  If there is no 1898 record, you

            may use this "1905" record, deleting the 1905 date.

However, when in doubt, it is safer to consider dates significant and not disregard them.

In the examples below, the "ideal" record in terms of matching dates is indicated together with acceptable alternatives, provided that everything else matches.  Again, if you have any questions, it is safest to check with your trainer or with the principal cataloguer.

1. Significant dates

   Dates associated with genuine edition statements

   Copyright dates, unaccompanied or with printing date only

   The following types of dates are significant and must match for the record to be a match (unless you suspect an error):

   • Dates associated with genuine edition statements.  This category includes dates associated with:
     • Explicit English-language edition statements.  Examples include "First American edition 1992," "New and expanded edition 1954," and "Large print edition 1987."

     • Terms indicating revision.  Examples include "Revised printing 1986" or "Tercera edición actualizada y aumentada 1990."  As another example, "Draft, May 1989" would represent a different edition from "Draft, January 1989."

     • Terms for edition accompanied by the name or abbreviation of a publisher or series name.  Examples include "Tercera edición, primera en la Editorial Sudamericana, 1982" and "First McGraw-Hill paperback edition."

   • Copyright dates, if no other dates are present or if only printing dates accompany them.  (Cf. Part II.B.2, section on editing copyright dates.)

     You should generally match on the latest copyright date that applies to the entire work.  Exceptions:

     • Foreign-language books:  Prefer a record that matches on everything, including a matching copyright date.  However, if such a record is not available, you may use a record with an earlier date provided that everything else matches.  (Note that this difference in treatment between English-language and foreign-language copyrights is based on a local interpretation of LC's rules.  We are in effect considering certain foreign copyright dates that are later than the copyright dates in records as the equivalent of copyright renewals.  See below.)

       E.g.      T.p. verso:  Copyright 1984, 1987

                   There are three records online:  one with 260 $c c1984; one with 260 $c c1987;

                   and one with 260 $c c1989.

                   The 1987 record should be used.

       E.g.      T.p. verso:  Copyright 1985, 1987 by the University of Chicago Press

                   260 $c c1985.

                   This record is not a match. An original record is needed.

       E.g.      T.p. verso:  c1990

                                     Edizioni:  6/1993 ... 12/1996

                   Colophon:  6. edizione

                   There is one record online, with 260 $c c1988.  Everything else matches.

                   You may use this c1988 record.  (However, if a c1990 record had been available,

                   it would have been preferable.)

     • If you suspect that the actual date of publication was later than the copyright date in your piece, you may use a record with a later bracketed publication date.  For example, you may find no record with a date matching the copyright date, only an old LC record with a slightly later date, or there may be information in the piece that postdates the copyright date.

       E.g.      T.p.:  No date

                   T.p. verso:  c1967

                   The only record is an old LC record with 260 $c [1968, c1967]

                   This record can be used.

       E.g.      T.p.:      No date

                   T.p. verso: c1982

                   The preface states that the author died in June 1984.

                   There are two records online:  one with 260 $c c1982; one with 260 $c [1985], c1982.

                   The 1985 record should be used.

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2. Possibly significant dates

   Title-page dates

   Printing dates as only dates

   Dépôt légal/depósito legal dates

   Corrected dates

   The following types of dates may or may not be significant, depending on the context:

   • Title-page dates:  Combined with other distinctive elements (differences between a record with an earlier date and the piece), title-page dates are likely to represent actual publication dates.  Clues could include different dates accompanied by distinct place of publication, publisher, pagination, or series elements, as defined elsewhere in this document.

     E.g.      T.p.:  1982

                 T.p. verso:  c1980 ... Reprinted with corrections 1982

                 A 1982 record should be used.

                 On the other hand, if there are no additional differences between a record

                 with an earlier date and the piece, a title-page date is now generally

                 considered just a printing date.

                 (Cf. Part II.B.2, section on editing printing dates.)

     E.g.      T.p.:  1965

                 T.p. verso:  Copyright 1952; Reprinted 1958, 1962, 1965

                 The ideal matching record, if everything else matches, would be a 1952 record.  Matching

                 records might also be found with dates between 1952 and 1965, in which case the earliest

                 of these records should be chosen. A record with 260 c c1967 could not be used.

   • Printing dates when no other dates are provided:   (Cf. Part II.B.2, section on editing printing dates.)   Printing dates may appear in association with a statement explicitly indicating printing, such as "Third printing 1967" or "Reprinted 1958" or may be associated with phrases that are more ambiguous, such as "First paper-back edition" or "3e édition."  They may be represented in the record either explicitly as a printing date (e.g., "1980 printing") in the 260 $c or $g subfields or as an inferred date of publication, in brackets.

     Combined with other distinctive elements (differences between a record with an earlier date and the piece), printing dates found by themselves are likely to represent actual publication dates.  Clues could include different dates accompanied by distinct place of publication, publisher, pagination, or series elements, as defined elsewhere in this document.

     E.g.      T.p. verso:  Copyright 1946 by Alehouse Editions

                 Reprinted by Grog Press 1974

                 Since a new publisher is involved, the 1974 date here represents an actual publication date;

                 a 1974 record would be a match; a 1946 record would not be a match.

                 On the other hand, if there are no additional differences between a record with an

                 earlier date and the piece, a printing date is not significant.

     E.g.      1ère édition Editions éléphantines 1986

                             3e édition 1988

                 There is a record for the 1. éd., with 260 $c 1986; everything else matches the piece.

                 This record can be used, with the 1988 date considered a printing date and disregarded.

     Dates accompanying a first printing are generally significant.

   • Dépôt légal/depósito legal dates:   (Cf. Part II.B.2, section on editing dépôt légal dates.)   Generally, when found in combination with other dates, a legal deposit date is not significant.  However, if it is the only date in the piece, it may be used as an inferred date of publication if there are other distinctive elements in the record.

     E.g.      T.p. verso:  c1960

                 Colophon:  Dépôt légal 1re trimestre 1973

                 There is a record with 260 $c [1974, c1960]; everything else matches.

                 This record may be used.  Note that one might interpret the bracketed 1974 date as another dépôt légal date, as a printing date, or as an inferred date concocted by a cataloguer.  Whatever the case, the fact that the dépôt légal date in the piece does not match the bracketed date in the record does not prevent a match.

     E.g.      Colophon:  D.l. 1986

                 There are no other dates in the piece.

                 260 $c [1986]

                 If everything else matches, this record is a match.

   • Corrected dates:  If the 260 $c subfield has one date, followed by an actual publication date represented in brackets with "i.e.," you may use this record if either date is present in your piece, there are no other conflicts, and no better record is available.

     E.g.      T.p.:  1878

                 The only record that matches otherwise has 260 $c 1878 [i.e. 1887].

                 This record may be used.  (A cataloguer may still need to decide whether the 1887 correction

                 is plausible or whether it should be deleted.)

     E.g.      T.p.:  1977

                 The preface is dated April 1978

                 The only record that matches otherwise has 260 $c 1976 [i.e. 1978].

                 This record may be used.

     If the date of the first printing is later than the stated date of publication, the printing date should appear as a bracketed correction to the stated date of publication.  (Cf. Part II.B.2, section on editing incorrect dates.)

     E.g.:      T.p.:  1983

                 T.p. verso:  First printing 1984

                 The ideal matching record would contain 260 $c 1983 [i.e. 1984].  A record that either

                 contained only the date 1983 or the date 1984 would be acceptable.  If both of these latter

                 records are available, prefer the 1984 record.

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3. Dates that do not matter

   Printing dates accompanying publication or copyright dates		Copyright dates for parts
   Copyright dates accompanying publication dates		CIP dates
   Copyright renewal dates		Missing dates

   The following categories generally do not matter for matching purposes:

   • Printing dates later than a first printing that accompany explicit publication dates or copyright dates applying to an entire work. (Cf. Part II.B.2, section on editing printing dates.)

     E.g.      T.p. verso:      Third edition 1967 ... 10th printing 1974

                 The ideal record would be a 1967 record.  In the absence of such a record,

                 matching records might also be found with dates between 1967 and 1974, in

                 which case the earliest of these records should be chosen.

     E.g.      T.p. verso:      107.a edição 1993

                                        c1988

                 There are several records online with the same publisher and pagination, each with

                 copyright date 1988 together with an additional later date; most cite different

                 "edição" numbers in quoted notes only.

                 The 1993 date represents only a printing date. Therefore, the ideal record, if

                 everything else matched, would be one for a 1988 edition. Since no record has

                 only 260 $c c1988, the earliest of the records including an additional later date

                 should be chosen.

     For a date of a first printing that is later than the stated date of publication, see Part I.D.2 above, Corrected dates.

   • Copyright dates that accompany explicit publication dates.  If the publication date in the piece matches a record date, it does not matter whether the copyright date matches or whether it is present in the record. (Cf. Part II.B.2, section on editing copyright dates.)

     E.g.      T.p. verso:  First American edition 1988 ... c1986

                 The matching record could have 260 $c 1988 or 260 $c 1988, c1986.  A 1986

                 record would not be a match.

   • Copyright renewal dates (explicitly identified as such) in works first copyrighted before 1978. (Cf. Part II.B.2, section on editing copyright renewal dates.)

     E.g.      T.p. verso:  c1968; copyright renewed 1970

                 The ideal matching record would be a 1968 record.  A 1970 record would also be

                 acceptable.

   • Copyright dates for parts of the contents of an item may also be ignored unless they provide a clue to a change in the actual text.  (Cf. Part II.B.2, section on editing copyright dates for parts of an item.)

     E.g.      T.p. verso:  Copyright 1976; introduction c1993 by the heirs of John Gardner

                 If you can tell that the 1976 edition also included an introduction by John Gardner

                 and everything else matches, the 1976 record would be the ideal match. A 1993

                 record would also be acceptable.

                 However, if this introduction first appears in the 1993 book, then a new edition is

                 involved and a 1993 record should be used.

   • CIP dates.  Since the date in a CIP record represents only an educated guess on the part of the publisher, it may be disregarded in cases of conflict.  The dates in previous-CIP records may also be suspect.  (Cf. Part II.B.2, section on editing CIP dates.)

   • Missing dates.  The lack of a date in the record does not prevent a match if all other elements of the record match the piece.  If the piece does not contain a date, you may accept a matching record whether or not it has a date.  (Cf. Part II.B.2, section on editing missing dates.)

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4. Nature vs appearance of date

   The nature of the date -- not its appearance -- is a factor in matching.  Wherever and however it appears, if the piece has an actual publication date, it should match the date in the record.  The way in which the date is presented in the record does not matter; it may be represented with or without brackets, as an explicit publication date, a copyright date, or a bracketed inferred publication date based on a printing date.  (Cf. Part II.B.2, on editing dates.)
   E.g.      A piece that states "First Canadian edition 1992" can be matched with a record with 260 $c c1992.

   E.g.      A piece with "New and expanded edition 1954" can be matched with a record with 260 $c [1954]

   E.g.      A piece with "c1983 ... Primera edición 1983; 2a edición 1983 ... depósito legal 1983" can be
               matched with a record with 260 $c 1983, 260 $c c1983, or 260 $c [1983].

   E.g.      A piece with "Zweite, vermehrte und verbesserte Auflage 1977" can be matched with a record
               with 260 $c 1977 or 260 $c [1977].

   E.g.      A piece with no publication-related date, no preface date, and no other visible date can be matched
               with a record with 260 $c [1873], 260 $c 1874, or 260 $c [1878].  You would probably need
               to weigh other factors to decide which of these records to prefer.