[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] LOC Z39.50 Search and ISBN numbers

[Ann Della Porta]

     It's true that the Library of Congress Online Catalog does not have a record for every book published.  The LC Online Catalog does not have a record with this ISBN: 0-385-51322-4.

Ann Della Porta
Assistant Coordinator
ILS Program Office
Library of Congress
Washington, DC  20540-4010
adel at loc.gov

>>> "Don McMorris" <don.mcmorris at gmail.com> 6/8/2008 2:12:29 PM >>>
Hi RobertC,

By Voyager, I assume you mean the Library of Congress Voyager database
(one of the default targets in Evergreen).  Is this correct?

Now, I did a quick search on the LC (http://catalog.loc.gov) by that
ISBN, and also did not get any results.  This leads me to believe that
LC simply doesn't have a bibliographic record with this ISBN.  In this
case, the publisher probably simply may've applied a new ISBN for the
different format, and may not have submitted the alternate format to
the LC.

In short, the LC Voyager database does /not/ include all USA-published
books (and may even include some non-US published titles).

I'm sure there's a cataloger on-list that probably knows more than I
about the LC process... If so, please share ;)

--Don

On Sun, Jun 8, 2008 at 1:18 PM,  <evergreen at copelan.com> wrote:
> I have been using the Z38.50 (voyager) search to import bib records into EG.  This is working well
> and saving a ton of typing :-) but I have noticed one point that seems a bit strange.
>
> Sometimes I don't find the exact ISBN number of a book.  I know that the copy is being loaded has
> been out for a while (since we acquired it several years ago).
>
> Example:
> The Da Vinci Code   paperback ISBN 0-385-51322-4  Publisher: Doubleday.  The search yields nothing
> for this ISBN
>
> When searching for Da Vinci  in the Title and Brown, Dan in the Author there are 2 found:
> ISBN 0385513755   Special Illustrated edition (my paperback has no pictures)
> ISBN 0385504209    This is the hardcover edition.
>
> Neither of these 2 seem to be correct for the paperback I have in hand.  My assumption so far has
> been that the Voyager search would find at lease all USA published books.  Is this incorrect?
>
> Thanks for any info.
>
> RobertC