Guidelines for Cataloging Blu-ray/DVD Combo Packs

Beginning April 1, 2022, Main will cease cataloging Blu-ray/DVD combo packs of a title as a single bibliographic record. Instead, a single Blu-ray record and a single DVD record will be entered per title

The new guidelines currently apply only to combo packs containing 1 Blu-ray and 1 DVD. Combo packs containing multiple Blu-rays and/or DVDs will be addressed later.

The purpose of this change is to continue to accommodate varying purchasing and circulation practices while limiting the number of bibliographic records in the system per title, as this can be very confusing for patrons and linkers alike. Limiting the number of records per title will improve patron holds, make linking easier, and assist Aspen’s grouping of records.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to find existing combo bibliographic records in the record sources Main uses, such as SkyRiver, Title Source, and OCLC. Locating a needle in a haystack or creating combo records from scratch slows down cataloging of everyone’s requests.

New Guidelines

These guideline primarily impact libraries that purchase and circulate Blu-ray/DVD combo packs together as a set.

Libraries that purchase combo packs but circulate the Blu-ray and DVD separately can continue submitting cataloging requests and link as normal

For each title needing cataloging, 1 Blu-ray record or 1 DVD record will be entered into Polaris at the time the cataloging request is made.

Libraries that purchase combos to circulate as a set

• Link to the Blu-ray record
• Indicate in the item public note that there is also a DVD

If a Blu-ray record does not already exist in the system, submit a cataloging request for it and indicate that the UPC provided is for a combo pack.

If the Blu-ray record already exists in the system, link to that. Submit a cataloging request to have the combo UPC added to the existing Blu-ray.

Libraries with combos that circulate separately

If a DVD already exists in system, link to that and submit a cataloging request for the Blu-ray.

If a Blu-ray already exists in system, link to that and submit a cataloging request for the DVD.

Indicate that the UPC provided is for the combo.

UPCs submission and inclusion on media bibliographic records

For all media cataloging requests for Blu-rays and/or DVDs, please indicate if the UPC provided is for a combo pack, a standalone DVD, or a standalone Blu-ray. Central cataloging never sees item in hand, so it is important to ensure that the record entered correctly matches the item in hand. We want to limit confusion as to what format is a UPC is associated with, so as to prevent potential linking errors, such that patrons place holds on the wrong format.

UPCs included in bib records will be qualified to indicate which format the UPC applies to:

(Blu-ray)

(DVD)

(Blu-ray/DVD combo)