Bibliographic Cataloging: Brochures and Recreation/Visitor Guides

Many agencies issue single-sheet publications, such as brochures and guides. These documents may be reissued every few years with only minor editorial changes.

Some guides, such as recreation/visitor guides from the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management, frequently include maps in addition to information about parks, reserves, etc.

Serials-of-Convenience Treatment

• Recreation/visitor guides and other brochures may be cataloged as serials-of-convenience, in accordance with Bibliographic Cataloging: Continuing Resources: Serials: Monographs Cataloged as Serials (“Serials-of-Convenience”).

Map Treatment

Recreation/visitor guides and other brochures frequently include maps. In the past, GPO cataloged such documents as either books or maps, according to the relative size and predominance of the map(s) contained within the document.

Current practice:

• If a serial-of-convenience record already exists, do not re-evaluate the original cataloger’s treatment decision.
• When a new bibliographic record is needed:
  • Catalog as a map any sheet primarily designed to aid in navigation of a location, regardless of the size or placement of the map image on the sheet.
    • Catalog a document of this type using an OCLC Maps workform, even if other editions of the document were cataloged using the Books workform.
  • When brochures and recreation/visitor guides do not contain maps or contain only location/locator maps, catalog these resources as books, serials, or integrating resources, using the OCLC Books or Continuing Resources workform.
    • A location/locator map indicates the general whereabouts of a site within a region and cannot be used for navigation within that site. See example below.
  • When in doubt, catalog as a map or consult a supervisor.