AACR2: OCLC's Implementation and Database

Abstract

OCLC's Online Union Catalog (OLUC) contains bibliographic records created under various cataloging guidelines. Until December 1980, no system-wide attempt had been made to resolve record conflicts caused by use of the different guidelines. The introduction of the new guidelines, the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second Edition (AACR2), exacerbated these record conflicts. To reduce library costs, which might increase dramatically as users attempted to resolve those conflicts, OCLC converted name headings and uniform titles in its database to AACR2 form.The purpose of the conversion was to resolve record conflicts that resulted from rule changes and to conform to LC preferred forms of heading if possible.