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9. Cataloguing Electronic Publications With MARC

9.1 Background

The various MARC formats are going through the process of being updated to enable cataloguing of electronic publications, in particular on-line publications. MARC format has the unique value for integrating metadata describing electronic resources into existing legacy systems. If libraries wish to integrate metadata into their existing systems, and use existing software (albeit with some updating to deal with new fields) then MARC offers a solution.

Most work has been done on adapting the USMARC format for the cataloguing items accessible through the Internet. OCLC's Intercat project has served as a test bed for the cataloguing of network resources, and as a means to introduce and verify new fields and fine tune as required. Over 200 libraries are participating in this project, the majority of them academic (60%) and nearly all of them situated in the US. There are now over 7,000 records in the Intercat database.

A guide has been produced as an output of the project:

Note that this guide is designed for OCLC users and examples and guidelines follow OCLC MARC rather then USMARC. In most circumstances there is little difference between the two formats.

The ISBD manual covering electronic resources is now awaiting final publication (after consultation). Following issue of the new cataloguing manual ISBD(ER), amendments may be required to UKMARC and UNIMARC.

9.2 UKMARC

At present the convergence programme between UKMARC and USMARC is underway. The policy is to adopt USMARC usage for the relevant fields relating to electronic publications and the proposed changes to UKMARC are going through the consultation procedure. The process involves dealing with particular sections of the format one at a time (1XX fields, 2XX fields etc). As part of this process 'new' USMARC fields for cataloguing electronic publications are being proposed. Because of the policy to address changes to UKMARC by sets of tag numbers, there has not been a single proposal for all the relevant fields, rather a gradual introduction of fields depending on the numbering of the tags. This can cause confusion in trying to identify all fields appropriate to cataloguing electronic resources.

It is worth noting that few UK libraries are currently cataloguing this type of material so there has been limited input experience of dealing with electronic documents. This is unlike the position with USMARC where the Intercat project gave the community experience in creating records, retrieving information using the records, and adapting current library management systems to handle the records.

9.2.1 Those fields already accepted into the UKMARC manual:

542 Mode of use note (machine-readable data files)

Note this is tag 538 in USMARC. A separate local access field is available in tag 856.

Examples

1. 542.00 $a Mode of use: On-line video or teletype terminal or with a small dedicated computer (e.g. PDP8).

2. 542.00 $a System requirements: 386SX processor; 6MB RAM; Windows 3.0; 7MB free space on hard disk.

9.2.2 Those fields already approved to be added to UK manual in an update:

856 Electronic Location and Access

The 856 field contains the information required to locate and retrieve an electronic item. The information identifies the electronic location containing the item or from which it is available. It also identifies the access method by which items can be retrieved. The information contained in this field should be sufficient to allow for the electronic transfer of a file, subscription to an electronic journal, or logon to an electronic resource.

Guidelines have been published by the Library of Congress on use of this field in USMARC:

The 856 indicators and subfields can be used to indicate the access methods e.g.

Email, FTP, Remote login (Telnet), Dial-up, http, wais etc.

Subfield $u contains the Uniform Resource Locator (URL), which provides electronic access data in a standard syntax. Field 856 is structured to allow the creation of a URL from the concatenation of other separate field 856 subfields. Subfield $u may be used instead of those separate subfields or in addition to them. Subfield $u may be repeated if the other information in the field applies.

This field also allows for inclusion of:

Examples
  1. 856 10$uftp://path.net/pub/docs/urn2urc.ps

  2. 856 70$uhttp://lcweb.loc.gov/catdir/semdigdocs/seminar.html$yhttp

  3. 856 30$alocis.loc.gov$b140.147.254.3$mlcon-line@loc.gov$t3270$tline mode
    (e.g., vt100)$vM-F 6:00 a.m.-21:30 p.m. USA EST, Sat. 8:30-17:00 USA EST, Sun. 13:00-17:00 USA EST.

  4. 856 10$awuarchive.wustl.edu$dmirrors/info-mac/util$fcolor-system-icons.hqx$s16874
    bytes 856 00$akeptvm.bitnet$facadlist file1$s34,989 bytes$facadlist
    file2$s32,876 bytes$facadlist file3$s23987 bytes.

9.2.3 Fields contained in British Library December 96 consultative document:

258 Computer File Characteristics (NR)

This field is used to record characteristics pertaining to a computer file. It may contain information about the type of file (e.g. Computer programs), the number of records, statements, etc. (e.g. 1250 records, 5076 bytes).

Examples

  1. 258 00$aComputer data (2 files: 876,000, 775,000 records).

307 Hours, etc. (NR)

This field contains chronological information identifying the days and/or times an item is available or accessible. It is used primarily in records for electronic resources.

Examples

  1. 307 00$aM-F, 9AM-10PM

  2. 307 00$aTu-F, 10-6; Sa, 1-5, USA PST.

753 System Details Access to Computer Files

This field contains information relating to the type of machine, operating system, and/or programming language used with computer files and accompanying material. This kind of added entry is assigned to give access to the bibliographic record which otherwise would not be possible and to facilitate the capability of selecting and arranging records for production of printed indexes.

Examples

  1. 753 00$aIBM PC$bPascal$cDOS 1.1

  2. 753 00$aCompaq$bBasic$cDOS 3.2

  3. 753 00$aApple II$cDOS 3.3.

537 Type of Computer File or Data Note

In the consultative document it is suggested that this be expanded to include notes held in USMARC 516.

Examples

  1. 537 00$aSPSS 5.2

  2. 537 00$aText(Law reports)

  3. 537 00$aComputer program.

9.3 UNIMARC

9.3.1 Background

Most fields to do with electronic cataloguing are marked as provisional in UNIMARC - awaiting ISBD(ER) to be published. The exception is US/UKMARC 856, which will be considered at the next Permanent UNIMARC Committee (PUC) meeting in March 1997.

A draft version of UNIMARC Guideline 3 for Computer Files was issued in June 1995 and is now the January 1997 consultative document. (Note the renumbering of Guideline 3, as Older monographic publication guidelines was published with that number). These guidelines result from meetings of the IFLA Permanent UNIMARC Committee and the requirements of the International Standard Bibliographic Description for Computer Files, ISBD(CF). A new draft of this Guideline is expected soon. The current version can be made available, but the published version will take account of ISBD(ER), with a timetable dependent on the publication date of the latter. (ISBD(ER) in a later revision of ISBD(CF)).

The Guidelines for Computer Files have been formulated with off-line products in mind i.e. CD-ROMs, diskettes. No special fields such as URLs are specified for metadata specific for networked resources. The Guidelines are still being developed to be better suited for on-line materials as well.

9.3.2 Fields used for cataloguing electronic resources

The Guideline 3 specifies the use of existing fields for the description of computer files, but in addition other data elements from UNIMARC may be used in a record for a computer file. The probable need for additional fields or content designators and for redefinition of existing fields in the near future is acknowledged.

The following fields are specified in the guidelines:

Apart from the above mentioned fields, some of the (extra) information should be put in different fields of the Note block (3XX). This concerns the following data:

The 1XX block provides fields for:

In Guideline 3 no special field is provided yet for information pertaining to location. USMARC 856 is being examined to see if it can be adopted for UNIMARC.

Field 135 is the provisional Coded Data Field for Computer Files. For type of computer file and technical details fields 336 and 337 in the Notes block are defined.

9.3.2.1 Host administrative data:

No fields are specified for information pertaining to the host. USMARC practice may be adopted for UNIMARC.

9.3.2.2 Administrative metadata

There are no fields for record review date and creation date.

9.3.2.3 Provenance/source

Availability information is included in fields 345 (Acquisition information note), 010 (ISBN) and 011 (ISSN). Further notes pertaining to availability go in field 310 (Notes pertaining to binding and availability).

9.3.2.4 Terms of availability/copyright

The relevant USMARC fields are being examined for this purpose.

9.3.2.5 Rules for the construction of these elements

Field 801 (Originating Source), subfield $g, contains an abbreviation for the cataloguing code used for bibliographic description and access. The Manual gives a list of the accepted codes in an appendix. Other codes may be registered with the IFLA UBCIM Programme.

9.3.2.6 Multi-lingual issues

Character positions 26-29 and 30-33 of field 100 subfield $a are used to designate the default and additional graphic character sets used in the record. Sets approved for use with UNIMARC are:

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