Changes in the definition of Type of Record (Leader/06) announced in USMARC
Update no. 3 in July 1997 resulted in considerably different treatment of
many electronic resources. Since then, practices have continued to evolve.
In June 1999, the Library of Congress Network Development and MARC Standards
Office announced the availability of its new "Guidelines for Coding
Electronic Resources in Leader/06"
(http://lcweb.loc.gov/marc/ldr06guide.html). It includes some
clarifications of current practice as well as a number of sample records.
In light of LC's document, OCLC has consolidated and updated two separate
but related guidelines on the subject of coding electronic resources.
OCLC's new "Cataloging Electronic Resources: OCLC-MARC Coding Guidelines"
can now be accessed on the OCLC Web site at
http://www.oclc.org/oclc/cataloging/type.htm. This document supersedes the
"OCLC Guidelines on the Choice of Type and BLvl for Electronic Resources"
formerly at that same URL and the older version of "Cataloging Electronic
Resources: OCLC-MARC Coding Guidelines" originally published in OCLC's
monthly "Bits & Pieces" in February 1998. The information in these two
superseded documents remains substantially unchanged, although there have
been clarifications and refinements, especially in the areas of numeric data
and the presence of search software. Links to LC's guidelines, Nancy
Olson's "Cataloging Internet Resources" manual, and a number of other useful
sources are included.
Jay Weitz
Consulting Database Specialist
Library Resources Division
OCLC Online Computer Library Center
MC 741
6565 Frantz Road
Dublin, Ohio 43017-3395
