NAME: Define Field 856 (Electronic Location and Access) in the USMARC Classification Format
SOURCE: Library of Congress
SUMMARY: This paper proposes the addition of Field 856 to provide a link from a USMARC classification record to a related electronic resource. It is needed so that visual aids previously printed in a classification schedule can be digitized and accessed from an online database of classification records.
KEYWORDS: Field 856 (Classification); Electronic Location and Access (Classification)
STATUS/COMMENTS:
5/5/95 - Forwarded to USMARC Advisory Group for discussion at the June 1995 MARBI meetings.
6/24/95 - Results of USMARC Advisory Group discussion - Approved.
7/26/95 - Results of final LC review - Approved.
PROPOSAL NO. 95-8: Define Field 856 (Electronic Location and Access) 1. BACKGROUND The Library of Congress has converted much of the Library of Congress Classification schedules by creating USMARC classification records in a multi-user database on a server. A special browse display was created so that the information from the separate records could be seen in the hierarchical context of other records in the scheme. This display resembles the pages of a printed schedule. There are some (although not many) cases where the printed schedules include visual aids of some sort meant to be used as a guide to the classification numbers. A good example is in the G schedule (Geography; Maps; Anthropology; Recreation), which contains maps with references to classification numbers that cover particular areas. (See Attachment A; this is not included in the online version of this proposal.) LC is exploring methods to provide access to these visual aids in an online environment. Since the classification database is running in a client-server environment, it is appropriate to mount digitized image files on a server that are linked to the related USMARC classification record. The 856 field that is defined in the USMARC bibliographic and holdings formats could provide such a link. The record for the classification number that the visual aid illustrates would contain a field 856 with electronic location and access information. In LC's environment that would probably be a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for a file accessible on LC's World Wide Web server. Theoretically, a user could then bring up the related image by the URL link. Following is an example of the use of field 856 in a classification record. The URL is made up, since the image file does not currently exist. See Attachment A for the printed version of the map that would be digitized and made available. See Attachment B for an example of the browse display for this number in the online classification database. If field 856 is used, an indication of its use would be given in the online browse display. Leader *****nw###22*****n##4500 001 CF94211212 005 19941205082857.0 008 941202abaaaaaa 084 0 $a lcc 153 $a G1350 $c G1352 $h Atlases $h By region or country $h America. Western Hemisphere $h North America $h United States $hNortheastern States. Eastern United States, 1870 and later $h Southern States. Confederate States of America $h South Central States $j West South Central States 753 $a West South Central States 856 7 $3 map $u http://rs6.loc.gov/class/gschedule/G1350a.gif $2 http II. PROPOSED CHANGE The following is presented for consideration: - Add Field 856 (Electronic Location and Access) in the USMARC Classification Format.