NAME: Obsolete fields in the USMARC Bibliographic Format
SOURCE: Library of Congress
SUMMARY: The paper proposes making several fields and elements that have not been needed for current records for a number of years obsolete in the USMARC Bibliographic Format, to complete harmonization with CAN/MARC.
KEYWORDS: Field 261 (BD); Field 262 (BD); Field 400 (BD); Field 410 (BD); Field 411 (BD); X11 subfield $q (BD, CD, CI, AD), Field 260 subfield $d (BD)
RELATED:
STATUS/COMMENTS:
5/6/98 - Forwarded to the USMARC Advisory Group for discussion at the June 1998 MARBI meetings.
6/27/98 - Results of USMARC Advisory Group discussion - Proposal was rejected by MARBI as some participants felt that it was difficult to teach technicians doing retrospective input to place data in other fields and others felt that if a record indicated in Leader/18 (Descriptive cataloging form) that it was not AACR2, then all elements of the record should reflect earlier practices. It was noted that as the numbers of AACR2 records increase, records are more mixed internally as headings are updated and ISBD is applied, and also that some elements of non-AACR2 records will be confusing to users. The Online AV Catalogers liaison reported that the group had discussed the proposal, particularly fields 260, 261 and 262 and felt the changes were okay. OCLC staff were split with systems people being for the proposals and cataloging quality control staff less supportive. Robin Wendler reported that Harvard routinely changes the 4XX fields to 490/8XX conbinations, using the 1XX heading in place of the pronoun in the 8XX field. The question was asked about what LC plans to do about these in its new system.
7/28/98 - Results of LC/NLC review - Further consideration needs to be given to the issues and a new paper will be presented at the next meeting.
PROPOSAL NO. 98-15: Obsolete fields
1 BACKGROUND
When format harmonization with CAN/MARC was processed, one item was overlooked. Fields 261 (Imprint Statement for Films (Pre-AACR 1 Revised)), 400, 410, 411 (series statement added entries) and subfields 260 $d (Plate or publisher's number for music (Pre-AACR 2)) and X11 $q (Name of meeting name following jurisdiction name entry element) are all obsolete in CAN/MARC. In addition, field 262 (Imprint Statement for Sound Recordings (Pre-AACR 2)) was never defined in CAN/MARC. If no action is taken, these obsolete elements will be (re)introduced into the format used by the Canadians in the future, the harmonized format.
Over time, cataloging practices change, causing once essential data fields in a format no longer to be used. In USMARC, which already supports records created over a 30 years span, upward compatibility is essential. Thus fields no longer used often remain in the format for a lengthy period before they are made obsolete. The status of obsolete means that the fields should not be used in new records, although they may continue to reside and should be considered valid in older records. AACR2 has been in use for over 15 years now, during which time several fields and data elements have been kept because of retrospective conversion that was occurring during that period. With much retrospective conversion completed in North America (i.e., many records have been created for retrospective material and future individual library recon projects can use copy for their conversion), several fields can now be made obsolete. They make the documentation of the format for new users and new environments difficult to understand.
2 DISCUSSION
The following list of fields and subfields could be made obsolete at this time. After each is an indication of where such data is found in a current record, thus where data from older records could be input.
2.1 X11 $q
X11 (Meeting Names) $q (Name of meeting name following jurisdiction name entry element) - Reestablish conference name
2.2 260 $d
260 (Publication, Distribution, etc. (Imprint)) $d (Plate or publisher's number for music (Pre-AACR 2)) - Put data in field 028 (Publisher Number)
2.3 261
261 IMPRINT STATEMENT FOR FILMS (PRE-AACR 1 REVISED) (NR)
Indicators First Undefined # Undefined Second Undefined # Undefined Subfield Codes a Producing company(R) - 260 $b b Releasing company (primary distributor)(R) - 260 $b d Date of production, release, etc.(R) - 260 $c e Contractual producer(R) - 260 $f f Place of production, release, etc.(R) - 260 $a 6 Linkage (NR)Field definition and scope:
2.4 262
262 IMPRINT STATEMENT FOR SOUND RECORDINGS (PRE-AACR 2) (NR)
Indicators First Undefined Undefined Second Undefined Undefined Subfield Codes a Place of production, release, etc.(NR) - 260 $a b Publisher or trade name (NR) - 260 $b c Date of production, release, etc.(NR) - 260 $c k Serial identification (NR) - 028 Ind.1=0 $a l Matrix and/or take number (NR) - 028 Ind.1=1 $a 6 Linkage (NR)Field definition and scope:
The imprint usually consists of the trade name of the publisher, the serial identification (e.g., the record or album numbers), and the date of release. Place and name of the publisher can be substituted for the trade name of the publisher when the latter is known not to be primarily a record publisher. For archival purposes, the matrix and take number may also be recorded in this field.
2.5 4XX
400 SERIES STATEMENT/ADDED ENTRY PERSONAL NAME (R)
Indicators First Type of personal name entry element 0 Forename 1 Surname 3 Family name Second Pronoun represents main entry 0 Main entry not represented by pronoun - Field 490 $t and Field 800 $a $t 1 Main entry represented by pronoun - Field 490 $t and field 800 $a(data from field 100) and $t Subfield Codes - All subfields map to 490 and 800, see indicator a Personal name (NR) b Numeration (NR) c Titles and other words associated with a name (R) d Dates associated with a name (NR) e Relator term (R) f Date of a work (NR) g Miscellaneous information (NR) k Form subheading (R) l Language of a work (NR) n Number of part/section of a work (R) p Name of part/section of a work (R) t Title of a work (NR) u Affiliation (NR) v Volume number/sequential designation (NR) x International Standard Serial Number (NR) 4 Relator code (R) 6 Linkage (NR)Field definition and scope:
410 SERIES STATEMENT/ADDED ENTRY CORPORATE NAME (R)
Indicators First Type of corporate name entry element 0 Inverted name 1 Jurisdiction name 2 Name in direct order Second Pronoun represents main entry 0 Main entry not represented by pronoun - Field 490 $t and Field 810 $a $t 1 Main entry represented by pronoun - Field 490 $t and field 810 $a(data from field 110) and $t Subfield Codes - All subfields map to 490 and 810, see indicator a Corporate name or jurisdiction name as entry element (NR) b Subordinate unit (R) c Location of meeting (NR) d Date of meeting or treaty signing (R) e Relator term (R) f Date of a work (NR) g Miscellaneous information (NR) k Form subheading (R) l Language of a work (NR) n Number of part/section/meeting (R) p Name of part/section of a work (R) t Title of a work (NR) u Affiliation (NR) v Volume number/sequential designation (NR) x International Standard Serial Number (NR) 4 Relator code (R) 6 Linkage (NR)Field definition and scope:
411 SERIES STATEMENT/ADDED ENTRY MEETING NAME (R)
Indicators First Type of meeting name entry element 0 Inverted name 1 Jurisdiction name 2 Name in direct order Second Pronoun represents main entry 0 Main entry not represented by pronoun - Field 490 $t and Field 811 $a $t 1 Main entry represented by pronoun - Field 490 $t and field 811 $a(data from field 111) and $t Subfield Codes - All subfields map to 490 and 810, see indicator a Meeting name or jurisdiction name as entry element (NR) c Location of meeting (NR) d Date of meeting (NR) e Subordinate unit (R) f Date of a work (NR) g Miscellaneous information (NR) k Form subheading (R) l Language of a work (NR) n Number of part/section/meeting (R) p Name of part/section of a work (R) q Name of meeting following jurisdiction name entry element (NR) t Title of a work (NR) u Affiliation (NR) v Volume number/sequential designation (NR) x International Standard Serial Number (NR) 4 Relator code (R) 6 Linkage (NR)Field definition and scope:
3 PROPOSED CHANGE
In the USMARC Bibliographic, Authority, Calssification, and Community Information formats: