PROPOSAL NO: 98-15

DATE: May 1, 1998
REVISED:

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:
This field contains imprint information, including the statement of production and release for projected media. This field is used only for cataloging of projected media created prior to AACR revised chapter 12 cataloging rules (which follow ISBD specifications). It may thus appear on records created before 1976 or on new retrospective records containing pre-1976 cataloging. For cataloging created since 1975, field 260 (Publication, Distribution, etc. (Imprint)) is used.

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:
This field contains imprint information for sound recordings. This field is used only for cataloging of sound recordings created prior to the AACR 2 cataloging rules. It may appear on records created before 1981 or on new retrospective records containing pre-1981 cataloging. For cataloging created since 1980, field 260 (Publication, Distribution, Etc. (Imprint)) and field 028 (Publisher Number) are used for this data.

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:
This field contains an author/title series statement in which the author portion is a personal name or a pronoun representing it that refers back to a 100 field. Field 400 is both a series statement and a series added entry. When a 400 field is present, a corresponding 800 field is not used since it would duplicate the 400 field. Field 400 is not used for AACR 2 formulated series statements as such statements are in title form.

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:
This field contains an author/title series statement in which the author portion is a corporate name or a pronoun representing it that refers back to a 110 field. Field 410 is both a series statement and a series added entry. When a 410 field is present, a corresponding 810 field is not used since it would duplicate the 410 field. Field 410 is not used for AACR 2 formulated series statements as such statements are in title form.

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:
This field contains an author/title series statement in which the author portion is a conference/meeting name or a pronoun representing it that refers back to a 111 field. Field 411 is both a series statement and a series added entry. When a 411 field is present, a corresponding 811 field is not used since it would duplicate the 411 field. Field 411 is not used for AACR 2 formulated series statements as such statements are in title form.

3 PROPOSED CHANGE

In the USMARC Bibliographic, Authority, Calssification, and Community Information formats:

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