Cat Ref Collection
- Authority Control
- BIBCO
- Call Numbers
- Descriptive Cat
- E-Resources
- Internet Tools
- Language Tools
- Links
- Local Procedures
- MARC Tagging
- NACO
- OCLC
- RDA
- Subjects
- Team Docs
Until the amendments to Chapters 9 and 12 of AACR2 were adopted in 2002, practices for cataloging Web sites varied widely. Copy in OCLC and RLIN is of varying quality. Be especially aware of records bearing the symbol N@F in the 040, which are the legacy of an experimental project to catalog Internet resources. Copy bearing this symbol is often of poor quality, does not conform to current rules, and will frequently lack useable subject headings, unless it has been subsequently updated by another cataloging agency (which will be reflected by the presence of a second NUC symbol in an 040|d subfield).
Because there is less consistency in the cataloging of Web resources than there is in the cataloging of books, generally accept copy, editing copy to conform to current standards only as instructed below.
As of this writing the standard workflow for Web sites is for a selector to contact a cataloger directly or for the Electronic Resources Specialist from the Serials Department to request that a record be added to The CAT for an online resource. Requests from selectors arrive either as e-mail messages or as printouts that have been annotated to reflect the request. Requests from the Electronic Resources Specialist arrive in the form of a printout from the ERLIC database.
Items for which serial copy is found should be referred to the Serials Cataloging Team for completion. Items that could conceivably be treated as a serial should be referred to the Serials Cataloging Team for a decision. As of this writing, Cataloging Services has no written policy in place to address responsibility and guidelines for the cataloging of electronic integrating resources.
If there is already a record in The CAT for the print version of an electronic resource, do not add a new record for the electronic version. Instead, add a 530 note “Also available online” and an 856 field to the record for the print version. Create a volume/copy record for the electronic “copy” of the item, with call number “Electronic resource,” Class Sheme ASIS, Library ONLINE, Home Location ONLINE, and Item Type ONLINE. An auto-generated Item ID can be initiated by typing AUTO in the Item ID box of the Vol/Copy record. It is OK to leave the “circulate” box checked. (ONLINE is not a holdable location.)
If there is no record in The CAT for the print version, and no copy available for the electronic version, create an original record for the electronic version. (Older practice was to use the copy for the print version and add a note and an 856 field to reflect availability of the electronic version. Current practice is to create an original record for the electronic version. Do not use copy for the print version of the resource.)
If there is no record in The CAT for the electronic resource and good copy is available in OCLC or RLIN, use the copy for the electronic resource in accordance with the guidelines below.
Chief source: unlike the chief source for books, the chief source for electronic resources is considered to be the entire item. For Web pages this generally means the entire page (or collection of pages) can be used as the source of title and other descriptive information. What this means in practice is that the title on copy (245) may differ from what might seem to be the “main title.” Alternate title fields (246) will be more common on copy to reflect varying titles that may occur elsewhere on the page(s) or in the HTML header (which is usually displayed in the topmost bar in the browser window).
Accept fixed fields as found on copy.
According to the current rules, Rec_Type should be set depending on the primary aspect of the resource. What this means is that if a resource is primarily textual (e.g., the online version of a government document), the Rec_Type should be “a” (just as for monographs) rather than “m” (for electronic resources). However, you will often find copy that treats obviously textual electronic material as type “m.” Accept copy. The consistent adoption of current standards should eventually make copy more consistent in OCLC and RLIN.
Items with Rec_Type “a” will have fixed fields that conform to the Books format. Normal rules apply. For items with Rec_Type “m”, many of the fixed fields are identical to those used in the Books format. The most important of those not used in the Books format is FileType:
FileType - Type of computer file (008/26) [OCLC: Optional]
For other fixed fields, see http://www.libraries.psu.edu/psul/cataloging/catref/marctagging/mrdfff.html.
Accept the 006 as found on copy. Do not add if one is lacking.
An 006 may be present on copy for an electronic resource when the Rec_Type is “a,” in other words when the Books format fixed fields have been used. The purpose of the 006 is to allow the inclusion of information about the resource’s other (i.e., electronic) aspects. The TypeCode in the 006 should be “m.” Generally accept copy unless obviously wrong.
For original cataloging: Note that the 006 field can be added to the record only through the Properties section of a Workflows wizard. In the "add 006 for" drop down menu, select COMPUTER FILE. Depending on how your properties are set up, remember to reset this to NONE when finished, otherwise it will continue to be added to records. If you have mistakenly added additional 006 fields that need to be deleted, entering "NONE" in the TypeCode will remove them.
Accept copy.
1XX Fields tend to be somewhat less common for remote electronic resources than for print monographs. Rules for determining whether a 1XX is warranted are the same as for books, i.e., the person or entity named in the 1XX field must have primary responsibility for the intellectual content of the item.
Accept copy.
Keeping in mind that the chief source for an electronic resource is the entire resource and that therefore the title statement may not be as obvious as for a print monograph, the title statement should be transcribed according to standard monographic guidelines. There should always be "|h[electronic resource]" following 245|a. There is no ISBD punctuation preceding 245|h, but there will be ISBD punctuation following 245|h depending on which subfield follows.
245 12 A clothesline on the moon |h[electronic resource] :|ba study of drying clothes in a low gravity field /|cCommittee on Drying Clothes on the Moon.
245 00 Effects of illegal lofting in rogue bowling alleys |h[electronic resource] /|cedited by Firstname M. Lastname.
245 04 The grand unified theory of cataloging |h[electronic resource].|pQuantum oscillations /|cCommittee to Merge Everything into One Field.
Accept copy.
As noted above, 246 fields tend to be fairly common in records for electronic resources. Standard monographic guidelines apply.
246 10 |iTitle in HTML header: |aAdventures on a spiral sliding board
500 Title from Web page (viewed on July 25, 2003).
Accept copy.
Edition statements are extremely rare on copy for remotely accessed monographic electronic resources.
Accept copy. Do not add the following.
256 Computer data.
256 Computer program.
256 Computer data and programs
There should not be a 300 field on copy for remotely accessed electronic resources. If one is present, verify to make certain that the copy in fact describes an electronic, rather than a print, version of the resource.
Copy should always include a 500 note indicating the source of the title:
500 Title from Web page (viewed on July 25, 2003).
500 Title from PDF file (viewed on July 25, 2003).
If there is no 500 note on copy, construct one in conformance with the examples above.
Accept copy. Do not create when creating an original record.
Accept on copy. Do not add if missing.
For original cataloging, formulate a 520 summary note if such information is deemed useful to users.
Accept copy.
If the resource is also available in another format, there may be a 530 note on copy.
530 Also published in print.
530 Also available on CD-ROM.
Copy for remotely accessed electronic resources should always include the following note. If it is missing from copy, add it.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Sometimes there will be an additional 538 note to specify other system requirements. Accept copy.
Accept LC subjects with or without the following form subdivisions:
|vDatabases.
|vComputer programs.
|vJuvenile software.
|vInteractive multimedia.
|vProgrammed instruction.
|vSoftware.
Delete headings like: 6xx IBM PC
Delete this field from copy.
Accept copy.
First indicator will almost always be 4; second indicator will be 0. If either is something else, consult the MARC Concise Format for Bibliographic Data to verify its correctness. The URL itself should appear in a |u. There may also be a public note in |z.
For all monographic electronic resources, use call number “Electronic resource,” Class Scheme ASIS, Library ONLINE, Location ONLINE, and Item Type ONLINE. An auto-generated Item ID can be initiated by typing AUTO in the Item ID box of the Vol/Copy record. It is OK to leave the “circulate” box checked. (ONLINE is not a holdable location.)
