- Email: [email protected]
RDA Version
Serials Review 39 (2013) 62–63
Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect
Serials Review journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/serrev
Electronic Resource Forum
The Development of the Provider-Neutral E-Resource MARC Record Guide: P-N/RDA Version Rebecca Culbertson a,⁎, Les Hawkins, Contributors b a b
Culbertson is Electronic Resources Cataloging Librarian, California Digital Library, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0175, USA Hawkins is CONSER Coordinator, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20540, USA
Les Hawkins, Column Editor a b s t r a c t In preparation for implementation of RDA—Resource Description and Access (RDA), the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) members have been revising ancillary AACR2 cataloging tools produced and maintained by the PCC. This column will focus on describing the features of the Provider-Neutral E-Resource MARC Record Guide: P-N/RDA Version published in 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.
1. Introduction Beginning in 2013, institutions participating in the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) will implement RDA—Resource Description and Access (RDA), replacing the Anglo American Cataloging Rules, 2nd edition (AACR2) as the primary set of instructions for resource description and name authority work. In preparation for implementation of RDA, PCC members have been revising ancillary AACR2 cataloging tools produced and maintained by the PCC. The BIBCO Standard Record (BSR), the CONSER Standard Record (CSR), the Provider-Neutral Record MARC Record Guidelines have all undergone extensive revision to accommodate implementation of RDA. This column will focus on describing the features of the Provider-Neutral E-Resource MARC Record Guide: P-N/RDA Version (PCC Task Group on RDA & Provider-Neutral Model and Reproductions, 2012b).
2. Background of Provider-Neutral Guidelines The growth of online journal and e-book publishing in the 1990s and early 2000s resulted in a proliferation of online resource packages available to library subscribers. The packages often contained overlapping coverage of journal and e-book titles. Catalogers at institutions subscribing to e-resource packages created separate descriptions of online manifestations of the same title distributed by different providers. Shared databases of catalog records contained many records for a single journal or e-book title as distributed by ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: [email protected] (R. Culbertson), [email protected] (L. Hawkins). 0098-7913/$ – see front matter. Published by Elsevier Inc. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.serrev.2013.01.006
multiple providers. Finding the “right” record became increasingly difficult for users and libraries that maintain catalogs. PCC provider-neutral record guidelines were developed to reduce the number of records appearing in shared databases for the same online title. The model in these guidelines is to use one record to represent a resource that is delivered (or could be delivered) by multiple providers. With a few exceptions, namely specific provider ISBNs and varying titles from each provider, records created according to provider-neutral guidelines do not contain information specific to any one provider. Instead, the description is intended to apply to all online manifestations of a resource distributed by various providers. The citation of the particular provider manifestation used as the basis of the description is given in provider-neutral records and the universal resource identifiers (URLs) are given in MARC 21 856 fields for known provider manifestations. The guidelines apply to online resources distributed by publishers, third party aggregators of packages of online resources, and reproductions created as part of digital preservation projects. It is important to note that provider-neutral guidelines differ markedly from both AACR2 and RDA instructions as these two sets of instructions do not make provisions for using one description to represent manifestations from different providers. RDA calls for a separate description of each reproduction of a resource, while provider-neutral guidelines result in one record with a description applicable to all reproductions of a resource. (The term reproduction is used here in a wide sense to include online manifestations of a resource.) The PCC decision to implement provider-neutral guidelines using one bibliographic record for all instances of an online resource was not undertaken lightly. In the end, provider-neutral guidelines were seen as a practical solution that would cut down on the proliferation of records in shared databases and allow for customization if needed by libraries or vendors. Over a span of seven years, separate
R. Culbertson, L. Hawkins / Serials Review 39 (2013) 62–63
PCC guidelines for creating provider-neutral records were developed in the context of AACR2 for online serials, integrating resources, and monographs. A task group was charged to revise provider-neutral guidelines for use in the context of RDA in 2012. The group developed guidelines that specify the RDA elements to be used in the description of an online resource and the appropriate MARC 21 fields to encode them. The guidelines include several MARC 21 fields specifically developed for use with RDA. After first drafting guidelines for online monographic resources as part of the group's task group report (PCC Task Group on RDA & Provider-Neutral Model and Reproductions, 2012a), a later set was developed that incorporated guidelines for serials and integrating resources as well. The resulting document is the Provider-Neutral E-Resource MARC Record Guide: P-N/RDA Version. The recognition of differences between RDA and provider-neutral practices regarding the description of reproductions of a resource resulted in the creation of a new MARC 21 descriptive convention code (040 $e pn) to identify records created according to providerneutral guidelines. The code flags records created according to provider-neutral guidelines in shared databases and signifies that the records do not strictly adhere to RDA instructions for describing reproductions.
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• 3. Features of the Provider-Neutral E-Resource MARC Record Guide: P-N/RDA Version The guidelines are intended to be used as a working document, in recognition of the fact that as RDA implementation proceeds, practices for encoding RDA elements in MARC 21 fields and RDA instructions will change as more experience with RDA is gained. The document may be used by staff at PCC institutions creating metadata for online resources with the understanding that updates will be made as needed in the future. The introductory paragraphs of the guide point out that the document is intended to be used in conjunction with other PCC documentation for cataloging resources according to RDA, the BIBCO Standard Record (BSR), CONSER RDA Core Elements, and other PCC documentation that will be revised in the context of RDA in the near future. The premier feature of the document is the metadata application profile (MAP), a table that contains columns (from left to right) for MARC elements, MARC label, RDA element, Notes for coding practices for Serials & Integrating Resources, Notes on coding practices for Monographs, followed by Notes that apply to both monographs and serials. At this time the MAP is arranged in MARC tag order. Eventually this will probably be changed to the same RDA element order that other documents, such as the RDA BSR have used. The MAP provides an indication of whether particular elements are mandatory, mandatory if applicable, optional, not used, or not applicable for online resources. Guidance is provided on using the following MARC 21 codes or fields developed for RDA: • 040 Cataloging source, subfield $e descriptive convention code: There are two cataloging source codes used with provider-neutral records: subfield codes $e rda and $e pn. Descriptive convention code pn was defined to indicate that while the record is coded as an RDA record (i.e. with the descriptive convention code $e rda), it also does not strictly conform to the RDA instructions for providing a separate description for each reproduction of a particular resource. The code was defined in 2012 and is expected to be implemented by cataloging agencies in May 2013. • 264 Production, Publication, Distribution, Manufacture, and Copyright Notice field: The “publication” information in this field for provider-neutral records pertains (in most cases) to the original manifestation, not “publication” information about the reproduction or the online source (as would be the case if strictly following RDA instructions for describing reproductions). The field is defined
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as repeatable to enable recording of successive entities related to the Production, Publication, Distribution and Manufacture of a resource as well as to record multiple roles an entity associated with a manifestation of a resource plays. 336 Content type: Content type, a mandatory element “is a categorization reflecting the fundamental form of communication in which the content is expressed and the human sense through which it is intended to be perceived” (RDA 6.9.1.1). Content type terms are found in Table 6.1 in RDA. 337 Media type: Media type, also mandatory for provider-neutral records “is a categorization reflecting the general type of intermediation device required to view, play, run, etc., the content of a resource” (RDA 3.2.1.1). Terms recorded in media type are found in RDA Table 3.1. Media types include audio, computer, microform, and unmediated, among others. The term “computer” is used for remote and direct access electronic resources. 338 Carrier type: Carrier type is “a categorization reflecting the format of the storage medium and housing of a carrier in combination with the type of intermediation device required to view, play, run, etc., the content of a resource” (RDA 3.3.1.1). The term “online resource” is mandatory for provider-neutral records for online resources. 347 Digital file characteristics: This element is defined in MARC 21 as “Technical specification relating to the digital encoding of text, image, audio, video, and other types of data in a resource.” It is mandatory only for cartographic online resources according to provider-neutral guidelines. Other formats may use this field, as long as it doesn't interfere with the Provider-Neutral model.
4. Differences in Practices between Resources Identified in the Guide One difference between applications of provider-neutral practices for serials, integrating resources, and monographs involves the term for type of extent in the 300 physical description field. The type of extent “1 online resource” is mandatory for online monographs, but not serials and integrating resources. The task group recommended that descriptions of online serials and integrating resources follow the practice of always recording “1 online resource.” PCC serials catalogers in the CONSER Program are considering this change at the time of writing. Other differences in practice for applying provider-neutral guidelines for serials, integrating resources, and monographs are a reflection of differing decisions made for particular elements in the BSR and CSR for RDA. This applies mostly to recording of parallel titles in the title field (245) and transcribing various statements of responsibilities. 5. Conclusion The PCC provider-neutral guidelines were approved by the PCC Policy Committee pending comments from the PCC membership at large in December 2012. The PCC Task Group on RDA and the Provider-Neutral Model and Reproductions made revisions and posted a final version based the comments. The provider-neutral guidelines offer a flexible foundation for creating records for online resources in the context of RDA and serve as a useful tool for PCC institutions, vendors, and other entities involved with the creation of records for online resources. References PCC Task Group on RDA, & Provider-Neutral Model and Reproductions (2012a). Final report. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/aba/pcc/scs/documents/PNRDAReport20120415. docx PCC Task Group on RDA, & Provider-Neutral Model and Reproductions (2012b). Provider-neutral e-resource MARC record guide: P-N/RDA version, revised November 5, 2012. Update: Includes text of the Provider-Neutral Model for Serials and Integrating Resources. Washington, D.C.: Program for Cooperative Cataloging (Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/aba/pcc/scs/documents/FPN-RDA-Combined.docx)
Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect
Serials Review journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/serrev
Electronic Resource Forum
The Development of the Provider-Neutral E-Resource MARC Record Guide: P-N/RDA Version Rebecca Culbertson a,⁎, Les Hawkins, Contributors b a b
Culbertson is Electronic Resources Cataloging Librarian, California Digital Library, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0175, USA Hawkins is CONSER Coordinator, Library of Congress, Washington, DC 20540, USA
Les Hawkins, Column Editor a b s t r a c t In preparation for implementation of RDA—Resource Description and Access (RDA), the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) members have been revising ancillary AACR2 cataloging tools produced and maintained by the PCC. This column will focus on describing the features of the Provider-Neutral E-Resource MARC Record Guide: P-N/RDA Version published in 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.
1. Introduction Beginning in 2013, institutions participating in the Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC) will implement RDA—Resource Description and Access (RDA), replacing the Anglo American Cataloging Rules, 2nd edition (AACR2) as the primary set of instructions for resource description and name authority work. In preparation for implementation of RDA, PCC members have been revising ancillary AACR2 cataloging tools produced and maintained by the PCC. The BIBCO Standard Record (BSR), the CONSER Standard Record (CSR), the Provider-Neutral Record MARC Record Guidelines have all undergone extensive revision to accommodate implementation of RDA. This column will focus on describing the features of the Provider-Neutral E-Resource MARC Record Guide: P-N/RDA Version (PCC Task Group on RDA & Provider-Neutral Model and Reproductions, 2012b).
2. Background of Provider-Neutral Guidelines The growth of online journal and e-book publishing in the 1990s and early 2000s resulted in a proliferation of online resource packages available to library subscribers. The packages often contained overlapping coverage of journal and e-book titles. Catalogers at institutions subscribing to e-resource packages created separate descriptions of online manifestations of the same title distributed by different providers. Shared databases of catalog records contained many records for a single journal or e-book title as distributed by ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: [email protected] (R. Culbertson), [email protected] (L. Hawkins). 0098-7913/$ – see front matter. Published by Elsevier Inc. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.serrev.2013.01.006
multiple providers. Finding the “right” record became increasingly difficult for users and libraries that maintain catalogs. PCC provider-neutral record guidelines were developed to reduce the number of records appearing in shared databases for the same online title. The model in these guidelines is to use one record to represent a resource that is delivered (or could be delivered) by multiple providers. With a few exceptions, namely specific provider ISBNs and varying titles from each provider, records created according to provider-neutral guidelines do not contain information specific to any one provider. Instead, the description is intended to apply to all online manifestations of a resource distributed by various providers. The citation of the particular provider manifestation used as the basis of the description is given in provider-neutral records and the universal resource identifiers (URLs) are given in MARC 21 856 fields for known provider manifestations. The guidelines apply to online resources distributed by publishers, third party aggregators of packages of online resources, and reproductions created as part of digital preservation projects. It is important to note that provider-neutral guidelines differ markedly from both AACR2 and RDA instructions as these two sets of instructions do not make provisions for using one description to represent manifestations from different providers. RDA calls for a separate description of each reproduction of a resource, while provider-neutral guidelines result in one record with a description applicable to all reproductions of a resource. (The term reproduction is used here in a wide sense to include online manifestations of a resource.) The PCC decision to implement provider-neutral guidelines using one bibliographic record for all instances of an online resource was not undertaken lightly. In the end, provider-neutral guidelines were seen as a practical solution that would cut down on the proliferation of records in shared databases and allow for customization if needed by libraries or vendors. Over a span of seven years, separate
R. Culbertson, L. Hawkins / Serials Review 39 (2013) 62–63
PCC guidelines for creating provider-neutral records were developed in the context of AACR2 for online serials, integrating resources, and monographs. A task group was charged to revise provider-neutral guidelines for use in the context of RDA in 2012. The group developed guidelines that specify the RDA elements to be used in the description of an online resource and the appropriate MARC 21 fields to encode them. The guidelines include several MARC 21 fields specifically developed for use with RDA. After first drafting guidelines for online monographic resources as part of the group's task group report (PCC Task Group on RDA & Provider-Neutral Model and Reproductions, 2012a), a later set was developed that incorporated guidelines for serials and integrating resources as well. The resulting document is the Provider-Neutral E-Resource MARC Record Guide: P-N/RDA Version. The recognition of differences between RDA and provider-neutral practices regarding the description of reproductions of a resource resulted in the creation of a new MARC 21 descriptive convention code (040 $e pn) to identify records created according to providerneutral guidelines. The code flags records created according to provider-neutral guidelines in shared databases and signifies that the records do not strictly adhere to RDA instructions for describing reproductions.
•
•
•
• 3. Features of the Provider-Neutral E-Resource MARC Record Guide: P-N/RDA Version The guidelines are intended to be used as a working document, in recognition of the fact that as RDA implementation proceeds, practices for encoding RDA elements in MARC 21 fields and RDA instructions will change as more experience with RDA is gained. The document may be used by staff at PCC institutions creating metadata for online resources with the understanding that updates will be made as needed in the future. The introductory paragraphs of the guide point out that the document is intended to be used in conjunction with other PCC documentation for cataloging resources according to RDA, the BIBCO Standard Record (BSR), CONSER RDA Core Elements, and other PCC documentation that will be revised in the context of RDA in the near future. The premier feature of the document is the metadata application profile (MAP), a table that contains columns (from left to right) for MARC elements, MARC label, RDA element, Notes for coding practices for Serials & Integrating Resources, Notes on coding practices for Monographs, followed by Notes that apply to both monographs and serials. At this time the MAP is arranged in MARC tag order. Eventually this will probably be changed to the same RDA element order that other documents, such as the RDA BSR have used. The MAP provides an indication of whether particular elements are mandatory, mandatory if applicable, optional, not used, or not applicable for online resources. Guidance is provided on using the following MARC 21 codes or fields developed for RDA: • 040 Cataloging source, subfield $e descriptive convention code: There are two cataloging source codes used with provider-neutral records: subfield codes $e rda and $e pn. Descriptive convention code pn was defined to indicate that while the record is coded as an RDA record (i.e. with the descriptive convention code $e rda), it also does not strictly conform to the RDA instructions for providing a separate description for each reproduction of a particular resource. The code was defined in 2012 and is expected to be implemented by cataloging agencies in May 2013. • 264 Production, Publication, Distribution, Manufacture, and Copyright Notice field: The “publication” information in this field for provider-neutral records pertains (in most cases) to the original manifestation, not “publication” information about the reproduction or the online source (as would be the case if strictly following RDA instructions for describing reproductions). The field is defined
63
as repeatable to enable recording of successive entities related to the Production, Publication, Distribution and Manufacture of a resource as well as to record multiple roles an entity associated with a manifestation of a resource plays. 336 Content type: Content type, a mandatory element “is a categorization reflecting the fundamental form of communication in which the content is expressed and the human sense through which it is intended to be perceived” (RDA 6.9.1.1). Content type terms are found in Table 6.1 in RDA. 337 Media type: Media type, also mandatory for provider-neutral records “is a categorization reflecting the general type of intermediation device required to view, play, run, etc., the content of a resource” (RDA 3.2.1.1). Terms recorded in media type are found in RDA Table 3.1. Media types include audio, computer, microform, and unmediated, among others. The term “computer” is used for remote and direct access electronic resources. 338 Carrier type: Carrier type is “a categorization reflecting the format of the storage medium and housing of a carrier in combination with the type of intermediation device required to view, play, run, etc., the content of a resource” (RDA 3.3.1.1). The term “online resource” is mandatory for provider-neutral records for online resources. 347 Digital file characteristics: This element is defined in MARC 21 as “Technical specification relating to the digital encoding of text, image, audio, video, and other types of data in a resource.” It is mandatory only for cartographic online resources according to provider-neutral guidelines. Other formats may use this field, as long as it doesn't interfere with the Provider-Neutral model.
4. Differences in Practices between Resources Identified in the Guide One difference between applications of provider-neutral practices for serials, integrating resources, and monographs involves the term for type of extent in the 300 physical description field. The type of extent “1 online resource” is mandatory for online monographs, but not serials and integrating resources. The task group recommended that descriptions of online serials and integrating resources follow the practice of always recording “1 online resource.” PCC serials catalogers in the CONSER Program are considering this change at the time of writing. Other differences in practice for applying provider-neutral guidelines for serials, integrating resources, and monographs are a reflection of differing decisions made for particular elements in the BSR and CSR for RDA. This applies mostly to recording of parallel titles in the title field (245) and transcribing various statements of responsibilities. 5. Conclusion The PCC provider-neutral guidelines were approved by the PCC Policy Committee pending comments from the PCC membership at large in December 2012. The PCC Task Group on RDA and the Provider-Neutral Model and Reproductions made revisions and posted a final version based the comments. The provider-neutral guidelines offer a flexible foundation for creating records for online resources in the context of RDA and serve as a useful tool for PCC institutions, vendors, and other entities involved with the creation of records for online resources. References PCC Task Group on RDA, & Provider-Neutral Model and Reproductions (2012a). Final report. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/aba/pcc/scs/documents/PNRDAReport20120415. docx PCC Task Group on RDA, & Provider-Neutral Model and Reproductions (2012b). Provider-neutral e-resource MARC record guide: P-N/RDA version, revised November 5, 2012. Update: Includes text of the Provider-Neutral Model for Serials and Integrating Resources. Washington, D.C.: Program for Cooperative Cataloging (Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/aba/pcc/scs/documents/FPN-RDA-Combined.docx)