— Glossary
A
AACP: Automatic Authority Control Program - a function in Sierra that updates access points (headings) in bibliographic records daily in response to new or updated authority records in our catalog.
AACR: Anglo-American Cataloging Rules – a cataloging code published jointly by library organizations in the United States, Canada, and UK in 1967. Eventually eclipsed by the publication of its second edition (AACR2) in 1978. No longer in use in the creation of new records.
AACR2 or A2: Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd Edition – cataloging code published in 1978, revised in subsequent years until it was finally eclipsed by RDA. MSUL adopted RDA as its official code of cataloging when the US national libraries adopted it in March 2013. At MSUL, AACR2 is no longer in use for the creation of new records (with a few exceptions).
Access points: Names or terms that represent entities in records. Examples include creators, issuing bodies, titles, subjects, or other points of access. Historically known as headings.
Accompanying materials: In the context of serials: Materials sent at the same time as a serial issue but not required to fully access the contents of the serial issue. Distinguish from supplementary materials.
Add cats: Copies added to bibliographic records already "owned" by the Law Library, the Library of Michigan, or the MSU Archives in our shared catalog environment.
Add copy: A processing workflow designation which appears on a catalog order record when a second copy of a title already in the catalog is ordered, and the second copy will be assigned to the same catalog location as the first copy. Cataloging an "add copy" consists of attaching a second item record to the existing bib record for the title.
Add loc: A processing workflow designation which appears on a catalog order record when a second copy of a title already in the catalog is ordered, and the second copy will be assigned to a different catalog location than the first copy. Cataloging an "add loc" consists of attaching an item record reflecting the second copy location to the existing bib record for the title.
Add vol: A processing workflow designation which appears on a catalog order record for additional volumes being added to a title already in the catalog that is cataloged as a set or as a serial. An additional item record for the new volume is attached to the existing bib record and the 866 holdings field is updated to reflect the new holding volume/year.
Added entry: An access point that is made in addition to an authorized or preferred entry; for instance, the addition of an access points for performers of music. Note that this is rooted in MARC conventions and is related to the "main entry" concept.
Analytic: Cataloging process by which a work is cataloged as both an individual monograph and linked to a larger serial or set record. See also serial analytic or set analytic.
Approval plan: Purchase agreement by which a vendor supplies new monographic titles as they are published based on an pre-agreed-upon profile (acceptable publishers, subject areas, and target audiences, among other possible criteria) rather than a title-specific order. Monographs received on approval are reviewed and approved/rejected by subject bibliographers.
Authority record: A record containing the authorized form of name, place, or subject as it is to be used in bibliographic authorized access points. Used to ensure that all records in the database refer to a given entity in the same way and have the appropriate cross-references to refer users to the correct form of name (Samuel Clemens redirects to Mark Twain).
Authorized access points (AAPs): A standardized construction that identifies a work or expression, or the name of a person or group, and differentiates it from all other similar entities. AAPs for works or expressions collocate or bring together different versions of the same work so that the user can find and retrieve them all with a single search query. Similarly, AAPs for persons or groups collocate all resources associated with those agents. AAPs may or may not be supported by an authority record, but must always be a unique text string.
B
Backstage: Backstage Library Works is our vendor for authority control processing. We send them bibliographic records every month. They update the MARC coding and access points in these records and return them to us, along with related authority records. The processing also enhances the bib records with RDA elements.
Barcode: A label with a 14 digit number and stripes which can be read by a scanner. (UPDATE)
BIBCO: The Monographic Bibliographic Record Cooperative Program, a subdivision of the PCC responsible for catalog records for monographs. BIBCO participants apply shared standards to monograph records, ensuring high-quality records. BIBCO records can be identified by the "pcc" code in the MARC 042 field.
BIBFRAME: Bibliographic Framework or BIBFRAME is a data model and web ontology for bibliographic description designed by the Library of Congress and intended to replace MARC. BIBFRAME uses linked data principles to expose library data relationships more richly in our catalogs and within the wider information ecosystem. As of 2018, BIBFRAME was in version 2.0 and not yet widely released or in use.
Bibliographic record: Often shortened to "bib record," it contains descriptive information on an individual work, such as, title, language, publication date, subject coverage, and relationships to other works. This information is encoded in MAchine Readable Cataloging (MARC) standard fields. In the integrated library system Sierra, order, item, and checkin records are all attached to the bib record.
Blind authority record: An authority record is termed "blind" when there are no access points in bibliographic records that match that authority record.
Browsing Collection: Comprised of popular titles (with imprints 3 years or newer), this collection has a unique location in the catalog and its own acquisition fund. The collection is located in the Main Library's South Lobby. Catalog Maintenance weeds the collection each year, transferring the titles to the Main collection or appropriate unit or branch per the item's classification number.
Bound with: An item that has been physically bound within the same binding as an item being described. Item records are linked to represent the relationship in the catalog.
C
Call number: Number composed of class number, book or item number and sometimes other data such as publication year, volume, or format, which uniquely identifies an item and its shelf-location. Items in the library are arranged by call number to make them easy to find, browse, and retrieve. MSU Libraries uses the Library of Congress Classification System. Call numbers may vary based on locations, format, or other specifics. Be sure to check cataloging procedures relevant to the piece for more information.
Carrier type: Found in the MARC 338 field, the carrier type reflects the format of the storage medium and housing of a carrier in combination with the type of intermediation device needed to view, play, run, etc. the content of a manifestation (RDA Toolkit definition). Replaced the GMD, in part.
Cat sep: Short for cataloged separately, cat sep is a processing workflow designation that indicates the item is to be cataloged as its own work and is not to be added to an already cataloged serial or monographic set record.
Checkin record: In the Sierra integrated library system, the checkin record is attached to a bibliographic record. Primarily used for serials, checkin records contain MARC fields for holdings data and indicate what volumes/issue or years the library owns.
CIP: Acronym for cataloging-in-publication, a process by which pre-publication record information prepared by the Library of Congress is placed on the copyright page of the book by the publisher intending to help expedite book processing for libraries and book dealers.
CK processing: A cataloging workflow for newly received monographs. If a pre-order search results in a bibliographic record which meets a specific sort criteria for completeness, the order is coded "CK" (which stands for "check in") and sorted into a separate cataloging workflow after receipt in Acquisitions. Bibliographic records for these titles require very little editing (for example, correction of typographical errors and editing required for locations other than "MN") and may be cataloged at the point of receipt.
Claim: The acquisition process of reminding a vendor that we have an outstanding order with them and to verify its status.
CMC fields: See definitions for content type, media type, and carrier type fields (336, 337, and 338 MARC), which replaced the GMD. In combination, the CMC fields describe the material type of the item being described in the bib record. A closed vocabulary supplied by RDA, the CMC fields are meant to be machine-actionable.
Connexion: OCLC bibliographic utility that connects OCLC cooperative members allowing them to share, export, create, and edit bibliographic and authority records. Connexion can be accessed via a client or through a browser.
CONSER: The Cooperative Serials Program (CONSER) is a subdivision of the PCC responsible for catalog records for serials. CONSER participants apply shared standards to serial records, ensuring high-quality records. They also are an authoritative source of training and documentation on serials cataloging.
Content type: Contained in the MARC 336 field, the content type reflects the fundamental form of communication in which the content is expressed and the human sense through which it is intended to be perceived. Content type may also reflect the number of spatial dimensions and the presence or absence of movement in which content is expressed in the form of image or images (RDA Toolkit definition). Replaced the GMD, in part.
Control number: Any unique number assigned to a bibliographic item and the record which describe it. Examples include ISSN/ISBN and OCLC numbers.
Collective title: An inclusive title used either as a title proper for a manifestation containing separately titled individual contents, or as a preferred title for a compilation of two or more works (RDA Toolkit definition).
Copy cataloging: Process of cataloging items by searching a bibliographic utility to find records already created by other libraries or agencies and copying that record into our catalog either with no changes, or very few. At MSUL, we have a copy cataloging team.
CP processing: A cataloging workflow for newly received monographs similar to CK. Bibliographic records for monographs in this category may require slightly more editing at the cataloging point than CK but not as much as may be required for standard 090 Copy Cataloging. If a SkyRiver pre-order search results in a bibliographic record which meets the CP sort criteria, the order is coded "CP" (which stands for "cataloging in publication") and sorted into a separate cataloging workflow after receipt in Acquisitions. This cataloging workflow may also be cataloged at the point of receipt.
Create Lists: Process in the Sierra ILS staff module that allows for targeted searching on data in records (of all types) and curates those records into a list for analysis or review.
Cutter: A combination of letters and numbers devised by Charles Cutter to distinguish works on the same subject from each other when they share a class number in a call number. Cuttering allows items in the same class number to sit alphabetically, or by author, or with like subjects (rock music in America and rock music in Asia), or by other patterns.
D
Date due: A piece of paper placed in or on materials to record the date the material should be returned by. Patron Services determines the wording of most date dues. Date dues are usually white. Orange date dues are used for Browsing Collection materials. Blue date dues are used for Remote Storage materials. Green date dues are used for Careers Collection. Pink date dues are used for Fine Arts - Music Collection materials.
Date due tip-in: A date due that should be used when the regular date due cannot be placed on the first flyleaf of a piece. The edge of the date due is folded to allow a small portion of it to be glued to the inside cover, leaving the area to be stamped with the due covering but not sticking to the title page. A special folded date due is used for this process.
Delimiter: Character used to mark the beginning of a subfield in a MARC record, always followed by a letter or number. In the local catalog, the delimiter symbol used is a vertical bar. In OCLC, the delimiter symbol is the "thorn." In a local holdings record (LHR) in OCLC, the delimiter symbol is a dollar sign.
Derive: A function in OCLC that allows for the creation of a new bibliographic record (master record) from an existing record that describes an item that is related to the item being cataloged. Deriving allows the retention of the shared information in the existing record rather than starting over from scratch, ensuring efficiency and a reduction in errors.
E
Errata: Corrections added to a work after the original publication, often inserted or tipped-in to the original work.
Expression: The second level of Group 1 FRBR entities, expression is the intellectual or artistic realization of a work in the form of alpha-numeric, musical or choreographic notation, sound, image, object, movement, etc., or any combination of such forms (RDA Toolkit).
Extent: A number and type of unit and/or subunit of a manifestation - recorded in MARC in the 300 $a field and may include number of physical pages, volumes, or resources.
F
Field: In a MARC record, a unit of data is referred to as a field. Fields may be fixed (007, 008) or variable (1XX, 2XX, 5XX). The fields together comprise a bibliographic, or authority, or holdings record.
Fixed field: A field, or group of fields, in a MARC record that have fixed or predetermined lengths and often a predetermined amount of inputs. The 008 is a fixed field that has forty character positions (00-39) that provide coded information about the record as a whole and about the item being cataloged (language, place of publication, code of cataloging used to describe, frequency of publication, etc.). Much of the information correlates to info contained in variable fields, but the fixed fields are meant to be more machine-actionable because they are predictable. (See variable field)
Folio: A term used by MSU Libraries to indicate an over-sized book. Items over certain cm in height or cm in depth receive the folio prefix in the call number and are processed for oversize collections or specific locations. Refer to procedures for the item being processed or cataloged to know if its height or depth requires the folio designation.
FRBR: Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records - a conceptual model that defines bibliographic entries and the relationships between them. Group 1 entites include work, expression, manifestation, and item (WEMI). Intended to help users find, identify, select, and obtain (FISO)
G
GMD or General Materials Designation: Under AACR2, the GMD was used to identify the type of material being described in the bibliographic record. Found in the 245 |h after the title proper, the GMD was lowercase and bracketed. Examples of GMDs include microform, sound recording, and electronic resource. MSUL removed all GMDs from 245s as a part of the Backstage Project in summer 2016. GMDs were replaced with appropriate CMC fields (see definition). GMDs were retained and moved to a 500 field.
H
Heading: Term replaced in usage by "access point" with the advent of RDA and having a similar definition.
Headings reports: Daily reports in Sierra that list the new, invalid, and updated access points in bibliographic records. There is also a report listing all the blind authority records.
Holdings: Items belonging to a specific library or library location.
I
ILS: See integrated library system. Also may stand for Interlibrary Services, a division of MSU Libraries that borrows resources from other agencies or libraries and who loans MSUL resources to other agencies or libraries - among other distance services.
Imprint: Details regarding the publication and distribution of an item, found in a MARC record in the 260 or 264 fields.
Index: In the Sierra integrated library system, our indexes contain all the contents of one MARC field and allows users to search against that information. Examples would include the title index, which contains all the titles from every bibliographic record in the catalog database. Indexes are used in Sierra and to power searching in the public catalog (OPAC).
Indicator: A two-digit number directly following the MARC tag number for a variable field in a MARC record. The two indicators are left blank or filled with a number 0-9 which code and identify the nature of the information in the field that follows. Many of our current public catalog displays labels are generated based on field numbers and indicator codes. (ex. 264 _1 indicates the field contains publisher information. 600 10 indicates a person as subject (600), that their surname comes first Smith, John (1), and that the access point is formed in the pattern used by the Library of Congress (0).
Integrated library system: System that manages the collection from acquisitions, to cataloging, to electronic resources management, to patron borrowing and resource circulation. At MSU Libraries, we currently use an ILS by Innovative known as Sierra.
Integrating resource: A mode of issuance of a manifestation that is added to or changed by means of updates that do not remain discrete but are integrated into the whole work. For instance, a loose-leaf manual that is updated by means of interfiling replacement pages or a website that is updated continuously, etc. (RDA Toolkit).
ISBD: International Standard Bibliographic Description are rules set by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) that governs bibliographic description and input, including areas of description and punctuation to facilitate universal exchange between systems.
ISBN: International Standard Book Number is a unique identifier assigned to individual books and e-books by the ISBN Agency. ISBNS may be 10 or 13 digits in length. ISBNs are found in the 020 MARC field.
ISSN: International Standard Serial Number is a unique identifier assigned to serial titles, integrating resources, and depositories. ISSNs are assigned by the ISSN International Centre in Paris. The US ISSN Agency is in Washington, D.C. ISSNs are found in the MARC 022 field.
Item record: In the Sierra ILS, item records are attached to bibliographic records. Item records typically represent one discrete piece (physical book, volume, DVD, CD) of a work described in a bibliographic record. Item records may contain information such as barcode number, physical location, check out duration, etc. Item records may be linked to more than one bib record in the case of bound withs or analytics.
J
K
L
LCCN: See Library of Congress Control Number.
LCSH: See Library of Congress Subject Headings.
Library of Congress Demographic Group Terms (LCDGT): Controlled vocabulary specific to demographic groups; used in bibliographic and authority records to describe the intended audiences of resources and the creators and contributors to resources. DGTs are not currently applied in MSUL's regular cataloging practice, but they increasingly appear in copy records.
Library of Congress Genre-Form Terms (LCGFT): Controlled vocabulary terms used in a bibliographic record to describe what a resource is rather than what is is about, as LCSHs do. LCGFTs consist of a single genre or form. Examples include Cookbooks, Thrillers (Motion pictures), Poetry, Podcasts, etc. Consult the LCGFT Manual to correctly apply terms.
LDR or Leader: Data elements (numbers or coded values identified by their relative position in the leader) that provide information for the processing of a MARC record, such as bib level, language, location. At MSU Libraries we have both a MARC leader and a system-specific Sierra leader.
LHRs: Local holding records allow other libraries and agencies to see MSU Libraries' serial holdings within OCLC WorldCat and associated products without having to enter our local catalog. LHRs facilitate interlibrary loan and cooperative collection development. LHRs are created and maintained for all physically held MSUL serials. LHRs are created via the OCLC Connexion browser.
Library of Congress Classification or LCC: system of classification developed by LC to classify and arrange books or resources by subject. A mix of letters and class numbers provide outlines for broad categories to collocate like items for retrieval and browsing.
Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN): Library of Congress Control Numbers are assigned by the Library of Congress (LC) to all their cataloging records as a unique identifier. If a MARC record has a LCCN, it is found in the 010 field.
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): A controlled vocabulary of subject headings maintained by the Library of Congress for use in bibliographic records. The shared vocabulary and formatting of access points are an important part of bibliographic control and ensures a user's access to items in the catalog that pertain to similar subject matter (i.e. all of the records on the American Revolution receive the LCSH American Revolution (1775-1783), which becomes a clickable link in the public catalog).
Literary warrant: The principle which only allows a category to exist in a classification scheme (ex. LCSHs) if a work or works for that category already exists, as oposed to anticipating categories.
M
Manifestation: The third level of Group 1 FRBR entities, a manifestation is the physical embodiment of an expression of a work.
Main entry: Term no longer used; the main entry referred to the principle access point (author or title) under which a work was entered into the catalog or filed in the card catalog. Replaced by preferred title or authorized access point for an author. See also "added entries."
MARC or MAchine Readable Cataloging: A set of fields and standards that allows for the encoding of bibliographic information for searching, displaying, and sharing by computer systems (machine-readable). Invented by Henriette Avram at the Library of Congress in the 1960s, MARC is governed by an advisory group, a part of the American Library Association.
MARC record: A set of data encoded and conforming to the MARC standard.
MARC tags: Three digit number that identify the variable fields in a MARC standard record (ex. 264, 650, 710).
Media type: Found in the 337 MARC field, the media type reflects the general type of intermediation device required to view, play, run, etc. the content of the manifestation. Examples include audio, unmediated, computer, video, etc. Replaced the GMD, in part.
Monograph: A bibliographic resource that is complete in one part or intended to be completed in a finite number of parts.
Mulvered record: A catalog record containing descriptive information for more than one formats of a work. For example, a bib record with descriptive elements for both microfilm and print versions of a serial. No longer actively created by MSUL catalogers, but mulvered records still may be encountered in the catalog.
N
NACO: The Name Authority Cooperative Program, a subdivision of the PCC responsible for creating and maintaining authority records for agents, places, works, and expressions in the LC/NACO Authority File. NACO also provides training and documentation on authority record creation and maintenance.
Name Authority File (NAF): A collection of name authority records, the NAF provides authoritative data for names of persons, organizations, events, places, and titles. Its purpose is the identification of these entities and, through the use of such controlled vocabulary, to provide uniform access to bibliographic resources. Names descriptions also provide access to a controlled form of name through references from unused forms, e.g. a search under: Snodgrass, Quintus Curtius, 1835-1910 will lead users to the authoritative name for Mark Twain, which is, "Twain, Mark, 1835-1910." Names may also be used as subjects in bibliographic descriptions, so they may be combined with controlled values from subject heading schemes, such as LCSH (LC definition).
Name authority record (NAR): A record that shows a personal, corporate, or geographic access point in its established form, citing the
Notify: A method of fast-tracking the cataloging of a book to make it available to a specific patron to check-out.
Numbered series: When individual monographs have a collective (or series) title in addition to its own individual title, and the each monograph carries a series number.
O
OCLC: The Online Computer Library Center is a library corporation responsible for products such as WorldCat (the world's largest shared public catalog) and Connexion, among others. MSUL uses OCLC Connexion as its bibliographic utility and it is often referred to as only OCLC as a shorthand. The bibliographic utility facilitates the creation and editing of bibliographic and authority records. It shares records with other member agencies and allows for the searching and copy cataloging of records.
OPAC: The online public access catalog (OPAC) is the public-face of our library catalog database.
Original cataloging: Process of creating a bibliographic record for an item when no record is available from another agency or library in OCLC to bring in through copy cataloging. Original records are created from scratch (or mostly from scratch in the case of deriving). MSUL has a team of original catalogers responsible for creating original records and contributing those records to the OCLC database so other libraries and agencies can copy them.
Oversize: An item exceeding normal ranges of height or depth which requires special shelving or processing. Oversize items require special processing and cataloging considerations. Be sure to consult the individual procedures for the item being cataloged or processed for more information.
P
Partial analytic: A serial analytic is sometimes analyzed only partially, which means that not every volume will have its own separate monographic record in the catalog. This is either because it was determined that providing access by individual monographic title was no longer necessary, or because individual pieces no longer carry a separate monographic title in addition to the series (serial) title.
Patron record: A record containing information specific to one patron in the ILS.
PCC: The Program for Cooperative Cataloging is a member-driven organization that sets standards, best practices, and guidelines around cataloging and metadata creation. Participants create records according to mutually-accepted standards and contribute them to a shared database for wider use and distribution. Subdivisions of the PCC focus on monographs (BIBCO), continuing resources (CONSER), name authority records (NACO), and subject authority records (SACO).
Preferred title: A title or form of title chosen to identify a work. The preferred title is also the basis for an authorized access point representing that work
PromptCat: Former shelf-ready cataloging service for monographs facilitated through Skyriver by Yankee Book Peddler approval plans. See WorldCat Cataloging Partners.
Q
Qualifier: A term enclosed in parentheses and placed after a name heading or subject heading for the purpose of distinguishing between homographs or clarifying the meaning of the heading ex. Paris (France)
R
Record: A unit in a file or database. Records may be of several types including bibliographic, name authority, subject authority, checkin, etc.
RDA: Resource Description and Access is the current standard for descriptive cataloging, providing instructions and guidelines for catalogers and libraries. RDA replaced AACR2 and is meant to be more international in scope and also more flexible. MSUL moved to using RDA when the Library of Congerss and many other major research libraries adopted the standard in April 2013.
Relationship designator: A term that indicates the nature of a relationship between entities represented in an authorized access point, descriptions, and/or identifiers. (ex. 100 1# $a Austen, Jane, $d 1775‐1817, $e author. OR 700 1# $i motion picture adaptation of (work) $a Austen, Jane, $d 1775‐ 1817. $t Pride and prejudice)
S
SACO: The Subject Authority Cooperative Program (SACO) is a subdivision of the PCC that enables member institutions to submit proposals for addtions to the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), LC Genre-Form Terms (LCGFT), LC Demographic Terms (LCDGT), LC Medium of Performance Thesaurus for Music (LCMPT), and LC Classification (LCC) schedules.
Same content, different format: In the context of serials: An item accompanying an issue of a serial has content that appears to be identical to the content of the paper issue, but in a different format. This includes CDs that appear to be a compilation of multiple issues, as well as CDs that contain only one issue.
Schedule: Within the classification scheme, a schedule contains the main part of the schema and listing the class numbers with captions and notes.
Ser cat: Shorthand for the serial processing and cataloging workflow. Items entering the ser cat workflow either are a serial, are suspected to be a serial, or are wanted by the selector to be treated as a serial.
Serial: A continuing resource issued in a succession of discrete parts, usually bearing numbering, that has no predetermined conclusion. Examples of serials include journals, magazines, electronic journals, and newspapers.
Serial analytic: Cataloging process by which a work is cataloged as both a monograph and as a serial. Special fields are added to the bib records to indicate the relationship and one item record is linked to both records. Individual issues are analyzed to provide additional access points that are not available in a more generalized serial record, such as unique titles or specific subjects.
Series: A group of separate manifestations related to one another by the fact that each manifestation bears, in addition to its own title proper, a collective title applying to the group as a whole with or without numbering or, a separately numbered sequence of volumes or issues within a series or serial (RDA Toolkit definition).
Set: A numbered series issued with an intended conclusion and a finite number of pieces. Sets are cataloged on one set bibliographic record.
Set add: Process by which a newly received volume of an already cataloged set is received and added to the set record. Volume information is updated on the bib record and an item record for the new volume is attached to the bib record. All pieces carry the same base call number.
Set analytic: Cataloging process by which a work is cataloged as both an individual monograph and as part of a set on the set or series record. The item record is shared between the two bib records. Individual volumes are analyzed apart from the main set work in order to provide additional access points that are not available on the more general set record, such as unique titles or specific subjects.
Shelf-ready: Service provided by a vendor where books arrive "shelf-ready" with a catalog record, classification, binding, labeling, ownership stamps, security devices, etc. MSUL currently uses WorldCat Cataloging Partners (WCP).
SkyRiver: Bibliographic utility developed by Innovative as an alternative to OCLC's Connexion and WorldCat database; used by MSU Libraries from 2009-2015.
Subdivision: Extension of a LC subject heading that modifies the subject. Subdivisions may be form, geographic, chronological, or topical. (ex. $a Catalogers $x Training of).
Subfield: A sub-unit with an individual MARC field delineated by a delimiter and a number or lowercase letter. (ex. |a = subfield a)
Subject: The overall content of a work. Subjects are assigned based on what the work is about and not what it is.
Subseries: A series within a series, that is, a series that always appears in conjunction with another, usually more comprehensive, series of which it forms a section. Its title may or may not be dependent on the title of the main series (RDA Toolkit definition).
Supplementary materials: In the context of serials: Material sent with a serial issue/volume that directly relates to the articles/content of the issue and enhances its use. Distinguish from: accompanying materials.
T
Tag: Three-character numeric code that identifies a field in a MARC record (ex. 100, 245, 500, etc.)
T Loc: Shorthand for the term "temporary location." T Locs are backlogs of materials awaiting cataloging or other processing. Most T Locs are managed by acquisitions staff. All items in T Locs receive a note in their order records indicating which T Loc they are in and the date the item entered that T Loc. Items also receive white flags with order numbers and T Loc assignment logs.
T Loc A: Shorthand for temporary location – arrearage. T Loc A houses monographs lacking adequate copy records and needing an original cataloger's attention. Original catalogers review and process materials in T Loc A as time allows.
T Loc H: Shorthand for temporary location – holdings. T Loc H contains newly received monographs with no copy or inadequate copy (copy lacking essential elements such as call numbers or subject access points). Items are assigned to T Loc H for 3-month periods and searched at the end of that time for adequate copy. If good copy is found, the item moves to the appropriate copy cataloger. If none is available, the item is re-T loc-ed for another 3-month period. Items in T Loc H for a period of time with no copy move into T Loc A.
T Loc HS: Shorthand for temporary location – holdings serials. T Loc HS contains newly received serials with no copy or inadequate copy (copy lacking essential elements such as call numbers or subject access points) and requiring the attention of serials catalogers.
T Loc NR: Shorthand for temporary location non-Roman is home to all print and AV materials in non-Romanized scripts ordered by the library, as well as selected gift materials. T Loc NR generally does *not* include materials in Romanized scripts, but exceptions can be made for items that in-house catalogers are unable to process.
T Loc S: Temporary location – serials is the backlog of serials or continuing resources that require original or complex copy cataloging work that necessities the attention of an original serials cataloger.
U
Uniform title: A term made obsolete by RDA but still in use. Refers to a title of a work chosen from multiple titles by which the work has been known for the purpose of collocating and identifying works with different titles. Eclipsed in part by authorized access points and preferred title.
Unnumbered series: When individual monographs have a collective (or series) title in addition to its own individual title, and the monographs carry no series numbers.
V
Variable field: A MARC field or group of fields that have no fixed or predetermined lengths and vary in their inputs. The 300 MARC field is an example of a variable field. It holds the physical description of the item including extent and dimensions. Although entry follows a pattern, there is no predetermined length or input.
Verso: The reverse of something. The verso of the title page is its back side and often contains copyright date, edition statement, and publisher information.
W
Webcats: A one-time cataloging of free, individual web resources requested by selectors. Puts records for these resources in the catalog so they are discoverable by users.
Work: A distinct intellectual or artistic creation, that is, the intellectual or artistic content and representing the highest level in the FRBR conceptual model.
Workform: OCLC term referring to the standardized framework or template for creating a catalog record. Workforms often vary based on the format of thing being cataloged. (i.e., the continuing resources workform).
WorldCat Cataloging Partners (WCP): Shelf-ready service that provides bibliographic records from OCLC for items ordered by the library.
X
Y
Z
| Contact | TS Documentation Group |
| Team | |
| Updated | March 2018 |
| Created | February 2018 |