I was wondering where one can get a copy of this standard.  I had heard that
there was a new standard coming out, but I didn't know if it was available
freely or if I had to order it from ANSI/NISO.  I've only been a serials
librarian for a few months so these things are still new to me.

Buddy Pennington
Acquisitions/Serials Librarian
Rockhurst University Greenlease Library
buddy.pennington@rockhurst.edu
#816-501-4143
<buddy.pennington@ROCKHURST.EDU>

-----Original Message-----
From: Marilyn Quinn [mailto:quinnma@RIDER.EDU]
Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2000 4:25 PM
To: SERIALST@LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: New punctuation definition for ANSI/NISO holdings

Hello,

I just noticed that the new ANSI/NISO Z39.71-1999 standard for holdings
defines the parentheses that surround the chronology as having no spaces
before and after, i.e. "Parentheses are neither preceded nor followed by
a blank" (p. 11). This affects the so-called "adjacent" option for
placing chronology next to the enumeration. An example would be the
following: v.3(1985)-5(1987)

To my knowledge spacing was not specified for this in the previous
standard. (I had a discussion about this on this list a number of years
ago.) Most people preferred to include a space between the enumeration
and the first parenthesis. I seem to see this alot as a result in
various OPACs, although I see holdings statements without the space
also.

Does anyone know why this requirement was introduced? Is it important
enough to worry about and change in my database? That is, should I
change my practice midstream? We are still creating summary holdings in
the 866 and are used to seeing this space.

Marilyn Quinn
Rider University
<quinnma@RIDER.EDU>