Date: Tue, 27 Feb 2001 15:21:40 -0500
From: Jean L Hirons <jhir@LOC.GOV>
Subject: Load of Harvard data to CONSER records

This message is being sent to multiple lists; please excuse the
duplication.

OCLC Loads Pattern/Holdings Data to 40,000 CONSER Records

On Tuesday, February 27th, OCLC loaded caption, pattern, and related
holdings data to over 40,000 CONSER records for currently-issued
serials in the OCLC database.  The data was created by Harvard
University, a member of the Cooperative Online Serials (CONSER)
Program.  The load of the Harvard data, which is current as of late
Januray, is the first significant influx of pattern data to the CONSER
database since the CONSER Publication Pattern Initiative=s pilot began
in June 2000.

The pattern and holdings data is being added to field 891, an
OCLC-defined field that imbeds MARC 21 fields 853 and 863 within a
subfield $9.  Those viewing records on OCLC will see the data in field
891.  However, distributed records will have the 891 stripped and will
contain the MARC 21 fields, along with an 852 field containing the
phrase Auniversal pattern.@

Data included in CONSER records will normally include one 891/853 and
891/863 pair; however, in cases where the frequency or numbering has
changed, multiple pairs may be present. The Aholdings@ are limited to
the first issue to which each pattern applies.  According to Ruth Haas
at Harvard, not all of the data will include the complete pattern
information because many of the Harvard libraries have yet to use
predictive check-in.  In many cases, the 853 fields will include only
the caption subfields and a related 863 field.  In other cases, all of
the pattern subfields will be found. A subfield $x "provisional" will
be included in the 863 field to indicate that the information given in
the pattern portion may be incomplete.

The inclusion of the Harvard data in so many CONSER records is a
significant milestone for the CONSER Publication Pattern Initiative,
whose goals are to promote use of the MARC 21 Format for Holdings Data
by libraries and system vendors and to promote the cooperative
creation and sharing of this data via the CONSER database. In addition
to the Harvard data, over 350 patterns and associated holdings have
been added to CONSER records by pattern participants. The Harvard data
will not replace any existing 891 fields in the CONSER records.  It
will also not be added in cases where the allowable record length
would be exceeded.

According to Sally Sinn, Chair of the CONSER Task Force on
Publication Patterns and Holdings, "this is an important step forward
for a project designed to eliminate the costly redundant effort to
create this data in each new system installation." Jean Hirons, CONSER
Coordinator at the Library of Congress, hopes that the inclusion of
the Harvard data will promote the idea that this information should
become standard in CONSER records.  The large bulk of records will
also enable systems to experiment with loading it into their check-in
modules and for libraries to use the records for system
implementation.@  Further loads are sought and institutions with
pattern data to share should contact Hirons (jhir@loc.gov).

For more information on the CONSER Publication Pattern Initiative,
see: http://lcweb.loc.gov/acq/conser/patthold.html. Rich Greene serves
as OCLC's liaison to the CONSER initiative and has overseen the load.
Any questions about the load specifically should be addressed to him
(greenr@oclc.org).

Examples of CONSER records containing Harvard data:
Examples:
1.  OCLC:  7748334
     LCCN:  81-643689/HE/r90
     Title: Tehumin
     Harvard data:
        853 02 $6 1 $a kerekh $i year $m year
        863 40 $6 1 $a 1-20 $i 5740-5760 $m 1979/198-1999/2000

     WorldCat data:
        891 02 $9 853 $8 1 $a kerekh $i year $m year
        891 40 $9 863 $8 1 $a <1>- $i <5740>- $m <1979/1980>- $x
provisional

2.  OCLC: 6155013
     LCCN: 86-649025/NE
     Title:  Maden istatistikleri = $b Mining statistics.
     Harvard data:
        853 02 $6 1 $a (year)
        863 41 $6 1 $a 1958/1965
        863 41 $6 1 $a 1959/1966
        etc.

     WorldCat data:
        891 02 $9 853 $8 1 $a (year)
        891 40 $9 863 $8 1 $a <1958/1965>- $x provisional

3.  OCLC:  22971842
     LCCN:  sn 90-39476
     Title:  Jaarboek van de Geschied- en Oudheidkundige Kring van
Stad en
Land van Breda "De Oranjeboom."
     Harvard data:
        853 00 $6 1 $a d. $i (year)
        863 40 $6 1 $a 1-50 $i 1948-1997

     WorldCat data:
        891 00 $9 853 $8 1 $a d. $ i (year)
        891 40 $9 863 $8 1 $a <1>- $i <1948>- $x provisional

Jean Hirons
CONSER Coordinator
Serial Record Division
Library of Congresss
101 Independence Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20540-4160
voice: (202) 707-5947
fax: (202) 707-1778
jhir@loc.gov