Kevin Randall wrote:

> The order of notes is also bothering me as we make the local transition to
> NOTIS 5.0, which has a labelled OPAC display.  Our current version of NOTIS
> lets notes display in the order in which they are input, whereas NOTIS 5.0
> will have them display in the order in which they are defined for the
> labels.  Some records are very much "tailored" to fit the situation, and some
> notes may make sense only when they display in a certain order; the new OPAC
> may make that a problem (as well might the CONSER guidelines).
>
> Do other libraries' local systems do "funny" things with the 5XX fields?

Yes. VTLS stores the MARC record in order of tag 500's first then 510,
533, 580, 600, 610, 611 etc. Each library can then define its card screen
to display in the order desired with the labels defined locally. For
multi-lingual libraries there are several languages possible as well.
The only thing the cataloger can really control at the point of cataloging
is the order of fields used more than once.

We designed our local card screen in 1988 when we first brought the
system up and are now in the process of redoing it for the new release.
In 1988, we actually broke all the rules and displayed the 6xx's before
most of the notes.  We're going to be a little more traditional this
time around, but still not following all the rules.  Basically this
situation frees the catalogers from worrying too much about the order
of things on a day to day basis, but we really have to study the
possibilities when we review the cardscreen parameters and we have
to justify the AACR2 and CONSER rules to Public Services if we want
that order followed.

This situation leads me to want more 5xx's with special usages
while the move in MARBI seems to be the opposite way. I wanted the 570
editor note added to books instead of being taken away from serials as
one example.

  *  Barbara Swetman                  bswetman@itsmail1.hamilton.edu   *
  *  Serials and Acquisitions Coordinator                              *
  *  Hamilton College Library               VOICE: (315)859-4470       *
  *  198 College Hill Rd.                     FAX: (315)859-4185       *