Date:         Wed, 4 Jan 1995 15:54:38 EST
From:         Marilyn Quinn <rdt15@LIBRARY.MT.ATT.COM>

We are just beginning to use the MARC holdings format and the ANSI
standards for serial holdings in our in-house system.
There appears to be plenty of room for local interpretation of the
standards, judging from what I have seen on SERIALST and from
the literature.  I have had trouble with some basic points.

I hope there is someone who can reassure me concerning the following:

1. Should we be worried about whether or not a space separates  the
enumeration from the chronology?  We have opted to use a space.

    v.1 (1994)
    NOT v.1(1994)

Z39.44 defines a space as something "to separate data elements within
a data area.  These are data elements within the extent-of-holdings
area, so I guess they qualify for use of a space.  The examples in
Z39.44 and the MARC format, as well as from what I have seen on this
listserv, have encouraged me to opt for the space.

2. When the year is used in place of the highest-level caption/enumeration,
because there is none, how do you represent repeating issue numbers in
uncompressed level 4 statements?

    1990:no.1-1993:no.12    (no. 1-12 each year)

    (Further compression would be 1990-1992)

3. The standards suggest that abbreviations from the AACR2 list can
be supplemented by "abbreviations from other standard lists" (pg. 38 of
proposed ANSI/NISO Z39.71).  What other lists are people using?
I am particularly interested in how others are determining abbreviations
for East European languages.

I will greatly appreciate any help from those of you who are experienced
with the standards, whatever your interpretations may be.

Thank you.
Marilyn Quinn
AT&T Bell Labs
(908-949-0436 phone for those of you who prefer this medium)
rdt15@library.att.com  (for those who wish to reply directly)

--
Marilyn Quinn   HO 4D-230 (p) 908-949-0436  (e) rdt15@mhuxd.att.com