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DATE: May 25, 2023
REVISED:
NAME: Attributes of Family in the MARC 21 Authority Format
SOURCE: PCC Standing Committee on Standards
SUMMARY: This paper proposes new and revised fields and subfields for accommodating address of family, field of activity of family, occupation of family, and other attributes of families in various fields in the MARC 21 Authority Format.
KEYWORDS: Field 376 (AD); Field 371 (AD); Field 372 (AD); Field 373 (AD); Field 374 (AD); Family information (AD); Address (AD); Field of Activity (AD); Associated Group (AD); Occupation (AD); Subfield $d, in field 376 (AD); Other designation of family (AD)
STATUS/COMMENTS:
05/25/23 – Made available to the MARC community for discussion.
06/28/23 – Results of MARC Advisory Committee discussion: Approved as submitted.
10/31/23 – Results of MARC Steering Group review - Agreed with the MAC decision.
MARC Authority field 376 (Family information) was established in 2009 (Proposal 2009-01/1) to accommodate elements from Original RDA: Type of family (RDA 10.3), Prominent member of family (RDA 10.6), and Hereditary title (RDA 10.7). Additional elements from Original RDA for attributes of family entities are accommodated in other MARC 21 Authority fields: Date associated with family (RDA 10.4) in authority field 046 (Special Coded Dates), Place associated with family (RDA 10.5) in Authority field 370 (Associated Place), and Language of family (RDA 10.8) in Authority field 377 (Associated Language).
Meanwhile, subfield $c (Other designation) in MARC Authority field 368 (Other Attributes of Person or Corporate Body) was added in 2011 and then redefined in 2012 to accommodate two elements from Original RDA: Other Designation Associated with Person (RDA 9.6) and Other Designation Associated with Corporate Body (RDA 11.7). MARC Authority field 381 was established in 2010 to accommodate other distinguishing characteristics of works and expressions. There is no equivalent element in Original RDA for other designations associated with family entities, nor a MARC Authority field or subfield for other designations associated with family entities. There are no longer exact equivalents in Official RDA for the "other designation" elements from Original RDA for any of these entity types.
Despite the lack of a specific RDA element or appropriate MARC field, 368 subfield $c has been used to record other designations of family entities, as with persons and corporate bodies. Though inconsistent with the definition of field 368 (Other Attributes of Person or Corporate Body), this incorrect use of 368 subfield $c demonstrates that catalogers do consider other attributes of families to be important to record, such as demographic group terms not accommodated in other fields. Establishing a subfield in which to record other attributes of families would bring families into greater alignment with the other agent entity types and with work and expression entities.
2023-DP04, the originating discussion paper for this proposal, considered two options for accommodating these other designations or attributes of families:
Preliminary comments did not reveal a strong consensus in favor of either option, and even raised a third option (discussed in greater detail in section 2.5). At the MAC Midwinter meeting on February 2, 2023, a straw poll indicated a solid preference for option 1, which this proposal pursues.
Original RDA includes elements for Address of Person (9.12) and Address of Corporate Body (11.9), but no corresponding element in chapter 10 for Address of Family. There is now a new element in Official RDA for Address of Family, but as currently defined, MARC Authority field 371 (Address) accommodates only addresses of persons and corporate bodies. This proposal revises the scope and definition of Authority field 371 and makes revisions to various subfields, to accommodate addresses of families, aligning with the new element in Official RDA. Discussion prior to and during the MAC Midwinter meeting suggested broad support for this change.
Similarly, Original RDA has elements Field of Activity of Person (9.15) and Field of Activity of Corporate Body (11.10), but no corresponding element in Chapter 10 for families. A new element in Official RDA for Field of Activity of Family indicates a need for expansion of the definition of MARC Authority field 372 (Field of Activity), which currently accommodates field of activity only for persons and corporate bodies. The RDA element is defined as "A field of endeavor, area of expertise, etc., in which a family is engaged." This proposal makes revisions to the scope and definition of Authority field 372 and to various subfields, to accommodate the new Official RDA element Field of Activity of Family. Discussion prior to and during the MAC Midwinter meeting suggested broad support for this change.
Families can also have occupations. The Peale family of painters of Philadelphia and the Moulton family of silversmiths of Newburyport, Massachusetts are well-known examples (cf. https://philadelphiaencyclopedia.org/essays/peale-family-of-painters/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulton_family_(silversmiths)). The Bush family of politicians of Connecticut, Texas, and Florida, is another. Although neither Original nor Official RDA has an element for profession or occupation of family, it would be useful to be able to record family occupations in MARC authority records. This proposal revises Authority field 374 (Occupation) to include families.
Discussion before and during the MAC Midwinter meeting indicated mixed support for this revision. Some felt that Field of Activity (field 372) is sufficient to convey the family's association with a field of activity carried out by an occupation. Others observed that in the examples given, it is likely that not all family members actually participated in the family occupation or business; for example, in the Moulton family of silversmiths, it is unlikely that every family member were all silversmiths even if they participated in some other way in the family business of silverwork. We discuss this concern in greater detail in section 2.6 below.
Families can also have affiliated or related groups and bodies. As currently defined, field 373 (Associated Group) is not explicitly limited by entity type, so this proposal does not make any revisions to Authority field 373. However, we wish to provide some comment on the use of this field for families and to respond to the previous suggestion to use field 373 in lieu of newly-proposed 376 $d for certain demographic terms associated with a family (e.g., Latter Day Saints).
Original RDA includes the elements Affiliation (9.13) for persons and Associated institution (11.5) for corporate bodies, but no equivalent element for families in chapter 10. In proposal 2011-05, MARC Authority field 373 was renamed from Affiliation to Associated Group to accommodate both existing RDA elements.
Meanwhile, Official RDA has replaced the elements of Affiliation and Associated institution with Person member of corporate body of and Related corporate body of corporate body, respectively. It also establishes the new relationship element Related corporate body of family. Such relationships between families and corporate bodies may be recorded in fields 373 or 510 fields without need for revisions to those fields. For persons, however, this change apparently represents a narrowing in scope from Affiliation as defined in Original RDA, which did include affiliated groups by way of cultural identity. This potentially extended to non-corporate groups with which a person identifies or is affiliated (e.g., political or religious groups, literary or artistic movements, racial or ethnic groups, etc.).
While the question of whether it is appropriate to use field 373 for non-corporate affiliations is beyond the scope of this proposal, we suggest that for persons and corporate bodies, 368 $c (Other designation) may also be used for non-corporate demographic attributes not accommodated elsewhere (e.g., occupations in 374). The newly-proposed 376 $d could similarly be used for demographic or other non-corporate groups with which a family may be affiliated or associated. The new subfield could also be used to record other non-demographic designations of families. In some applications, this could include indications that the family is fictitious, legendary, mythological, non-human, etc. We provide additional examples in section 3.1 below to further illustrate the use case for 376 $d as distinct from 373.
Comments prior to the MAC Midwinter meeting revealed a slight preference for the language "Agent" over "Person, Family, and Corporate Body," but discussion and a straw poll during the meeting revealed a stronger preference to keep the terminology as found, identifying each applicable agent type separately and explicitly. While more succinct, "agent" was also found to be more ambiguous in comparison. It is also likely that such a change would have had editorial impact on MARC format documentation well beyond the fields discussed in this proposal. This proposal retains the revisions as originally proposed in 2023-DP04, using the language "person, family, or corporate body" instead of "agent".
Discussion at MAC also raised questions about applicability of attributes to some or all members of a family, particularly regarding occupation. In response, we suggest that it is not necessary for an attribute to apply to every individual member of a family or other collective agent, in order for the attribute to be significant and useful to record. Addresses, fields of activity, occupations, affiliations, etc. may represent attributes for which a family or its prominent members are or were known, and may serve to identify a family and differentiate it from other families with the same name. Even if it were possible for a cataloger to identify every individual in a family, it is unlikely that they would all have borne the same hereditary title, lived at the same address, been active for the range of dates associated with the family, used the same language, worked in the same occupation or field, etc. Similarly, not all individual family members participate equally in relationships between the family and other entities, nor do the individuals share equal responsibility for the works, expressions, etc. arising from the collective agency of the family. It remains a question of cataloger judgment and community best practice to determine which attributes are significant and applicable to the family as a collective agent rather than to any or all of its individuals.
Lastly, it should be noted that MAC members raised ethical and data privacy concerns, particularly regarding the recording of residential addresses of families. Again, we expect cataloger judgment and community best practice may better respond to these valid concerns. For example, LC/PCC instructions currently provide guidance for the use of the 371 field in name authority records: "Do not record physical addresses for living people." Presumably, similar guidance could be extended to families with living members. Other communities may determine their own best practices for determining which elements to record or omit for families in the interest of privacy or other ethical considerations.
(Note: Proposed revisions to current definitions are indicated with underline or strikethrough and all examples are new.)
Make the following changes to Field 376 (Family Information) of the MARC 21 Authority Format in order to record other attributes of family:
3.1.1. Add New Subfield $d
Add and define new subfield $d as follows:
$d - Other designation (R)
An appropriate designation in the language preferred by the agency creating the data of an attribute of the family that is not provided for in subfields $a (Type of family), $b (Name of prominent member), or $c (Hereditary title), or in another field.Examples:
376 ## $d Māori (New Zealand people) $2 lcdgt
376 ## $d Chinese Americans $d Americans $2 lcdgt
376 ## $d Philanthropists $2 lcsh
376 ## $d Machishū $2 aat
376 ## $d Baptists $2 lcdgt
376 ## $d Democratic Party members (United States) $2 lcdgt
376 ## $d Dukes $d Earls $2 aat
376 ## $d Fictitious characters $2 lcsh
376 ## $d Imaginary creatures $2 cyac
376 ## $d Legendary characters $2 aat
3.1.2. Revise Definition of Subfield $2
Revise the definition of subfield $2 as follows:
$2 - Source of term
Specifies a code that identifies the source of a controlled form of the name in subfield $b.
Code from: Name and Title Authority Source Codes.
Specifies a code that identifies the source of a term for type of family in subfield $a or for other designation in subfield $d, when they are from a controlled list.
Code from: Subject Heading and Term Source Codes.Examples:
100 3# $a Denney (Family : $g Denny, Anthony, 1501-1549)
376 ## $a Families $2 lcdgt
376 ## $b Denny, Anthony, 1501-1549 $2 naf
376 ## $d Britons $2 lcdgt100 3# $a Nayak (Dynasty : $c Madurai, India)
376 ## $a Dynasty $2 wikidata
376 ## $d Telugu (Indic people) $2 lcsh100 3# $a Koteda (Clan : $d active 15th century-17th century : $c Hirado-shi, Japan)
376 ## $a Clans $2 lcsh
376 ## $b Koteda, Sakae $2 naf
376 ## $d Japanese $2 lcdgt100 3# $a Kamehameha (Royal house : $d 1810-1872 : $c Hawaii)
376 ## $a Royal houses $2 lcsh $0 http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh85115587
376 ## $a Dynasties $2 aat $0 http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300386176
376 ## $b Kamehameha I, the Great, King of the Hawaiian Islands, -1819 $2 naf $0 http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n93094275 $1 http://id.loc.gov/rwo/agents/n93094275
376 ## $d Hawaiians (Polynesian people) $2 lcdgt $0 http://id.loc.gov/authorities/demographicTerms/dg2015060376
400 3# $a Kamehameha (Dynasty : $d 1810-1872 : $c Hawaii)
Make the following changes to Field 371 (Address) of the MARC 21 Authority Format in order to record address of family:
3.2.1. Revise Field Definition and Scope
Revise the field definition and scope as follows:
FIELD DEFINITION AND SCOPE
An address (as well as electronic access information such as email, telephone, fax, TTY, etc. numbers) associated with the entity described in the record. Multiple addresses, such as mailing addresses and addresses corresponding to the physical location of an item or facilities, are recorded in separate occurrences of field 371.
For a person: the address of a person's place of residence, business, or employer and/or an e-mail address.
For a family: the address of a family’s place of residence, business, or employer and/or an e-mail address.
For a corporate body: the address of the corporate body's headquarters or offices, or an e-mail address for the body.
Distinction between field 371 (Address) and field 370 (Associated place): Field 370 (Associated place) includes information about places associated with a person, a family, or a corporate body at the level of the country, the town, etc. Field 371 (Address) contains information relating to the location of a person, a family, or a corporate body, at which they can be found or reached (e.g., printed mail address, e-mail address, etc.).
3.2.2. Revise Definitions of Subfields $b, $c, $d, $m, $s, $t
Revise the definitions of the subfields listed below as follows:
$b - City
Name of city or town in address of a person, family, or corporate body.$c - Intermediate jurisdiction
Name of intermediate jurisdiction, such as state or province, in address of a person, family, or corporate body.$d - Country
Name of country in address of a person, family, or corporate body.$m - Electronic mail address
Electronic mail address associated with the person, family, or corporate body. If more than one electronic mail address applies, subfield $m is repeated.$s - Start period
The starting date associated with the address of a person, family, or corporate body.$t - End period
The end date associated with the address of a person, family, or corporate body.
Make the following changes to Field 372 (Field of Activity) of the MARC 21 Authority Format in order to record of field of activity of family:
3.3.1. Revise Field Definition and Scope
Revise the field definition and scope as follows:
FIELD DEFINITION AND SCOPE
For a person: a field of endeavor, area of expertise, etc., in which the person is engaged or was engaged.
For a family: a field of endeavor or business, area of expertise, etc., in which the family is engaged or was engaged.
For a corporate body: a field of business in which the corporate body is engaged, its area of competence, responsibility, jurisdiction, etc.
The field is repeated if the entity has multiple fields of activity for different time periods.
3.3.2. Revise Definitions of Subfields $a, $s, $t
Revise the definitions of the subfields listed below as follows:
$a - Field of activity
A field of endeavor or area of expertise in which the person, family, or corporate body is or was engaged.Examples:
100 3# $a Peale (Family : $g Peale, Charles Willson, 1741-1827)
372 ## $a Painting $2 lcsh100 3# $a Moulton (Family : $c Newburyport, Mass.)
372 ## $a Silverwork $2 lcsh100 3# $a Ziesemer (Family : $g Ziesemer, Daniel)
372 ## $a Music publishing $2 lcsh $s 2011
373 ## $a Ziesemer Family Publishers $2 naf $s 2011$s - Start period
The starting date of engagement in a field of endeavor or field of business for a person, family, or corporate body.$t - End period
The end date of engagement in a field of endeavor or field of business for a person, family, or corporate body.
Make the following changes to Field 374 (Occupation) of the MARC 21 Authority Format in order to record occupation of family:
3.4.1. Revise Field Definition and Scope
Revise the field definition and scope as follows:
FIELD DEFINITION AND SCOPE
Information about profession or occupation in which a person or family works or has worked, including dates applicable.
The field is repeated if the person or family has multiple occupations for different time periods.
3.4.2. Revise Definition of Subfield $a
Revise the definition of the subfield $a as follows:
$a - Occupation
A profession or occupation in which the person or family works or has worked.Examples:
374 ##$acomposer$2[code for controlled vocabulary]100 1# $a Bacewicz, Grażyna
374 ## $a Composers $a Violinists $2 lcdgt100 3# $a Moulton (Family : $c Newburyport, Mass.)
374 ## $a Silversmiths $2 lcsh100 3# $a Peale (Family : $g Peale, Charles Willson, 1741-1827)
374 ## $a Painters $2 lcdgt100 3# $a Ziesemer (Family : $g Ziesemer, Daniel)
373 ## $a Ziesemer Family Publishers $2 naf $s 2011
374 ## $a Music publishers $2 lcsh $s 2011
The changes proposed should have no impact on BIBFRAME, but the MADS format might need to be updated.
In the MARC 21 Authority Format:
5.1. In field 376 (Family Information), add new subfield $d (Other designation) and revise the definition of subfield $2, as described in Section 3.1.
5.2. In field 371 (Address), revise the field definition and the definitions of subfields $b, $c, $d, $m, $s, and $t, as described in Section 3.2.
5.3. In field 372 (Field of Activity), revise the field definition and the definitions of subfields $a, $s, $t, as described in Section 3.3.
5.4. In field 374 (Occupation), revise the field definition and the definition of subfield $a, as described in Section 3.4.
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