PROPOSAL NO. 95-8

DATE: May 5, 1995
REVISED:

NAME: Define Field 856 (Electronic Location and Access) in the USMARC Classification Format

SOURCE: Library of Congress

SUMMARY: This paper proposes the addition of Field 856 to provide a link from a USMARC classification record to a related electronic resource. It is needed so that visual aids previously printed in a classification schedule can be digitized and accessed from an online database of classification records.

KEYWORDS: Field 856 (Classification); Electronic Location and Access (Classification)

STATUS/COMMENTS:

5/5/95 - Forwarded to USMARC Advisory Group for discussion at the June 1995 MARBI meetings.

6/24/95 - Results of USMARC Advisory Group discussion - Approved.

7/26/95 - Results of final LC review - Approved.


PROPOSAL NO. 95-8: Define Field 856 (Electronic Location and Access)

1.  BACKGROUND

          The Library of Congress has converted much of the Library of
Congress Classification schedules by creating USMARC classification
records in a multi-user database on a server.  A special browse
display was created so that the information from the separate
records could be seen in the hierarchical context of other records
in the scheme.  This display resembles the pages of a printed
schedule.  There are some (although not many) cases where the
printed schedules include visual aids of some sort meant to be used
as a guide to the classification numbers.  A good example is in the
G schedule (Geography; Maps; Anthropology; Recreation), which
contains maps with references to classification numbers that cover
particular areas.  (See Attachment A; this is not included in the
online version of this proposal.)

          LC is exploring methods to provide access to these visual aids
in an online environment.  Since the classification database is
running in a client-server environment, it is appropriate to mount
digitized image files on a server that are linked to the related
USMARC classification record.  The 856 field that is defined in the
USMARC bibliographic and holdings formats could provide such a
link.  The record for the classification number that the visual aid
illustrates would contain a field 856 with electronic location and
access information.  In LC's environment that would probably be a
Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for a file accessible on LC's World
Wide Web server.  Theoretically, a user could then bring up the
related image by the URL link.  

          Following is an example of the use of field 856 in a
classification record.  The URL is made up, since the image file
does not currently exist.  See Attachment A for the printed version
of the map that would be digitized and made available.  See
Attachment B for an example of the browse display for this number
in the online classification database.  If field 856 is used, an
indication of its use would be given in the online browse display.

Leader             *****nw###22*****n##4500
001                CF94211212
005                19941205082857.0
008                941202abaaaaaa
084       0        $a lcc
153                $a G1350 $c G1352 $h Atlases $h By region or country 
                   $h America. Western Hemisphere $h North America $h United
                   States $hNortheastern States. Eastern United States, 1870
                   and later $h Southern States. Confederate States of
                   America $h South Central States $j West South Central
                   States
753                $a West South Central States
856       7        $3 map $u http://rs6.loc.gov/class/gschedule/G1350a.gif
                   $2 http


II.       PROPOSED CHANGE

          The following is presented for consideration:

          -        Add Field 856 (Electronic Location and Access) in the
                   USMARC Classification Format.


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