PROPOSAL NO: 97-12

DATE: May 1, 1997
REVISED:

NAME: Definition of separate subfields in field 536 (Funding Information Note) for program element, project, task, and work unit numbers

SOURCE: CENDI (Commerce, Energy, NASA, Defense, and Interior Departments Cataloging Committee)

SUMMARY: This proposal suggests defining four new elements: subfield $e (Program element), subfield $f (Project number), subfield $g (Task number), subfield $h (Work unit number); and redefining subfield $d for undifferentiated numbers.

KEYWORDS: Field 536 (Funding Information Note) (Bibliographic); Funding Information Note; Program element number; Project number; Subfield $d (536 Bibliographic); Subfield $e (536 Bibliographic); Subfield $f (536 Bibliographic); Subfield $g (536 Bibliographic); Subfield $h (536 Bibliographic); Task number; Work unit number

RELATED: Pre-1980 MARBI proposal, January 1979.

STATUS/COMMENTS:

5/1/97 - Forwarded to USMARC Advisory Group for discussion at the June 1997 MARBI meetings.

6/28/97 - Results of USMARC Advisory Group discussion - Approved. Participants preferred naming 536$d "Undifferentiated number", rather than approving the option to make it obsolete.

8/21/97 - Result of final LC review - Approved.


PROPOSAL NO. 97-12:  Definition of separate subfields in 
field 536 (Funding Information Note) 

1.  BACKGROUND

For several years CENDI, a group of government agencies including
the Departments of Commerce, Energy, Defense, Interior, NASA, and
related agencies, have been working on a mapping between the
database structure that they currently use and the USMARC Format
for Bibliographic Data.  In most cases the data elements
currently defined in the USMARC format were sufficient.  This
proposal covers a group of CENDI data elements for funding
information numbers for which no USMARC equivalents exists.


2.  DISCUSSION

Agencies within the CENDI group create or distribute a variety of
documents.  A majority of these are technical reports which
include special bibliographic data.  The special bibliographic
data relating to funding often involve numbers associated with
programs, projects, contracts, etc.  These may be assigned by
various divisions within an agency or by private firms working
with an agency.  Access to a document through one of these
numbers is generally required within a CENDI agency's automated
system for purposes of follow-up and contract monitoring.

Field 536 (Funding Information Note) was originally defined in
1979 as part of a proposal to accommodate technical reports.  The
importance of numbers in technical reports was demonstrated by
the variety of MARC data elements containing numbers that were
part of that proposal.  Field 536 was defined to accommodate
contract and grant numbers and information relating to the
sponsoring or funding agency.  At the time of initial
investigation of the requirements for this field, sample
documents indicated that besides contract and grant numbers,
other funding related numbers may be present on technical
reports.  A "catch-all" subfield $d was defined for project,
task, and work unit numbers.

Existing field 536:

   536  Funding Information Note

        Indicators
           First   Undefined
           Second  Undefined

        Subfield Codes
           $a   Text of note
           $b   Contract number
           $c   Grant number
           $d   Project, task, work unit number
           $6   Linkage


The Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) is one of the
primary suppliers of technical reports for the Defense community. 
Their internal database includes separate data elements that
allow them to differentiate between project, task, work unit, and
program element numbers.  This differentiation has been valuable
since many technical reports represent one part (that is, one
work unit), of a larger project or contract that may involve
several independent contractors.  In mapping to MARC, DTIC would
prefer not to lump the separate, identifiable, and easily
retrievable numbers in its database into a single MARC subfield
in field 536.  They have requested the definition of additional
subfields to provide separate data elements for program element,
project, task, and work unit numbers.  These new data elements
form part of their proposed mapping to USMARC.  The definition of
specific subfields for these numbers would also require a change
to subfield $d to generalize its use or make it obsolete. 
Although field 536 is important to the technical report community
it is not widely used in the bibliographic description of
traditional library materials (that is, trade publications) where
the recording of funding information is not required.  The impact
of changes to field 536 should be relatively minor in existing
USMARC systems.  There should be little or no impact on the
majority of existing USMARC records in which field 536 is very
unlikely to occur.

Examples of numbers:

Agency      Program Element           Project      Task Work Unit

Air Force   601101F      ILIR         5H           WUAFGLILIR5H01
Army        61102A       1D161102B710              00 WU425
Navy        62711N       F11121       RF11121806   WUNR004105
DNA         PE62715H     X99QAXV      X000         WU08


3.  PROPOSED CHANGES

The following is presented for consideration:

    -   In the USMARC Bibliographic Format, change name of
        subfield $d in field 536 to "Undifferentiate number"

        Optionally: Make field 536 subfield $d obsolete.

    -   In the USMARC Bibliographic Format, define a new subfield
        $e (Program element number) in field 536 for program
        element numbers.  Subfield $e would be repeatable.

    -   In the USMARC Bibliographic Format, define a new subfield
        $f (Project number) in field 536 for program element
        numbers.  Subfield $f would be repeatable.

    -   In the USMARC Bibliographic Format, define a new subfield
        $g (Task number) in field 536 for task numbers.  Subfield
        $g would be repeatable.

    -   In the USMARC Bibliographic Format, define a new subfield
        $h (Work unit numbers) in field 536 for work unit
        numbers.  Subfield $h would be repeatable.


Go to:


Library of Congress
Library of Congress Help Desk (09/02/98)