OCATORplus Now Using 2004 MeSH^®
As of December 15, 2003, the National Library of Medicine (NLM) adopted the 2004 MeSH vocabulary for cataloging and for records being created by collaborating data producers.

MeSH subject terms in LocatorPlus, the online public access catalog module of NLM's Voyager integrated library system, were changed to reflect 2004 MeSH, with the exception of terms on records identified as having been created by the Johns Hopkins University, Population Information Program. ¹

In general, the Cataloging Section applied the changes described, as they were applied, for citations in MEDLINE^® (see MEDLINE Data Changes - 2004. NLM Tech Bull. 2003 Nov-Dec;(335):e6.). In some instances, different approaches were taken due to the character of the literature and number of records requiring maintenance in LocatorPlus. Cataloging applied the following changes:

1. Publication Types

The Publication Type Annual Reports, previously used in MARC21 field 655 in LocatorPlus, has been moved to local field 659, and is now applied only to historical materials and materials cataloged by collaborative database producers. It was deleted from all occurrences in Voyager for current literature cataloged by NLM staff. This change was made because the frequency of such publications often changes, while the nature of the content tends to remain the same.

The Publication Type Case Reports was added to the list of Publication Types used in MARC21 field 655 in LocatorPlus. Previously it was a MeSH check tag that appeared in the MARC21 field 650. There is no change to the use of this term on distributed records. It continues to be distributed as a form division in $v of MARC21 field 650.

2. Age Groups

Records containing the age group term Aged, 80 and Over, were maintained to add the term Aged, in conformance with NLM indexing practice. As a result, the term Aged, 80 and Over will no longer be appended to the subject string in MARC21 field 650 $x on distributed records. Instead, the age group term Aged will be appended to the subject string. The term Aged, 80 and Over will remain on these records as a MeSH main heading in MARC21 field 650.

The term Middle Age was replaced by Middle Aged in the MeSH vocabulary. Records in LocatorPlus were maintained accordingly. There is no change in how the new term is used on distributed records. When Middle Aged is entered as a secondary subject, it is appended to specifically coded subject strings in MARC21 field 650 $x on distributed records.

3. Ethnic Groups and Geographic Origins

Significant changes were made to terms in MeSH, related to ethnic groups and geographic origins, that necessitated corresponding changes to existing LocatorPlus bibliographic records. Where it was ascertained that a work covered multiple ancestry groups, subject entries were made for each group represented.

Aborigines

The MeSH term Aborigines was maintained to Oceanic Ancestry Group when a geographic heading for any part of Australia, New Zealand, or the Pacific Islands was used.

NLM manually examined other records in LocatorPlus containing the term Aborigines and maintained retrospective records as follows:

• When the indigenous group represented was from any part of North or South America, the heading Aborigines was maintained to American Native Continental Ancestry Group.
• When the indigenous group was from any part of Asia, the term Aborigines was maintained to Asian Continental Ancestry Group.
• When the indigenous group was from any part of Africa, the term Aborigines was maintained to African Continental Ancestry Group.

Blacks
The term Blacks was maintained to African Americans when a geographic heading for any part of the United States was present.

NLM manually examined other records in LocatorPlus containing the term Blacks and maintained retrospective records as follows:

• If no geographic term for the United States or an individual state/city in the MesH "Z" tree was assigned or, based on the title and other subjects used, it was not clear that the group lived in the United States, the MeSH term Blacks was maintained to the MeSH term African Continental Ancestry Group.

4. Animal, Animals, and Animal Population Groups

Because NLM cataloging policy does not allow the use of check tags, the term Animal used as a check tag has been used only on LocatorPlus records created by the collaborating data producers. When present, the check tag Animal was maintained to Animals in conformance with indexing practice.

In authorized NLM cataloging records (identified in LocatorPlus as containing the value AUTH in the locally-defined MARC21 999 field) that are distributed in NLM MARC products, the term Animals was applied to very general works for which a more specific animal term was not appropriate. In such cases, to retain the general concept desired, the MeSH term Animals was not changed when it appeared without any qualifiers.

However, the MeSH term Animals, when qualified by a topical subheading, was maintained to the MeSH term Animal Population Groups, retaining the original subheading.

EXAMPLES:

Pre-2004 Year-end Processing	Post-2004 Year-end Processing
650 _2 $a Animal $e check tag	650 _2 $a Animals $e check tag

Pre-2004 Year-end Processing	Post-2004 Year-end Processing
[subject is general concept] 650 _2 $a Animals	[no change] 650 _2 $a Animals

Pre-2004 Year-end Processing	Post-2004 Year-end Processing
[topical subheading present] 650 _2 $a Animals $x classification	[change to Animal Population Groups with topical subheading] 650 _2 $a Animal Population Groups $x classification

5. Substances (Category D)

This year, many MeSH terms that previously consisted of an "agent" or pharmacologic action term combined with a drug substance (e.g., Anti-Infective Agents, Quinolone) were removed from the vocabulary. In such cases, to assure that the drug concept was not lost in LocatorPlus bibliographic records, NLM also added the appropriate MeSH term for the drug, if it was not already present on the record.

EXAMPLES:

Pre-2004 Year-end Processing	Post-2004 Year-end Processing
650 _2 $a Anti-Anxiety Agents, Benzodiazepine	650 _2 $a Anti-Anxiety Agents
	650 _2 $a Benzodiazepine -- drug term added when not already present

Topical subheadings, when used with the pre-coordinated term, were added to both the agent and the substance.

EXAMPLE:

Pre-2004 Year-end Processing	Post-2004 Year-end Processing
650 _2 $a Anti-Infective Agents, Quinolone $x economics	650 _2 $a Anti-Infective Agents $x economics
	650 _2 $a Quinolone $x economics

Clarification of the Use of the Term Adolescent on NLM Cataloging Records
This clarification is a reminder that all uses of the subject heading Adolescence were changed to the term Adolescent in conjunction with last year's MeSH year-end processing in December 2003. NLM reiterates this notice to confirm that the age-related terms that are appended as part of the subject heading string in NLM distributed records always reflect current MeSH vocabulary.

¹ NLM was not able to process all LocatorPlus records created by the Johns Hopkins University Population Information Program due to the number of records affected by the MeSH changes this year and the number of headings on these records. Searching is affected because MeSH 2003 terms still appear on these records. Population Information Program bibliographic records may be identified by accessing the MARC VIEW tab and examining the NLM locally-defined MARC 999 field. When the 999 field is coded "PIP", the record will be changed in early 2004.

By Evelyn S. Bain
Cataloging Section

Bain ES. Cataloging News--2004. NLM Tech Bull. 2003 Nov-Dec;(335):e9.