December 19, 2008 [posted]

Cataloging News 2009

T he NLM® adopted the 2009 MeSH® vocabulary for cataloging beginning on November 24, 2008.

Accordingly, MeSH subject headings in LocatorPlus® were changed to reflect the 2009 MeSH vocabulary and appear in that form as of November 24, 2008.

When year-end processing (YEP) activities were completed on December 15, the NLM Catalog, MeSH database, and translation tables were updated to reflect 2009 MeSH. Note that there was a three-week hiatus in the addition of new and edited bibliographic records to the NLM Catalog, but the information is now current.

The Index to the NLM Classification will not reflect 2009 MeSH changes until Spring 2009.

MeSH Changes in NLM Bibliographic Records

In general, the Cataloging Section implemented the vocabulary changes in NLM bibliographic records for books, serials, and other materials, as they were applied for citations in MEDLINE®.

Cataloging will use the three new Publication Types:

Cookbooks

Formularies

Poetry

For highlights about 2009 MeSH, see the articles What's New for 2009 MeSH and MEDLINE Data Changes — 2009.

Additional Database Changes

Series (MARC 440)
NLM implemented the new PCC (Program for Cooperative Cataloging) Guidelines for field 440 (i.e., use 490/830 in lieu of 440) beginning November 24, 2008. Because the 440 field has been made obsolete, during YEP all the existing 440s were converted to 490/830 with the exception of records containing vernacular data, where the conversion could not be done in a simple automated fashion. For now, NLM does not plan to convert 440s in these records. Beginning November 24, all original records (Roman and vernacular) will be created using 490/830. Any copy cataloging records imported with a 440 will have the data moved to 490/830, again with the exception of records containing vernacular data.

Table of Contents (MARC 595) and Summary Notes (MARC 520)
To improve keyword access for users, NLM will now copy tables of contents (TOC) and summary notes available from the Library of Congress 856 links into the bibliographic records. The TOC will be added to the local MARC21 field 595 (unedited tables of contents) and the summaries to the 520 field. There will be no attempt to formulate these with ISBD (International Standard Bibliographic Description) punctuation, or do anything but the most minimal cleanup to the 595 field. The data will be preceded by the phrase: "Publisher-supplied data." After the text is copied into the record from the LC 856 link, the 856 will be deleted.

By Sharon Willis
Cataloging Section

Willis S. Cataloging News 2009. NLM Tech Bull. 2008 Nov-Dec (365):e22.