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Home > Manuals > Cataloguing Manual > Original cataloguing of electronic resources

Original Cataloguing of Electronic resources

General cataloguing tools

Serial/integrating resources cataloguing tools

Chief source of information

The chief source of information for electronic resources is the resource itself. Take information from formally presented evidence (e.g. title screen, initial displays, home pages, encoded metadata). Prefer the source that provides the most complete information. If the information is not available from the resource itself take it from printed or online documentation or other accompanying material (e.g. publisher's letter, 'about' file, publisher's web page).

General guidelines

Title

According to AACR2 1.1B1 do not record words that serve as an introduction and are not intended to be part of the title such as "Welcome to the ... home page". Instead record this version of the title in a note field and give a title added entry for it. Always give the source of the title proper in a note "Title from ... ". This note may be combined with an item described note, which must also be used when cataloguing any remote access resource, i.e. "Title from ... viewed on [date]". Details of variant titles may be added at the discretion of the cataloguer to assist resource discovery. In other cases extra wording surrounding the title may be omitted to assist with clarification of the title

Imprint

According to AACR2 9.4B2 all remote access resources should be regarded as published. If it is clear that the publication emanates from a particular institution or organisation, consider that institution/organisation to be the publisher and the location of the institution/organisation to be the place of publication. If the information is taken from outside the prescribed source (the resource or information issued by the publisher), however, enclose it in square brackets. Frequently, remote access resources will be updated. In such cases use open dates. Do not use the Internet Service Provider as the publisher unless it is the only information available or it is clear that the ISP is the publisher.

Notes

All electronic resources must contain a 500 field detailing the source of the title (see Title above). If restrictions on access apply then use a 506 note for these. It is optional to include a 516 field to describe the file or document formats (current CONSER practice limits the use of the 516 field to situations where unusual information about file formats is required for access). Libraries Australia recommends all electronic resources contain a 520 field summary note, although this can be omitted in analytic records for monograph-in-series titles. A 530 additional physical form note is also recommended by Libraries Australia where applicable. A 538 system requirements note should only be given for resources with unusual software requirements. However a 538 mode of access note must be included for all resources and should follow the system requirements note if it is has been included. Include a 540 note (Terms governing use and reproduction note) if the item is Commonwealth Government copyright (i.e. Commonwealth of Australia 2003).

URLs

The 856 field contains the URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) and/or any other details required to locate and access the resource. The URI is either the URL or email address for the resource itself, or an URN (Uniform Resource Name). The URN or persisent URL is added in a second 856 field. The resource's URL should appear first in the catalogue record for reasons of currency of information. In all cases the URI is recorded in the 'u' subfield. Public notes in the 'z' subfield identify each URI to users of the catalogue. Use appropriate text for each 'z' subfield in the record, for example: Online resource for the resource URL, Archived at ANL, Archived at VSL or whatever is appropriate for the organisation cataloguing and archiving the title.

Most records require one 856 for the resource URL address and some would also contain extra 856 fields to indicate other access options such as email, ftp, gopher etc. Although it is possible to include URLs for mirror sites, it is preferable to exclude them to avoid undue maintenance of URLs that are usually overseas sites.

For local cataloguing systems which do not support the spacing characters, underscore _ and tilde ~, use the alternative characters %5f and %7e respectively for the underscore and tilde. Further information on the 856 field can be found in Instructions for constructing and coding the 856 field

Leader/06, 006, 007 and 008 fields - see above documents for detailed information

The Leader/06 (Type of record) character position contains a one-character alphabetic code that differentiates MARC 21 records created for various forms of material. The code is primarily used to identify the type of field 008 (Fixed Length Data Element) contained in the record. Code "m" is only used for the following classes of electronic resources: computer software (including programs, games, fonts); numeric data; computer-oriented multimedia; online systems or services. Code classes of electronic resources for their most significant aspect, eg. language material, graphic, sound, etc. In case of doubt or if the most significant aspect cannot be determined, consider the item a computer file. Most resources will be coded as 'language material', code 'a'. If the 06 is coded "m", use the 008 for computer files, otherwise use the 008 for serials or books as required.

As most electronic resources we catalogue are coded as language material, another code is necessary to describe the computer file aspects, ie field 006 (Computer files) must be included. In most cases, Type of computer file (006/09) will usually be coded "d" (Document). Use code "m" when the item is a combination of two or more types of files, eg text with a significant amount of multimedia files. If the 06 is coded "m", it is not necessary to include the 006 field.

The computer file 007 is mandatory in any record representing an item whose carrier is a computer file.

Creating the cataloguing record and adding the record details to PANDAS

Cataloguing systems usually support several methods of record creation: creating a record using a template, copying an existing catalogue record in the same publication format, or importing and modifying a record from a remote system. When copying existing records be sure to remove all data relating to the catalogue record for the original item. Check and if necessary amend every field in the newly copied record to reflect the item being catalogued.

Once catalogued, the record needs uploading to Libraries Australia (if cataloguing took place on a local system). The number should be recorded and added to Display Details in PANDAS for metadata creation.

Guide to Selection of Fields and Codes

06, 07, 006, 007, 008

Field Mono Serial Integrating resource
  Use/Code Use/Code Use/Code
000/06 (type of material) Language material Language material Language material

000/07 (Bibliographic level)

 Monograph Serial Integrating resource

006/09 (Computer file type)

 Document Document Document
007 Specific material designation Computer file - remote Computer file - remote Computer file - remote
008 online online online
Field Non-serial Computer software etc. Serial Computer software etc.
  Use/Code Use/Code

000/06 (Type of material)

 Computer file Computer file

000/07 (Bibliographic level)

Monograph

 Serial

007

Computer files

Computer files
008

Computer files

Computer files

Ensure that PANDORA records are flagged as having national content (for example Voyager at NLA is using the location code 042 $aanuc in the record to flag national content to Libraries Australia).

042 # # $a anuc

In order to facilitate the compilation of a PANDORA data set of bibliographic records from the National Bibliographic Database, a series added entry field is added to the catalogue record.

830 # 0 $a PANDORA electronic collection