Cataloguing Internet Resources: Don't Worry, It's Easier than Rocket Science
Joni Lynn Cassidy
President, Cassidy Cataloguing Services, Inc.
While I readily agree that there are many, many subtle nuances and finer points to cataloguing Internet resources, I think the basic process can be summarized. My goal is to provide you with a quick-guide, or cheat-sheet, for adding these resources to your online catalog in a timely manner. I do this with the warning that you may want to do additional research or take a continuing education course on this subject before feeling totally confident with the process.
Here's the nuts and bolts.
The chief source of information can be the title screen or a similar display, the “Readme” file, the “About” screen, the TEI (text encoding initiative) header, a separate documentation file, or internal menus, labels, subject line, or program statement.
Unique MARC fields you'll probably use include:
- 007 position 00
- use “c” for computer file.
- 007 position 01
- use “r” for remote.
- 245 $h
- use [computer file]
- 256 FILE CHARACTERISTICS
- Required for remote access files. AACR2 term choices are “computer program(s),” “computer data,” “computer data and program(s).” ISBD(ER) term choices are more specific and include “computer text and image data,” “computer online service(s),” and “computer journal(s).”
- There is NO 300 FIELD (physical description) in a remote access record.
- 500 NOTE
- The source of the title is always given in a note.
- 506 RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS NOTE
- 516 TYPE OF REMOTE ACCESS FILE NOTE
- This field contains information that characterizes the computer file. Examples are “electronic journal” or “computer programs” or “text (law reports and digests).”
- 530 ADDITIONAL PHYSICAL FORM AVAILABLE NOTE
- 538 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS NOTE
- Could include information about programs needed for access.
- 538 MODE OF ACCESS NOTE
- Examples are “Mode of access: World wide web” or “Mode of access: Internet.”
- 556 INFORMATION ABOUT DOCUMENTATION NOTE
- Record documentation available in a separate file here.
- 856 ELECTRONIC LOCATION AND ACCESS
- This field is defined to contain all the information required to locate and use an electronic item. Some online catalog software now contains a “hot link” from the 856 field in the bibliographic record to the actual electronic item.
MARBI recently approved changes to the indicator values as follows:
| Ind 1 (Access method) [blank] | ||
| No information provided | ||
| 0 E-mail | ||
| 2 Telnet | ||
| 3 Dial-up | ||
| 4 HTTP | ||
| Ind 2 (Relationship) [blank] | ||
| No information provided | ||
| 0 Resource | ||
| 1 Version of resource | ||
| 2 Related resource | ||
| 8 No display constant generated | ||
| Subfields | ||
| a | Host name | |
| b | Access number | |
| c | Compression information (i.e. use PKZIP) | |
| d | Path | |
| f | Electronic name of file | |
| g | URN | |
| h | Username | |
| i | Instruction or command | |
| j | Bits per second | |
| k | Password | |
| l | Logon | |
| m | Contact for assistance | |
| n | Name of location of host in subfield a | |
| o | Operating system | |
| q | Electronic format type | |
| r | Settings | |
| s | File size | |
| t | Terminal emulation | |
| u | URL | |
| v | Hours of access | |
| x | Nonpublic note | |
| z | Public note | |
| 3 | Part of the bib item to which the 856 field applies | |
Sample Record
| 007 | crocnu | |
| 090 | QE521 $b.B65 | |
| 245 | 00 | VolcanoWorld $h [computer file] : $b the web's premier source of volcano info. |
| 246 | 3 | Volcano world |
| 256 | Computer text and image data | |
| 260 | [North Dakota]: $b University of North Dakota, $c1995- | |
| 500 | Updated frequently | |
| 500 | Title from home page. | |
| 500 | ”Supported by NASA.” | |
| 538 | MODE OF ACCESS: World Wide Web via Internet | |
| 538 | SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: Web browser, color monitor, color printer. | |
| 650 | 0 | Volcanoes $x Databases |
| 650 | 0 | Volcanoes $x Research $x Databases |
| 710 | 2 | University of North Dakota |
| 710 | 1 | United States. $b National Aeronautics and Space Administration |
| 856 | 4 | $n University of North Dakota, Aerospace $u http://volcano.und.edu/ |
| 997 | (c) 1998 Cassidy Cataloguing Services, Inc. |
The most useful resource I've found for this kind of cataloguing is Nancy Olson's Cataloguing Internet resources: A manual and a practical guide, 2nd ed. It is accessible through Northwestern University's Interactive Electronic Serials Cataloguing Aid (IESCA) and the OCLC Cataloging Internet Resources Guide.
To discuss this, or any other cataloguing issues, please feel free to e-mail me at joni@cassidycat.com.
