[PADG:1803] MARC 583

[Gary Menges <menges@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The University of Washington Libraries is considering ways to record
preservation actions/treatments in its integrated online system.  We are
considering several methods of recording data, including using the MARC
field 583 (action note) in bibliographic records. We have some questions
for those of you who use MARC field 583 in bibliographic records to record
preservation actions/treatments:

Do you display field 583 in your local catalog or is this field suppressed
from public display?

If you display it, does your system just display the note as recorded in
583 or does it provide any additional display text to make the note more
understandable to the reader of the record?

If you use field 583 in your bib. records do you include this field in
records contributed to your national utility (e.g., OCLC or RLIN)?  In
original records and/or in copy cataloging records?

If OCLC, do you "lock" and "replace" master records from other
contributors to add your institution's 583 field to the master record?

If you are an OCLC user, can you provide us with the OCLC numbers of any
records that you have contributed that carry the 583 field?

Can you comment on your experiences using 583 in OCLC?  OCLC documentation
indicates that records with a 583 field only display to the library that
created the record and to other libraries only if they "lock" the record.
This means that other libraries looking at OCLC records will not know that
a 583 field is present unless they lock the record.  We are wondering what
this means for sharing information about preservation actions and would
like to hear from other libraries using OCLC and field 583 as to how
useful they feel the current display practices are in the OCLC system for
cooperative preservation.

I realize these are fairly detailed questions, but we appreciate your
responses. You can send your responses directly to me at
menges@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thanks!

Gary L.Menges Preservation Administrator Allen Library University of
Washington Box 352900 Seattle, WA. 98195-2900 (206) 685-1589 FAX (206)
685-8727 menges@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx