A c t i o n f o r L i b r a r i e s — A u g u s t 2 0 0 0

CONSER Initiative Begins

By Rosario Garza

The CONSER Publication Pattern Initiative began June 1. This is a two-year experiment to add publication pattern and associated holdings data to CONSER records.

Project participants, working with CONSER Enhance authorizations, are using the OCLC-defined 891 field to embed pattern information (fields 853-55) and associated holdings (fields 863-65) into records. CONSER records, distributed to RLIN and other subscribers, will contain fields 853 and 863 and an 852 field identifying the holdings fields as "universal pattern data."

In addition to patterns contributed by project participants, CONSER records will be seeded with pattern data from Harvard University. This data may not always be complete and will be updated by project participants when encountered. No date for the seeding has been set.

Other activities planned by the CONSER Publication Patterns Task Force include surveying vendors to determine their use of the MARC holdings format, continued proposals for revising the format and studying work flow implications. Working with vendors to enable importing and exporting of pattern data and compatibility of the data across systems is a major goal.

You can view a record with publication pattern information by looking at OCLC record number 35601086 input by Carol Feustel in the Health Sciences Library at the University of Cincinnati.

Questions concerning the CONSER initiative may be directed to Jean Hirons, CONSER coordinator, Library of Congress; Diane Hillmann, Cornell University, project coordinator; and Rich Greene, who is coordinating OCLC participation in the project. Complete information on the CONSER initiative is found at lcweb.loc.gov/acq/conser/patthold.html.

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