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WorldCat Validation release notes, March 2025

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Release Date: 13 March 2025

Introduction

This release of changes to WorldCat Validation involves the following new features, enhancements, and bug fixes.

  • New features and enhancements:
    • OCLC-MARC Validations of New MARC Codes Announced 4 September 2024-6 February 2025
      • Accessibility Content Source Codes
      • Genre/Form Code and Term Source Codes
      • MARC Code List for Relators
      • Name and Title Authority Source Codes
      • Standard Identifier Source Codes
      • Subject Heading and Term Source Codes
    • MARC 21 Bibliographic Update No. 39 (Announced December 2024)
    • Fill characters in fields 006, 007, and 008
    • Duplicate value check for subfields $0 and $1
    • Duplicate value check for subfield $4
    • Duplicate value check for subfield $e
    • Subfield $a no longer required in bibliographic field 341
  • Bug fix
    • Subfield $2 in bibliographic field 083 now allows the same edition information as field 082

These enhancements and fixes are the result of announcements of new MARC elements and codes by the Library of Congress as well as feedback and requests from members of the OCLC community.

New features and enhancements

OCLC-MARC Validations of New MARC Codes Announced 4 September 2024-6 February 2025

You may now use all new MARC Codes announced by the Library of Congress in the following LC Technical Notices:

Accessibility Content Source Codes

The following source code has been added to the Accessibility Content Source Codes list for usage in appropriate fields and elements.

  • onix - ONIX (Online Information Exchange)

Genre/Form Code and Term Source Codes

The following source codes have been added to the Genre/Form Code and Term Source Codes list for usage in appropriate fields and elements.

  • idref - IdRef: identifiants et référentiels (L'agence bibliographique de l'enseignement supérieur ABES)

MARC Code List for Relators

The following relators have been added to the MARC Code List for Relators list for usage in appropriate fields and elements.

  • ink [inker] - A person or organization responsible for adding solid lines, shading and additional details to the initial pencil drawings in the creation of comic books, graphic novels, animation, etc.
  • pnc [penciller] - A person or organization responsible for producing the initial line drawings based on a script in the creation of comic books, graphic novels, animation, etc.
  • tad [technical advisor] - A person with expertise in a particular field who advises on the convincing portrayal of a subject to add authenticity to a work.

Name and Title Authority Source Codes

The following source code has been added to the Name and Title Authority Source Codes list for usage in appropriate fields and elements.

  • idref - IdRef: identifiants et référentiels (L'agence bibliographique de l'enseignement supérieur ABES)
  • snac - Social Networks and Archival Context

Standard Identifier Source Codes

The following source codes have been added to the Standard Identifier Source Codes list for usage in appropriate fields and elements.

  • famsea - FamilySearch (Salt Lake City, Utah : The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
  • pares - Autoridades del Portal de Archivos Españoles (PARES) - Spanish Archives Portal

Subject Heading and Term Source Codes

The following source codes have been added to the Subject Heading and Term Source Codes list for usage in appropriate fields and elements.

  • eurovoc - EuroVoc thesaurus (Multilingual)
  • geonames - GeoNames
  • idref - IdRef: identifiants et référentiels (L'agence bibliographique de l'enseignement supérieur ABES) 
  • opat - Authority tables (Publications Office of the European Union)
  • ula - Encabezamientos de materia de la Universidad Loyola (Universidad Loyola)
  • worldcat - WorldCat Entities (OCLC)

MARC 21 Bibliographic Update No. 39 (Announced December 2024)

You may now begin to use the following changes to Bibliographic elements implemented as part of OCLC-MARC Bibliographic Update for December 2024, based on the MARC 21 Bibliographic format changes announced in MARC 21 Bibliographic Update No. 39 (December 2024).

  • In existing Bibliographic field 506 (Restrictions on Access Note), new subfields $0 (Authority record control number or standard number) and $1 (Real World Object URI) have been defined.
  • In existing Bibliographic field 508 (Creation/Production Credits Note) and field 511 (Participant or Performer Note), new subfield $3 (Materials specified) has been defined.
  • In existing Bibliographic field 540 (Terms Governing Use and Reproduction Note), subfield $f has been renamed to Standardized terminology for use and reproduction rights (formerly Use and reproduction rights). New subfields $0 (Authority record control number or standard number) and $1 (Real World Object URI) have been defined.

Fill characters in fields 006, 007, and 008

You may now use fill characters in Bibliographic field 006 (Fixed-Length Data Elements-Additional Material Characteristics), field 007 (Physical Description Fixed Field), and field 008 (Fixed-Length Data Elements-General Information) in the bytes where fill characters are allowed in MARC 21 Bibliographic.

Duplicate value check for subfields $0 and $1

A validation check has been created to generate an error message if a cataloging user enters duplicate values within subfields $1 (Real World Object URI) in the same field or between subfields $0 (Authority record control number or standard number) and $1 in the same field.

Duplicate value check for subfield $4

A validation check has been created to generate an error message if a cataloging user enters duplicate relationship codes or URIs within multiple subfields $4 (Relationship) in the same field.

Duplicate value check for subfield $e

A validation check has been created to generate an error message if a cataloging user enters duplicate relator terms within multiple subfields $e (Relator term) in the same field.

Subfield $a no longer required in bibliographic field 341

Following changes to the field definition and scope of field 341 (Accessibility Content) in MARC 21 Bibliographic Update No. 38, subfield $a (Content access mode) is no longer required.

Bug fixes

Subfield $2 in bibliographic field 083 now allows the same edition information as field 082

In Bibliographic field 083 (Additional Dewey Decimal Classification Number), subfield $2 (Edition information) now correctly allows the same edition information patterns allowed in field 082 subfield $2.

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