MARC 21 Concise Holdings: Location and Access Fields (852 & 856)

Fields 852 and 856 contain information about where an item is physically located and how can be accessed physically or electronically (for digitized items). A description of the configuration required when other holdings information fields are associated with multiple 852 fields is given under the in the section Separate and Embedded Holdings Information in the Introduction to the MARC 21 Concise Format for Holdings Data.

• 852 - LOCATION (R)
• 856 - ELECTRONIC LOCATION AND ACCESS (R)

Information for Translators and Other Users
Items highlighted in red indicate changes made after the 2004 edition of the MARC 21 Concise Formats was published and are included in the 2005 printed edition of the MARC 21 Concise Formats.

852 - LOCATION (R)

Identifies the organization holding the item or from which it is available. May also contain detailed information about how to locate the item in a collection.

Indicators

• First - Shelving scheme
  • # - No information provided
  • 0 - Library of Congress classification
  • 1 - Dewey Decimal classification
  • 2 - National Library of Medicine classification
  • 3 - Superintendent of Documents classification
  • 4 - Shelving control number
  • 5 - Title
    Indicates that the item is shelved by a title. If necessary, this title is contained in subfield $l (Shelving form of title).
  • 6 - Shelved separately
  • 7 - Source specified in subfield $2
  • 8 - Other scheme
• Second - Shelving order
  A value that indicates whether an item is shelved under a primary or alternative numbering scheme.
  • # - No information provided
  • 0 - Not enumeration
  • 1 - Primary enumeration
    This value is also used when only one numbering scheme is applicable.
  • 2 - Alternative enumeration
    Item carries two numbering schemes and is shelved by the secondary scheme.

Subfield Codes

• $a - Location (NR)
  The institution or person holding the item or from which access is given. Contains a MARC code for the organization or the name of the institution or person holding the item.
  See Organization Code Sources for a listing of sources used in MARC 21 records.
• $b - Sublocation or collection (R)
  The specific department, library, collection, etc., within the holding organization in which the item is located or from which it is available.
• $c - Shelving location (R)
• $e - Address (R)
  Street address, city, state, zip code, and country information for the current physical location of the item.
• $f - Coded location qualifier (R)
  A two- or three-character code that identifies the specific issues of the item that are located apart from the main holdings of the same item. Subfield $f immediately follows the subfield $a, $b, or $c being qualified.
  • Qualifier type
  • l - Latest
  • The latest, including the current, time or part unit is housed in a different location.
  • p - Previous
  • The previous, not including the current, time or part unit is housed in a different location.
  • Number of units
  • 1-9 - Number of units
  • When a number is not required to identify the specific units, the number of units may be omitted. When Qualifier type is Latest (code 1), the number includes the current time or part unit. When Qualifier type is Previous (code p), the number does not include the current time or part unit.
  • Unit type:
    • Time
    • m - Month(s)
    • w - Week(s)
    • y - Year(s)
    • Part
    • e - Edition(s)
    • i - Issue(s)
    • s - Supplement(s)
• $g - Non-coded location qualifier (R)
  Free text that is used when the codes in subfield $f are inadequate for describing the unit that is located apart from the main holdings of the same item. Subfield $g immediately follows the subfield $a, $b, or $c being qualified.
• $h - Classification part (NR)
• $i - Item part (R)
• $j - Shelving control number (NR)
• $k - Call number prefix (R)
• $l - Shelving form of title (NR)
  The shelving title of an unclassified item that is shelved by title.
• $m - Call number suffix (R)
• $n - Country code (NR)
  A two- or three-character MARC code for the principal location contained in subfield $a. Code from: MARC Code List for Countries
• $p - Piece designation (NR)
  An identification of a single piece when the holdings information does not contain a field 863-865 (Enumeration and Chronology) or 876-878 (Item Information) that contains a subfield $p (Piece designation).
• $q - Piece physical condition (NR)
  A description of any unusual characteristic of the physical condition of the piece when the information does not contain a field 863-865 (Enumeration and Chronology) or 876-878 (Item Information) that contains a subfield $q (Piece physical condition).
• $s - Copyright article-fee code (R)
• $t - Copy number (NR)
  A copy number or a range of numbers for copies that have the same location and call number when the holdings information does not contain an 863-865 Enumeration and Chronology field that contains subfield $t (Copy number).
• $x - Nonpublic note (R)
• $z - Public note (R)
• $2 - Source of classification or shelving scheme (NR)
  Code from: MARC Code Lists for Relators, Sources, Description Conventions
• $3 - Materials specified (NR)
  Identifies the part of the bibliographic item to which the field applies. Subfield $3 is the first subfield in the field.
• $6 - Linkage (NR) See Control Subfields
• $8 - Sequence number (NR)
  Data that sequences related holdings records. The sequence number is a variable- length whole number which controls the display and processing sequencing of multiple related holdings records that contain identical 852 $a, $b and $t. Subfield $8 is always the first subfield of in the field.

Examples

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856 - ELECTRONIC LOCATION AND ACCESS (R)

The information required to locate an electronic resource. The information identifies the electronic location containing the resource or from which it is available. It also contains information needed to retrieve the resource by the access method identified in the first indicator position. The relationship of the electronic location and access information in field 856 to the resource identified by the record as a whole is identified by the second indicator. The information contained in this field is sufficient to allow for the electronic transfer of a file, subscription to an electronic journal, or logon to an electronic resource.

In some cases, only unique data elements are recorded which allow the user to access a locator table on a remote host containing the remaining information needed to access the resource.

Field 856 is repeated when the location elements vary (subfields $a, $b, $c) and when more than one access method may be used. It is also repeated whenever the electronic filename varies (subfield $f) except when a single intellectual work is divided into different parts for online storage or retrieval.

See the Guidelines for the Use of Field 856 for a more thorough discussion on the use of field 856.

Indicators

• First - Access method
  A value that defines the access method to the electronic resource. If the resource is available by more than one access method, the field is repeated. When recording a URL in subfield $u, the value corresponds to the access method (URL scheme), which is also the first element in the string.
  • # - No information provided
  • 0 - Email
    Access to the electronic resource is through electronic mail (email).
  • 1 - FTP
  • 2 - Remote login (Telnet)
  • 3 - Dial-up
    Indicates that access is through a conventional telephone line.
  • 4 - HTTP
    Indicates that access is through the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).
  • 7 - Method specified in subfield $2
• Second - Relationship
  A value that identifies the relationship between the electronic resource at the location specified in 856 and the item in the record as a whole.
  • # - No information provided
  • 0 - Resource
    Indicates that the electronic location in field 856 is for the same resource described by the record as a whole. In this case, the item represented by the bibliographic record is an electronic resource. If the data in field 856 relates to a constituent unit of the resource represented by the record, subfield $3 is used to specify the portion(s) to which the field applies.
  • 1 - Version of resource
    Indicates that the location in field 856 is for an electronic version of the resource described by the record. In this case, the item represented by the bibliographic record is not electronic but an electronic version is available.
  • 2 - Related resource
    Indicates that the location in field 856 is for an electronic resource that is related to the item described by the record. In this case, the item represented by the bibliographic record is not the electronic resource itself. Subfield $3 can be used to further characterize the relationship between the electronic item identified in field 856 and the item represented by the bibliographic record as a whole.
  • 8 - No display constant generated

Subfield Codes

• $a - Host name (R)
  The fully qualified domain (host name) of the electronic location. It contains a network address which is repeated if there is more than one address for the same host.
• $b - Access number (R)
  The access number associated with a host. It can contain the Internet Protocol (IP) numeric address if the item is an Internet resource or a telephone number if dial-up access is provided through a telephone line. This data changes frequently and is generated by the system, rather than statically stored.
• $c - Compression information (R)
  Information about the compression of a file, in particular, whether a specific program is required to decompress the file.
• $d - Path (R)
• $f - Electronic name (R)
• $h - Processor of request (NR)
  The username, or processor of the request; generally the data which precedes the "@" in the host address.
• $i - Instruction (R)
  An instruction needed for the remote host to process a request.
• $j - Bits per second (NR)
• $k - Password (NR)
• $l - Logon (NR)
  Characters needed to connect (i.e., logon, login, etc.) to an electronic resource or FTP site. This subfield is used to record general-use logon strings which do not require special security.
• $m - Contact for access assistance (R)
• $n - Name of location of host (NR)
  The full name of the location of the host in subfield $a, including its geographical location.
• $o - Operating system (NR)
• $p - Port (NR)
  The portion of the address that identifies the process or service in the host.
• $q - Electronic format type (NR)
  An identification of the electronic format type, which is the data representation of the resource, such as text/html, ASCII, Postscript file, executable application, or JPEG image. Electronic format type may be taken from enumerated lists such as registered Internet Media Types (MIME types).
• $r - Settings (NR)
• $s - File size (R)
• $t - Terminal emulation (R)
• $u - Uniform Resource Identifier (R)
  The URI, which provides standard syntax for locating an object using existing Internet protocols. Field 856 is structured to allow for the creation of a URL from the concatenation of other separate 856 subfields. Subfield $u may be used instead of those separate subfields or in addition to them.
  Subfield $u may be repeated only if both a URN or a URL or more than one URN are recorded.
• $v - Hours access method available (R)
• $w - Record control number (R)
• $x - Nonpublic note (R)
• $y - Link text (R)
  Used for display in place of the URL in subfield $u (Uniform resource identifier). When subfield $y is present, applications should use the contents of it as the link instead of subfield $u linking to the destination in subfield $u.
• $z - Public note (R)
• $2 - Access method (NR)
  The access method when the first indicator value contains value 7.
• $3 - Materials specified (NR)
• $6 - Linkage (NR) See Control Subfields
• $8 - Field link and sequence number (R) See Control Subfields

Examples

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