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MARC DISCUSSION PAPER NO. 2016-DP08

DATE: December 9, 2015
REVISED:

NAME: Remove Restriction on the Use of Dates in Field 046 $k of the MARC 21 Bibliographic Format

SOURCE: Online Audiovisual Catalogers (OLAC)

SUMMARY: This paper proposes removing the sentence "Dates contained in subfield $k may not be coded elsewhere in the formats" currently in subfield $k (Beginning or single date created) in field 046 (Special Coded Dates) of the Bibliographic format.

KEYWORDS: Field 046 (BD); Special Coded Dates (BD); Subfield $k, in field 046 (BD); Beginning or single date created (BD)

RELATED:

STATUS/COMMENTS:
12/09/15 – Made available to the MARC community for discussion.

01/09/16 – Results of MARC Advisory Committee discussion: There was general support for the paper, however, the OCLC representative noted that the phrase “Dates contained in $k may not be coded elsewhere in the formats” could be interpreted two different ways. One reader may interpret this language as prohibitive, and another could read it as merely informing the cataloger that s/he may not find the $k coded elsewhere in the format in a given scenario. The discussion ended with the OLAC representative confirming that OLAC will clarify the subfield and its use when the paper returns as a proposal.

Discussion Paper No. 2016-DP08: Remove Restriction on the Use of Dates in 046 $k

1. BACKGROUND

Field 046 is currently defined in the Bibliographic format as follows:

• 046 - Special Coded Dates (R)

• Indicators
  • First - Undefined
  • • # - Undefined
  • Second - Undefined
    • # - Undefined
      
      
• Subfield Codes
  • $a - Type of date code (NR)
  • $b - Date 1, B.C. date (NR)
  • $c - Date 1, C.E. date (NR)
  • $d - Date 2, B.C. date (NR)
  • $e - Date 2, C.E. date (NR)
  • $j - Date resource modified (NR)
  • $k - Beginning or single date created (NR)
  • $l - Ending date created (NR)
  • $m - Beginning of date valid (NR)
  • $n - End of date valid (NR)
  • $o - Single or starting date for aggregated content (NR)
  • $p - Ending date for aggregated content (NR)
  • $2 - Source of date (NR)
  • $6 - Linkage (NR)
  • $8 - Field link and sequence number (R)

Field Definition and Scope
Date of item information that cannot be recorded in 008/06-14 (Type of date/Publication status, Date 1, Date 2) because such information involves one or more Before Common Era (B.C.) dates, incorrect dates, dates when resources have been modified or created, and date spans when resources are valid. When field 046 is used for B.C. dates, 008/06 is set to code b (No date given; B.C. date involved) and field 008/07-10 and 008/11-14 contain blanks (####). When field 046 is used for incorrect dates, field 008/06 is coded for the type of corrected data and field 008/07-10 and 008/11-14 contain correct dates.

Current definition of subfield $k:

$k - Beginning or single date created
Date or beginning of the date range on which a resource has been created when it is not more appropriately recorded in another field. Dates contained in subfield $k may not be coded elsewhere in the formats. The date is recorded as specified in subfield $j (Date resource modified).

2. DISCUSSION

Users care about the original date of production, release or broadcast of a moving image work. Users want to limit or facet by this value and they need this date for citations. However, the MARC bibliographic record lacks a consistent place to record this date in machine-actionable form. As the following table shows, the original date of the moving image work may appear in a variety of places in the record or it may not appear at all.

Some catalogers have identified 046 $k as a place that this original date can be consistently recorded and have begun to use it this way. However, the textual description for MARC 046 states that “Dates contained in subfield $k may not be coded elsewhere in the formats.” This means that technically if the original date appears anywhere in the 008 dates or field 033 (Date/Time and Place of an Event), it cannot also be recorded in 046 $k. This language gives some catalogers pause and is preventing them from using 046 $k to consistently record the original date of a moving image work. 

We propose deleting the above sentence in subfield $k in order to remove the restriction on the use of dates in field 046. There is no overhead with this change except that it will be cheaper and easier for library catalog developers to give searchers a way to search by this date.

3. BIBFRAME DISCUSSION

No impact

4. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

4.1. Are there any non-video implications if this restriction if removed?

4.2. If there are other implications can the $k be defined in such a way as to allow video catalogers to put the date of original production/release here even if the date is the same as the publication date?

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