From: Bill Anderson, CONSER Specialist
To: Listserv subscribers
Re: RE: CONSER Policies for e-serials
Date: 4/25/95

    I would like to respond to one of the comments raised by V.
Sha in a recent reply to a posting on the above topic sent by
Jean Hirons et al. (myself included).

    In drafting several new note fields for the _CONSER Editing
Guide_ that are used in cataloging serial computer files, most of
our discussion was on the use of the 516 field and its relation
to the 538.  Ms. Sha points out the phrase in the USMARC
description of field 538 that centers on its relation to the 516:
[include] *the physical characteristics of the computer file such
as recording densities, parity, or blocking factors.*  The general
statement in USMARC on field 538 is:  *this field contains system
information about an item.*

   The description of the 516 field specifies *information that
characterizes the computer file.*  It also mentions *a general
descriptor* and *the form or genre of textual material.*  The
display constant for the field is:  *Type of file:*.  (There is
no display constant or indicator, other than *blank,* for the 538
field.)

   We feel that it is simpler to define fields for specific types
of information and thought it would be clearer to catalogers for
the 538 to be strictly systems information and the 516 file
characteristics, physical and otherwise.  File characteristics
often have associated hardware/software requirements, but
sometimes we describe e-serials with a statement only about the
file itself (e.g., Electronic journal in plain ASCII text).
These kinds of statements we feel are most appropriate to the 516
field.

   As CONSER is still working with the serials format fixed field
and can not use the *type of computer file* code (008/26), our
516 is not related to fixed field information.  Also, we are not
using the 256 field, so construction of the 516 may be different
in nature than such fields for monographic records that do
include the 256.

   We do anticipate that there will be some *fine tuning* of
computer file fields in USMARC and CONSER documentation, and we
will be using the computer file fixed field codes after format
integration.  So CONSER will adjust and adapt to this fluid
environment.  Stay tuned ...