[DCRM-L] WorldCat Validation Changes Successfully Installed on April 16, 2020

Fri Apr 17 07:48:30 MDT 2020

On Thursday, April 16, 2020, OCLC successfully installed changes to WorldCat Validation, including the following new features and enhancements:

*                OCLC-MARC Bibliographic Encoding Levels.

*                OCLC-MARC Holdings Captions and Pattern Fields 853, 854, and 855, and Enumeration and Chronology Fields 863, 864, and 865.
The following bug fix was also included:

*                Correction of Validation Rules for LCGFT Authority Records.
These enhancements and fixes are the result of feedback and requests from members of the OCLC cooperative.
See the WorldCat Validation Release Notes for April 2020 at oc.lc/validation-release-notes<https://help.oclc.org/Metadata_Services/WorldShare_Record_Manager/WorldCat_validation_release_notes_and_known_issues> for more details of the changes that were installed on Thursday, April 16, 2020.
Background on the Changes to OCLC-MARC Bibliographic Encoding Levels
In 2018, OCLC Metadata Quality staff began discussing the possibility of allowing all libraries to use standard numeric MARC 21 Encoding Level (Leader/17) values for bibliographic records and eliminating the OCLC-MARC encoding levels.  OCLC initially implemented alphabetic encoding levels in the very early days of MARC when only the Library of Congress was allowed to use the numeric values.  That restriction has long since changed, and OCLC is working toward aligning OCLC-MARC with MARC 21.
OCLC conducted focus groups in December 2018 regarding encoding levels.  All librarians we spoke with reacted favorably, with the expressed desire that OCLC provide training and documentation as we implement this change.  OCLC has now started down this path with the recently announced validation installation.  The WorldCat Validation release notes, April 2020 (https://help.oclc.org/Metadata_Services/WorldShare_Record_Manager/WorldCat_Validation_release_notes_and_known_issues/2020_Release_notes/090WorldCat_Validation_release_notes_April_2020) detail the changes.
We are now implementing a first step to align OCLC-MARC encoding levels with MARC 21 encoding levels.  All cataloging users working online in Connexion and Record Manager may now use most MARC 21 encoding levels and most OCLC encoding levels when adding or upgrading records.  Records with encoding level values blank, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, I, or K may be entered when creating a new record. When modifying an encoding level, all cataloging "full" level users may change or upgrade as follows:

  *   blank, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, I, K may be changed to blank, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, I, K (excludes levels 8, J, and M)
  *   8 may be changed to blank, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, I, K in a user owned record, where field 040 (Cataloging Source) subfield $c (Transcribing Agency) is your own OCLC symbol
  *   8 from any other source cannot be changed (same as current restrictions)
  *   J may be changed to blank, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, I, J, K (i.e., J cannot be changed to 8 or M)
  *   M may be changed to blank, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, I, K, M (i.e., M cannot be changed to 8 or J)
What may be edited on PCC or BIBCO records (042 contains pcc) has not changed.  See Bibliographic Formats and Standards (BFAS) "Enriching PCC Records" in Chapter 5.2<https://www.oclc.org/bibformats/en/quality.html#membercapabilities>.
For now, we have retained the OCLC alphabetic encoding levels.  They may still be used, though we do plan to eliminate them someday.  No timeline is in place for that.  When we do, we will provide plenty of notice.  We encourage libraries to begin using blank instead of I for full level cataloging and 7 instead of K for minimal level cataloging.
The documentation for Encoding Level (ELvl<https://www.oclc.org/bibformats/en/fixedfield/elvl.html>) in Bibliographic Formats and Standards will be updated soon to reflect this change.  OCLC will announce on OCLC-CAT when the revisions to this page in BFAS have been made.
For more information, please join us for the June Virtual AskQC Office Hours when the topic will be Updates on OCLC Encoding Levels.  Go to http://oc.lc/askqc to register for one of the 2 sessions.
Please forgive any duplication of this message.
Stay well.
jay
--
Jay Weitz
OCLC * Senior Consulting Database Specialist, WorldCat Metadata Quality, Global Product Management
6565 Kilgour Place, Dublin, Ohio USA 43017
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