Section C14. Removal of 510 Fields from CONSER Records

During the 1980's the CONSER Abstracting and Indexing Coverage Project (CONSER A&I) added a substantial number of 510 Citation/References notes to CONSER records to provide information on the services that abstract or index a particular serial. At that time it was recognized that the addition of the 510 fields would cause the records to exceed or come close to exceeding OCLC's maximum allowable length. When this occurred, NSDP or others associated with the CONSER A&I Project selectively removed 510 fields from the records.

The inability to add data to the records became increasingly more problematic as electronic versions have become available. Catalogers wishing to use the CONSER single record convention found that they could not add the necessary notes and 856 fields without first having one or more 510 fields (or other data) removed from the records.

During the mid 1990's, the CONSER A&I/ISSN Issues Task Force was charged with finding solutions to the problem. Following a survey of the library community that confirmed the value of 510 information in CONSER records, the task force sought alternatives to their removal.

Because it was no longer practical for NSDP to handle the removal of these fields, CONSER members were authorized to remove them according to the procedures below.

In November 2002, the Policy Committee of the Program for Cooperative Cataloging voted to remove most of the abstracting and indexing coverage fields (field 510) from CONSER records. This decision was based on a recognition that the data has served its purpose well, is now readily available online from other sources, and can never be actively maintained in CONSER records.

OCLC began the systematic removal of 510 fields from CONSER records at the end of February 2003. By Spring 2003, most of the abstracting and indexing coverage fields were removed from CONSER records.

C14.1. Criteria for the removal of 510 fields

C14.1.1. General information

The decision on removal of 510 fields is based on a hierarchy for inclusion of indexes in the CONSER A&I Project. Emphasis is on the completeness of coverage and the subject discipline of the index in order to take maximum advantage of coverage information.

C14.1.2. Specific procedures

Remove fields in the following order of preference.

1. 510 first indicator value "0" (coverage unknown)

a) It can be determined that the index does not cover the serial.

b) The index name is not correct (i.e., it cannot be identified as a publication due to its shorthand nature or abbreviation).

2. 510 first indicator value "2" (coverage is selective)

a) Multiple index notes added for one index. More than one note was added for some of the services due to the nature of their list. In these cases, one 510 can be left for the service and the additional notes can be removed. The 510 left in the record should be the one most closely identified with the subject matter of the publication.

Listed below are the groups of multiple 510s (prefer the asterisked note when leaving one index):

America, history and life*

Historical abstracts. Part A. Modern history abstracts

Historical abstracts. Part B. Twentieth century abstracts

(Select the appropriate history subject)

ASTIS bibliography*

ASTIS current awareness bulletin

Computer & control abstracts

Electrical & electronics abstracts

Physics abstracts

(Prefer the appropriate science subject)

Electronics and communications abstracts journal (Riverdale)

ISMEC bulletin

Pollution abstracts with indexes

Safety science abstracts journal

(Prefer the appropriate subject)

Energy information abstracts

Environment abstracts

(Prefer the appropriate subject)

Engineering index annual (1968)*

Engineering index bioengineering abstracts

Engineering index energy abstracts

Engineering index monthly (1984)

Metals abstracts*

World aluminum abstracts

PESTDOC

RINGDOC

VETDOC

(Prefer the appropriate subject)

b) If the removal of the multiple index note is not sufficient, any other 510 2 notes can be removed with the following exceptions:

(1) Retain Wilson indexes in the records

(2) Retain all Canadian indexes in the records for Canadian imprints

(3) Retain Chemical abstracts in the records

(4) Retain all NLM-maintained indexes: Index medicus, Hospital literature index, Hospital and health administration index, International nursing index, and Index to dental literature

3. 510 first indicator value "1" (coverage complete)

With the exceptions noted above, prefer the removal of 510 2 before removing any 510 1 notes.

Related fields, etc.

510, C3