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DB / Metadata Management Program (MMP): Fundamentals of the NLM® Classification

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Change of Country Name

  • When a country changes its name, generally, a new Table G notation is assigned to the new name. For example, when East Timor became Timor-Leste, the cutter remained LE1
  • The notation for the latest form of a name is used regardless of which form of name is found in the item or when the item was produced
  • Example:
    • A work on the history of medicine in Persia is assigned the notation for Iran (JI7)
      • 060 00 $a WZ 70 JI7
      • 650 12 $a History of Medicine
      • 651   2 $a Persia

Historical Geographic Locations

  • A separate Table G Section is available for historical jurisdictions or entities that existed in the past and whose former territories are not encompassed by a single present day country
  • Some cutters of present day countries are also being used for the historical lands even though these are not one-to-one matches
  • For example, GR9, the cutter assigned to Russia (Federation), is also assigned to the USSR and Russia (Pre-1917)


Last Reviewed: April 16, 2021