Module 6—Publication Types: MARC Coding

MARC Coding

• Publication types are recorded in the MARC 655 field with the first indicator blank, and second indicator of 2

• When adding a publication type make sure that the nature of contents or nature of the entire work byte(s) of the 008 are coded as appropriate
  • Example: If you assign a 655 _2 of Handbooks, then also code the appropriate 008 byte “f”

• When NLM records are distributed to licensees, publication types append to existing subject strings as $v
  • To prevent a publication type from appending to a particular subject heading, NLM uses the coding “$9 n” after the subject headings

• Example in NLM Files
       650 12 Physicians
       650 22 Physicians $x history $9n
       655 _2 Biography

• Upon distribution
       650 12 Physicians $v Biography.
       650 22 Physicians $x history.
  (Cf. Module 8 – Deconstructed Headings vs. Subject Strings)

• NLM catalogers may occasionally use publication types from other sources such as Archival Moving Image Materials (AMIM) or a local list

• These are coded 655 with a first indicator of blank, and second indicator of 7 and a $2 with the source of the term
  • 655 _7 $a Reports (Official) $2 local