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TSD / Cataloging and Metadata Management: Using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH®) in Cataloging

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

Last Reviewed: June 26, 2015