POLICY NO. 9
LOCAL NOTES
(2-08-2001)

Local notes may be added to bibliographic, MFHD (MARC Format Holdings), and item records in Voyager. The local notes that appeared in these same records in NOTIS were mapped to equivalent local note fields in the Voyager records. Unlike NOTIS, Voyager does not have a separate equivalent record for the copy holdings record. The information, including local notes, found in a copy holdings record was extracted from NOTIS for input into its corresponding MFHD record in Voyager. Thus, the notation codes (which were translated into their OPAC definitions) and the um= notes found in the copy level note field of the copy holdings record in NOTIS were mapped to subfield z (public note) of the 852 field of the MFHD record in Voyager. The nonpublic notes found in that same field of the copy holdings record in NOTIS were mapped to subfield x of the 852 field of the MFHD record in Voyager. The only exception to the mapping of local notes from the NOTIS copy holdings record to Voyager was the title-level note field. The notes in that field were mapped to the 948 field of the corresponding bibliographic record.

The addition of a local note to a record in Voyager is determined by the purpose of the note as well as its content. These notes may be public notes, which will display in the online public catalog (OPAC). They may also be nonpublic notes supplying information to the library staff on how a particular title or volume should be handled within the library. In order to present local notes in a consistent manner for the public and for the staff, the following guidelines will be followed in Voyager:

Public or OPAC Notes

MFHD Record

Notes that relate either to a copy (all issues or volumes) of the title or to a specific issue or volume within the title will be added to the MFHD record. The extent of coverage determines in which field the information is entered in the MFHD record.

Subfield l of the 852 field of the MFHD record will be used when the note contains information on the shelving form of the title, i.e., the title under which it is shelved is different from the title appearing in the 245 field.

Subfield z of the 852 field of the MFHD record will be used when the note contains information specific to the copy. This includes location and shelving information not appropriate for subfield l, translated notation codes and um= notes from NOTIS, limited retention notes, bound-with information that pertains to the copy, holdings in other formats, and serials cut-off and new classification information. Each note will be entered in a separate subfield z of the 852 field.

Subfield z of the 866-868 fields of the MFHD record will be used when the note contains information related to specific issues or volumes of a multi-item publication. This includes bound-with notes for specific issues or volumes and notes about cumulative issues and specific supplements. Each note will be entered in a separate subfield z of the 866-868 fields.

A public note will display in the OPAC regardless of order when a MFHD record contains both a public and non-public note in the same field.

Bibliographic Record

The 590 field of the bibliographic record will be used when the note relates to the title as a whole and needs to be displayed in the OPAC.

For both monographs and serials, donor / honoree information will be entered in the 590 field of the bibliographic record. This will allow donors / honorees to retrieve associated titles and see their names displayed in the OPAC.

See Appendix A of this bulletin for instructions on how to enter the 590 note in a bibliographic record.

Non-Public or Staff Notes

MFHD Record

Notes that relate either to a copy (all issues or volumes) of the title or to a specific issue or volume within the title will be added to the MFHD record. The extent of coverage of the note determines in which field the information is entered in the MFHD record.

Subfield x of the 852 field of the MFHD record will be used when the note contains information specific to the copy. This includes notes that were not preceded with um= from NOTIS and notes on the withdrawal of materials from the collection related to a copy. Each note will be entered in a separate subfield x of the 852 field.

Subfield x of the 866-868 fields of the MFHD record will be used when a note contains information related to specific issues or volumes of a multi-item publication. This includes information on the withdrawal of a single issue or volume of a multi-item publication from the collection. Each note will be entered in a separate subfield x of the 866-868 fields.

Bibliographic Record

The 909 field will be used to identify the library or library department that created a minimal-level or provisional bibliographic record, to document what fund was used to purchase a title, and to retain the former call number of a title that has been reclassified.

The 940 field will be used for non-public or staff notes that relate to the title as a whole. Generally, this field will be used to indicate how a title is handled in cataloging and to document the status of a title or record.

Item Record

A note appearing in an item record in NOTIS was mapped to the item note window of the equivalent item record in Voyager. This is the first choice when adding a note to an item record in Voyager. The note may be retrieved by clicking on the item note icon (quill pen button). The item note will be used in conjunction with the review flag status to explain why an item needs to be routed to a specific cataloging center or circulation point after it has been discharged from circulation. See Appendix B of this bulletin for instructions on who will enter the notes and what to include in the note field.

Voyager's item records have an additional note field, which is labeled "Free text:" This field will only be used when it is necessary to have the information display in the initial window of the item record. Notes relating to the withdrawal of a single item from a multi-item publication or of a second, third, etc. copy of a title will be entered in this field.

Dates in Local Notes

When dates are entered in a local note subfield, they will be entered in the following manner: mm dd yy with either a diagonal slash (/) or a hyphen (-) separating the different elements of the date, i.e., mm/dd/yy or mm-dd-yy. The only exception is the date entered in the 909 field. It has the form yymmdd.

Three owning libraries were established with Voyager. They are Lexington Community College, Medical Center, and UK Main Campus. The UK Main Campus owning library is composed of all UK library locations minus the locations of the Bluegrass Community and Technical College - Cooper Campus Learning Resource Center and the Medical Center Library. Since all of the library locations that make up the UK Main Campus share one bibliographic record, all local notes (590 field in all formats) concerning holdings practice must be made LOCATION SPECIFIC.

If this is not done, the user will not know to which location the note applies. Worse, the user may think the note applies to all locations, especially on multiple-screen records where the locations do not appear on the first screen, but the note does.

In order to clarify the 590 field for the OPAC, all local notes must be preceded by the appropriate first level of the location name appearing in the OPAC. The first level of the location name represents the library in general. For example, EDUCATION is the first level of the location name EDUCATION REFERENCE. When an item is located in two or more sublocations within a location and the local note applies to only one sublocation, use the full form of the location name for that sublocation. For example, EDUCATION REFERENCE is the full form of the location name.

The one exception to the UK Main Campus locations is Special Collections. Special Collections uses many local notes and most of their records represent material that could only be unique to that location. Special Collections does not have to make their local notes location specific unless the title is already present in another location. If after Special Collections has already added a non-location specific local note to a record and another location uses that record for cataloging, the other location will change the local note created by Special Collections to make it location specific for Special Collections.

Since the Lexington Community College and the Medical Center are separate owning libraries, it is not necessary to make the local notes location specific in their records. However, when an item is located within two or more sublocations of either owning library and the local note applies to only one sublocation, the local note will be preceded by the location name for the sublocation.

An additional exception applies to all locations. When the 590 note contains donor / honoree information, the note will not be preceded by any form of the location name. The note will begin with the donor / honoree information.

The location name that is used in the local note must be taken from the Voyager location list.

Circulation Review Flag

Circulation staff will be responsible for activating and deactivating the circulation review flag.

When an item is discharged that has a circulation review flag, each service unit should have a person designated to correct the problem or route the item to the person / unit identified in the note field, deactivate the flag, and erase the message.

Cataloging Review Flag

Cataloging staff will be responsible for activating and deactivating the cataloging review flag.

When an item is discharged that has a cataloging review flag, each service unit should have a person designated to route the item to the person / unit identified in the note field.

Item Note Window

Circulation staff will be responsible for adding an explanatory note for the circulation flag and removing that note when the problem is corrected. It is recommended that at the end of the note the following format should be followed: Voyager operator id of person adding the note / 2-letter service unit code / mm/dd/yy.

Cataloging staff will be responsible for adding an explanatory note for the cataloging review flag and removing that note when the problem is corrected. It is recommended that at the end of the note the following format should be followed: Voyager operator id of person adding the note / departmental abbreviation / mm/dd/yy.

Library materials that have been put in boxes or envelope pamphlets because of their poor physical condition are now limited to in-house use. Notes will be added to the item record and to the MFHD record to indicate that the items are non-circulating.

In the item record, the item type will be changed from its default item type for the particular material to "no circ" (noncirculating). The item note of the item record will provide the reason for restricting access and display one of the following two notes:

When all of the pieces of a title are in a box, the note "Non-circulating due to poor physical condition" will be entered in subfield z of the 852 field of the MFHD. This note will display below the holdings in the OPAC.

When some of the pieces of a title are boxed, the note will be entered in subfield z of the 866-868 fields instead. This note will display beside the appropriate holdings in the OPAC.

Other Bibliographic Policies & Procedures

1. Call numbers for non-book materials (7-8-1999)
3. Printing date for materials (9-21-2000)
4. Copy numbers in holdings or item records (12-14-2000)
5. Minimal level cataloging (2-10-2000)
6. MFHD Records for Serials and Non-Serials Materials (rev. & combined with Policy #17, 3/31/04)
Caption Dictionary (11-7-2002)

7. Withdrawals, lost / missing, and deletions (September 2004)
11. Hierarchy for cataloging sources (9-22-2000)
12. Authority control for the UK Institutional Group (1-05-1995)
13. Mixed media materials (3-29-1994)
14. "Boundwiths": multiple bibliographic records representing one physical piece (2-08-2001)
15. Bibliographic Control & Processing Policies for Non-book Materials (3-18-2002)
18. Language Used in the Enumeration of Multi-volume Works (12-16-1996)
19. Guidelines for OPAC Display of Internet Resources (10-05-2000)
20. Storage Procedures for Updating the Catalog (6-10-2003)
21. Guidelines for the Cataloging of Internet Resources (4-03-2003)
22. Multiple Versions - Same Title in Different Formats (2-06-2002)
23. Enumeration and Chronology in Item Records (11-19-2003)

This page was last updated 22 June 2005. To comment on this document, send mail to Kate Seago at kseago@email.uky.edu.