And now a word from the cataloging contingent:

Since the content of a MARC record (in a library context) is determined by
AACR2 and associated rules, note the following LCRI (1.0E. Language and
script of the description):

[This LCRI is describing the preferred method for entering characters not
available in the character set: 

Use the double underscore as the conventional means of signaling special
letters (including superscript and subscript letters), diacritical marks,
and punctuation marks for which there is no exact representation in the
character set.]

Exception 1:  Do not use the double underscore convention in the following
cases; use instead the equivalent indicated:

Old German small "e"  = umlaut (Fürsten)
"Scharfes s" or "ess-zet" (ß) written as ligature =  ss (Ausslegung)
"Scharfes s" or "ess-zet" (<¿) written as two letters = sz (Auszlegung)
Schwa (ä) = ä
Degree symbol (600°) = superscript zero (6000)
Inch/inches, second/seconds = tvërdy¦ znak (") 
Foot/feet, minute/minutes = mÂgki¦ znak (´)
Superscript or subscript period = dot above ( . ) or dot below ( . )
IPA character for glottal stop (?) = ayn (´)

D. Bonner

D. Ellen Bonner
Principal Cataloger &
Supervisor of Cataloging
YBP Library Services
Contoocook, NH


-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Reichert [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2000 10:13 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: LATIN SMALL LETTER SHARP S


Is there any generally agreed upon method for representing LATIN SMALL
LETTER SHARP S (e.g. German ess-tzet) in a USMARC record--as the character
is absent from all USMARC character sets?  Would it be completely
non-standard to escape into a character set like ISO-8859 via a
non-USMARC-approved (but ISO 2022-standard) final character in the escape
sequence?