Apologies for the duplication-- but we wanted to make sure everyone had
seen these articles in LCCN Vol. 6, no. 12.
Headings for Chinese Conventional Place Names
Pinyin Conversion Update
LC Records and Changes to 856 Field
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HEADINGS FOR CHINESE CONVENTIONAL PLACE NAMES
The Library of Congress has reevaluated the headings for
Chinese place names that are not entered according to standard
Wade-Giles form, as well as certain systematically romanized
headings. The Library circulated the proposed changes in the
spring and received comments from the Council of East Asian
Libraries (CEAL) as well as individual librarians. Most of the
conventional headings for Chinese place names listed in _Library of
Congress Rule Interpretation_ (LCRI) 23.2, as well as several
additional headings, will be changed to current forms based on
pinyin romanization. LCRI 23.2 will be revised to reflect these
changes.
The revised LCRI 23.2, along with a list showing both the
current forms of headings for Chinese conventional place names and
the new forms to which they will be changed, will be published in
update no. 3-4, 1998, to LCRI and _Cataloging Service Bulletin_,
no. 83.
The Library has undertaken a pilot project to determine the
most efficient and effective means of making these changes to
bibliographic and name authority records. During the pilot
project, headings for several place names in Sichuan Sheng
(Szechwan Province) will be changed, along with the heading for the
province itself.
LCCN OLD HEADING NEW HEADING
n81-20323 Szechwan Province (China) Sichuan Sheng (China)
n81-20054 Ch'eng-tu (China) Chengdu (China)
n81-82039 Ch'ung-ch'ing shih (China) Chongqing (China)
n89-125551 Hsi-k'ang sheng (China) Xikang Sheng (China)
nr93-5302 Zamtang (China : District) Zamtang Xian (China)
nr94-43623 Zoige (China : District) Zoige Xian (China)
nr94-43605 Barkam (China : District) Barkam Xian (China)
Because the many changes to authority and bibliographic
records will be made incrementally, the Library's database will
contain headings in both the current forms and the new forms. The
Library will announce implementation targets before the end of
1998.
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PINYIN CONVERSION UPDATE
The Research Libraries Group (RLG) has announced that it will
work with the Library to convert its Chinese records to pinyin. In
consultation with RLG, the Library has proposed an implementation
time line for certain portions of the conversion project. It is
now anticipated that Chinese records will be converted in the
spring or summer of the year 2000. The Library will prepare
program specifications and then work with RLG on conversion
programming and testing.
As a first step in converting its files from Wade-Giles
romanization of Chinese to the pinyin system, the Library
circulated draft Chinese romanization guidelines based on pinyin.
Comments were solicited widely, and many thoughtful responses were
received from a variety of institutions, both nationally and
internationally. Having taken those comments into consideration,
the Library is now about to release its pinyin romanization
guidelines.
The new guidelines will follow standard Chinese pinyin
romanization procedures, with certain exceptions. Words of
non-Chinese origin will be romanized systematically in all cases.
Tones will not be indicated. The Library will continue its
practice of separating individual syllables, except for personal
names, geographic locations, and certain proper nouns. This
approach can be conveniently and consistently applied to the full
range of Chinese texts, and helps assure that converted LC records
will maintain their consistency with those found on both utilities.
OCLC users may continue to separate individual syllables with a
space, while RLIN users can maintain their practice of connecting
certain syllables with a joining character. The separation of
syllables should also facilitate international exchange of Chinese
bibliographic data in the future.
LC's Pinyin Task Group has begun the task of identifying and
assessing the many effects of pinyin conversion on subject headings
and classification schedules. The group will develop options for
determining when and how the process should proceed. Major changes
are anticipated in the DS, G, and PL schedules of the LC
classification. Conversion of subject headings may be initiated
before the year 2000.
For further information, contact Philip Melzer, team leader,
Korean/Chinese Team, Regional and Cooperative Cataloging, at
[log in to unmask]
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LC RECORDS AND CHANGES TO 856 FIELD
Changes to field 856, Electronic Location and Access, of the
_USMARC Format for Bibliographic Data_ were recently approved by
MARBI. The changes affect the indicator values, which are revised
as follows:
Indicator 1 (Access method)
# No information provided
4 HTTP (new value)
Indicator 2 (Relationship) (newly defined indicator position)
# No information provided
0 Resource
1 Version of resource
2 Related resource
8 No display constant generated
Records input or edited in the Library of Congress local
system (MUMS) will not contain these values; instead they will
retain previously established values in indicator 1 and a blank in
indicator 2. Because the Library is planning the transfer of its
bibliographic operations to an integrated library system, scheduled
for implementation on October 1, 1999, few changes to MUMS are
being made during the transition period. However, the new values
may appear in records distributed by the Cataloging Distribution
Service that were not input or edited in MUMS, such as CONSER
records.
Questions regarding this information should be directed to the
Cataloging Policy and Support Office, [log in to unmask], or by fax,
(202) 707-6639.
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