Skip to Main Content

Cataloging Manual

Appendix K:

Exceptions to OPAL Cataloging Standards and Procedures

  1. Retain or add |g in enhanced 505 formatted contents note fields so that miscellaneous information contained in this sub-field such as volume numbers, chapter numbers, etc. will not be indexed in OPAL. Do not use subfield |g to separate initial articles from titles in field 505. Initial articles in titles should be included in subfield |t when inputting an enhanced contents note.
  2. URLs for locally subscribed materials should be placed in the ITEM FLD variable length field in an item record with a 856 tag and the appropriate indicators. In addition, the item record should be suppressed from OhioLINK using ICODE2=-z.
    URLs for freely available content can be placed in a 856 field in the bibliographic record. Any OPAL cataloger encountering a restricted-access resource in a bib record 856 is free to remove the 856 without asking any of the holding libraries.
    The ONLY exception to this is for the OPAL Ebsco Academic ebook collection - URLs are placed in an 956 field in the bibliographic record.
  3. MARC Records for the following content should not be loaded into the OPAL catalog:
  • Databases
  • Websites
  • Electronic journals
  • Images