Limit by Language:
How should Orbis software identify records by language?

Patron searching, reference and public service are all affected by the coding in bibliographic records, and by the profiling option selected for the Search module software. Please let us know how you feel about this issue. A summary of responses and suggestions received by Feb. 1 will be posted on e-mail lists and the Web.

Go to Summary of Responses and Conclusion at the end of this document.

Situation

Patrons comparing local and Orbis union database search results will sometimes come up with very different results. Limit by Language yields a different set of records in different systems.

When are the results different?

When comparing Orbis to any of these (because Orbis is set up differently): EOU, Linfield, Reed, SOU, UO, UPS, Willamette, WOU, and Whitman.

Orbis is set up the same as GFU, L&C, OIT, and UP.

Why are the results different?

Orbis is looking only at the fixed field LANG. Same for GFU, OIT, UP and L&C. The other INNOPACs are looking at the fixed field *and* field 041 (subfield a only).

Questions

  1. How should Orbis be set up?
    Fixed field only (status quo), or fixed field and 041?

  2. Is it okay for the union database and local databases to be using different parameters for Limiting by Language? (If the sentiment is no, indicating that uniformity is preferred, some of the local INNOPAC systems will need to be changed.)
We invite your comments. See conclusion and response form below.

Background

Cataloging records contain codes for the language(s) of the material. The codes are stored in the fixed field "LANG" and also in a variable length field, 041.

OCLC Bibliographic Standards and Formats

 field: LANG "Indicates the language of the work … the principal work, including legends, accompanying text, singing, or spoken text, and excluding preface, introduction, foreword, and appendixes."

Guidelines include:

use the predominant language code for multilingual items
use 041 [also] for multilingual items and translations

field: 041

"The three-character codes of languages associated with an item when the fixed-field element LANG is insufficient to convey full information for a multilingual item or for items that involve that involve translation." ... contains more than one language
... is or includes a translation
... language of the summaries, abstracts, or accomp. material differs from the language of the main item
... language of a table of contents differs from the language of the main item

subfield a

example, primarily in French, some parts in English: freeng
example, in English, French and Arabic: engfreara

subfield b: language code of abstract/overprinted title or subtitle

subfield d: sung or spoken text, instead of subf a for sound recordings

example: |dfreend

subfield e: librettos

subfield f: table of contents

subfield g: accompanying material other than librettos

examples: ger |g eng
|d ita |e engfreita |h ita |g fre

subfield h: original language and/or intermediate translations of text

examples in English and French, transl. from Vietnamese: engfre |h vie
in French, contains 3 works: one translated from German and two from Russian: fre |h rusger

Analysis

INCLUDE 041?

When 041 is included in the searching, results will include some materials that the patron presumably doesn't want: materials with very little content in that language, some translations, etc.

This disadvantage - including materials not intended -- is constrained to older cataloging records and records incorrectly coded (where all language codes are in subfield "a" instead of subfields). The problem could be mitigated with a large-scale "fix " project.

Example A. Interested in French language materials about the history of sociology (subject sociology history)? You'll also get books like this:

LANG: eng
041 1 engfre
240 10 Grandes doctrines de sociologie historique.|lEnglish
245 10 Main currents in sociological thought.|cTranslated by...
500 Translation of Les grandes doctrines de sociologie historique

Example B. Interested in the works of Erica Jong, and limit to English language? You'll also get:

LANG: spa
041 1 spaeng
100 1 Jong, Erica
240 10 How to save your own life.|lSpanish
245 10 Isadora emprende el vuelo :|bc{226}omo salvar su propia vida /|cErica Jong. Traducido por Esther Donato
500 T{226}itulo original: How to save your own life

FIXED FIELD ONLY?

When only the fixed field is used, some materials that the patron would want to see are excluded.

Example C. Use keyword "dictionary" and limit to language LATIN. You won't get Cassell's new Latin-English dictionary. LANG: eng
041 0 englat
240 00 Cassell's new Latin-English, English-Latin dictionary
245 00 Cassell's new Latin dictionary.|bLatin-English, English-
Latin|cby D. P. Simpson

You searched for the KEYWORD: dictionary LIMITED TO Latin
16 entries found, entries 1-8 are:
1 Cree's Dictionary of Latin quotations
2 Dictionarium bibliothecarii practicum : ad usum internat
3 Dictionarium bibliothecarii practicum : ad usum internat…
4 A Latin-English dictionary : for the use of junior students
5 Manipulus vocabulorum: a rhyming dictionary of the Engl…
6 Mediae Latinitatis lexicon minus. A medieval Latin-Fre…
7 Mediae Latinitatis lexicon minus : lexique latin medieal-
8 Mediae Latinitatis lexicon minus : lexique latin medieval-
9 Mediae Latinitatis lexicon minus. A medieval Latin-Fre
10 Mediae Latinitatis lexicon minus : a medieval Latin-Fre
11 Mediae Latinitatis lexicon minus : lexique latin medieval-francais/ang
12 Orbis pictus Latinus : vocabularius imaginibus illustratus =
13 Selectae e Veteri Testamento, historiae; or, Select passag
14 A smaller Latin-English dictionary,
15 Terminorum musicae index septem linguis redactus = Polyglot
16 Works.

Example D. Interested in materials with keyword "Cajun", in French? You won't get Bogalusa Boogie.

LANG: eng 041 0 |dengfre
100 10 Chenier, Clifton,|d1925-
245 10 Bogalusa boogie.|h[Sound recording]

Example E. Interested in bridge design, only works in English? You won't get this one, with text in English and German.

LANG: ger
041 0 gereng
245 10 Br{232}ucken :|b{232}Asthetik und Gestaltung = Bridges : aesthetics and design /|cFritz Leonhardt
260 0 Cambridge, Mass. :|bMIT Press,|c1984, c1982
490 1 MIT Press series in structural mechanics ;|v[4]
500 English and German

Example F. Looking for Portuguese poetry? Use Keyword "poemas" and limit to "por". You won't get this one:

LANG: spa
041 1 spapor|hpor
100 1 Mendes, Murilo,|d1901-1975
240 10 Virgem imprudente.|lSpanish & Portuguese
245 13 La Virgen imprudente y otros poemas :|bantolog{226}ia
biling{232}ue
Go to Response form

Summary of responses and Conclusion

Limit by Language

Questions

1. How should Orbis limit by language? (choose one)

2. Is it okay for the union catalog (Orbis) and local catalogs to use different rules for limiting by language? (choose one)

Note: If you prefer uniformity, some local systems will need to be changed

Responses
 

ff only

ff+041

uniformity between local & union?

EOU

      

GFU

  

ff+041

prefer uniformity

L&C

  

ff+041 if not costly

uniformity is not necessary

Linfield

  

ff+041

prefer uniformity

OIT

  

ff+041

prefer uniformity

Reed

  

ff+041

prefer uniformity

SOU

      

UO

   ff+041 [mixed responses]

UP

      

UPS

  

ff+041

prefer uniformity

WOU

ff

  

uniformity if possible

Whitman

  

ff+041

prefer uniformity

WU

  

ff+041

local & union should work the same way

Conclusion

Based on the responses, I believe we should set Orbis to use both the fixed field and 041 for Limit by Language. I will arrange for this profiling change by the end of February. Because there is some interest by local sites for Orbis and local Innopacs to work the same way, there are 4 sites that may want to consider making the same change.

Thank you to all who participated! [apologies if I have not included a reply received after Feb.2]

 

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