On September 29, 2022, OCLC installed changes to WorldCat Validation, with a small additional update on October 11. See the WorldCat Validation Release Notes, September 2022 for full details.
As a result of this installation, OCLC Encoding Level K is now invalid in WorldCat. All of the nearly 26 million WorldCat bibliographic records previously identified as Encoding Level K have now been converted to one of the standard MARC values blank, 7, or 3, as appropriate according to algorithmic determinations of record fullness. When entering original cataloging records into WorldCat, all OCLC participants are encouraged to use the appropriate MARC 21 Encoding Levels: value blank for full level, value 7 for minimal level, or value 3 for abbreviated level.
In addition to the invalidation of Encoding Level K, this validation installation also includes the following new features and enhancements:
- OCLC-MARC Validations of New MARC Codes Announced May-August 2022
- MARC 21 Bibliographic Update No. 34 (Announced July 2022)
- MARC 21 Authority Update No. 34 (Announced July 2022) to the Validation Rule Set that Includes All Valid Elements of MARC 21 Authority Format. These changes apply only to the OCLC-MARC Authority validation rule set that includes all valid elements of MARC 21 Authority Format. Name Authority Cooperative (NACO) participants cannot use these authority format changes in the LC/NACO Authority File at this time. The Library of Congress and OCLC will announce the implementation of these elements for use in name and subject authority records in the LC/NACO Authority File at a future date.
- MARC 21 Holdings Update No. 34 (Announced July 2022)
The following bug fixes have also been included:
- Correction of Validation Relationships in Bibliographic Field 382
- Unicode Characters Valid in Additional Local Holdings Record (LHR) Subfields
- Correction of Validation for Authority Fields 080, 082, and 083
- Correction of Validation for Bibliographic Field 046
- Correction of Validation for Subfield $2 in Bibliographic and Local Holdings Records (LHRs)
These enhancements and fixes are the result of announcements of new MARC elements and codes by the Library of Congress as well as feedback and requests from members of the OCLC cooperative.
See the WorldCat Validation Release Notes, September 2022 at oc.lc/validation-release-notes for more details of the changes installed on September 29, and October 11, 2022.
Please forgive any duplication of this message.
Stay well.
jay
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Jay Weitz
Senior Consulting Database Specialist
Online Computer Library Center
He/Him/His
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