Re: distinguish dvd from vhs in media icons in webopac?

[Rich Atkinson <richard dot atkinson at tufts dot edu>]

Hi Melissa,

We started doing something with material type icons within the past few 
months.  The key is that III has added some local fixed fields to bib 
records, including the material type field.  This is usually that same 
value as the MARC fixed field rec type.  You can add additional values 
to the material type field (such as breaking up projected medium into 
DVD, VHS, and Other) without breaking MARC standard rules since you are 
not changing a MARC field.  Only the III software will ever use or see 
the material type field.  When a MARC record extract is created, the III 
fields are not included, only the MARC standard ones; including the 
still correct rec type fixed field.

Bottom line: using new material types to allow for better icons in the 
webopac has worked out quite well for us with only minimal grumbling 
from processing staff  who have to remember to use the new material 
types.  From a system viewpoint, don't let people get carried away.  The 
material type is a single character field and while you could use letter 
and punctuation to create new values, I would recommend sticking to 0 
through 9.  The letters may one day be used as part of the MARc rec type 
standard value and punctuation marks are always an iffy proposition.

Rich A.
Tufts

Belvadi, Melissa wrote:

> Hello. We've seen some libraries are able to have two different media
> icons in their webopac for DVDs versus VHS videos. But we've been told
> that the icons are tied to the material type field, which is tied to an
> officially defined MARC fixed-field tag which doesn't distinguish
> different kinds of videos.
>
> So how is this being done? 
>
> Does the solution involve the catalogers having to break official MARC
> rules, or manually add an extra value somewhere to all records or
> something like that?  We really want to do this, but the catalogers
> really don't want the solution to create extra work for them on a
> per-record basis.
>
> Any advice, examples, tips, etc. would be greatly appreciated!
>
>
> Melissa Belvadi
> Systems and Services Librarian
> Maryville University Library
> 13550 Conway Rd., St. Louis, MO 63141
> mbelvadi at maryville dot edu
> 314-529-9531
> Fax: 314-529-9941
>
>
>
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--
Rich Atkinson
Tufts University Library Systems Manager
Phone: (617)627-5239
Fax: (617)627-3002
E-mail: richard dot atkinson at tufts dot edu