URLs in web-based catalog records (856 marc field)

[Melissa Silvestre]

Hello. Now that we have a web-based opac (III), we are discussing
if/how to use the 856 field to put hotlinks to web resources in.
After much discussion with our catalogers (I am reference myself),
we have come down to two differing philosophies:

1. Every "bib" record should represent a separate thing - thus,
   any web item should have its own separate bib record
   regardless of whether the electronic is an exact replica of
   the print, and especially if it is not exactly the same (eg.
   is enhanced with hotlinks etc).

versus

2. If the print is already in our collection, and the electronic
   is virtually the same as the print and likely that the user
   who finds the print record would like to know about the electronic,
   we should use the 856 field in the bib record for the print
   item as a "see also" reference conceptually.

Of course, the case where there is no print equivalent is a separate
issue. 

How are others handling this issue? Are you making separate records
always, or when the electronic is different enough?

This seemed directly relevant to this list, but if you think I should
take the question to a more cataloging-oriented list, please direct
me.

Melissa S.


Melissa Silvestre  silvest at umslvma.umsl.edu   http://www.umsl.edu/~silvest/
Reference Librarian, University of Missouri-St. Louis   (314) 516-6473