Start of Message The Newsletter of the Health Sciences OCLC Users' Group Proceedings of HSOCLCUG Annual Meeting Oct. 22-24, 1999

Saturday, October 23, 1999
MeSH Authority Control
Presenters: Janifer Meldrum, MARCIVE; Mark Roux, CyberTools, Inc.; Rebecca Dean, Manager of the Authority Control Section at OCLC

CyberTools: Key features:

1. The only system with true MeSH integration: updates MARC bibliographic records with changes in MeSH. All other systems do not offer concurrency with MeSH.
2. The best serials management: powerful features and good design reduce manual work.
3. Easy management: thin client, server centric: everything goes on the server.
4. Scalable: to millions of holdings and thousands of users.
5. Powerful reporting: relational database, use popular Windows reporting tools.
6. Money-back guarantee

CyberTools: History:

Started at Georgetown University Medical Center, Dahlgren Memorial Library in 1980 under the guidance of Naomi Broering (recent MLA president). Known as LIS. Designed by medical librarians for medical libraries. Literally, some of the librarians became programmers. From 1981-1996 LIS was a highly regarded system. From 1995-97 CyberTools was a software tools vendor to Georgetown. In 1997 Georgetown decided to stop being a software vendor. LIS users loved LIS, so in March 1998, CyberTools acquired it.

MeSH management overview:

CyberTools delivers the annual NLM MeSH changes to you, complete with scope notes, "X", and "See Related" notes. All the MARC bibliographic records are also updated, resulting in your current MeSH Authority being synchronized with your MARC bibs. This makes the search vocabulary really work. New in 1999, CyberTools offers MARCout converted to standard distribution format.

MeSH in the OPAC:

1. Index the "X" references so Costen's Syndrome > TMJ Dysfunction Syndrome.
2. Display scope notes
3. View tree
4. Explode: up the tree, down all branches, and the "See Related" for the immediate term
5. Refine subject heading search by qualifiers

Essential MeSH update steps

1. Load new MeSH vocabulary file
2. Index MeSH vocabulary file
3. Update catalog authority files
4. List and verify deleted MeSH: cataloger can prohibit deletions
5. Remove and replace deleted MeSH from MARC bibs
6. View and print exception report

   NLM cataloging changes and CyberTools adaptations

   Prior to 1999 multifaceted subject descriptors were created by stringing subfields together. In 1999 a number of subfields were split off into separate 650 tags, or into other tags in NLM LOCATOR/plus. These are then in many cases reinserted into the 650 tag for distribution to OCLC, etc. These aggregates are called MARCout (after the conversion program), or Distributed Structure (after the purpose).

   Distributed Structure:

   • 650 12 |a Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome |x epidemiology |z Texas
   • 650 22 |a Prisoners |x psychology |z Texas

   LOCATOR/plus version:

   • 650 12 |a Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome |x epidemiology
   • 650 22 |a Prisoners |x psychology
   • 651 2 |a Texas |x epidemiology

   Note that if previously the |z Texas was associated with only one or the other of the subject headings, it will now be associated with both in the external format.

   Solutions:

   1. Support the older structure;
   2. Index relevant tags we have not indexed before to support the new structure;
   3. Provide the MARCout utilitythat can transfom the NLM LOCATORplus structure into the Distributed Structure.

   650 |z (geographic subdivision)

   In the past we have indexed the |z if it is a MeSH qualifier, and we will continue to do so. Beginning with this MeSH Update we will now index the 651 |a and the field will be searchable by keyword.

   We are also providing a MARCout conversion option that can be applied if:

   • -there is only one 651 tag, and
   • -the 650 tag(s) have no |z, and
   • -the value of the 651 |a is equal to the value of a MeSH qualifier.

   The MARCout conversion option removes the 651 tag and embeds an appropriately valued |z in the 650 tag.

   650 |x "in..." age groups as check tags

   MeSH 1999 problem:

   NLM is discontinuing the use of these qualifiers this year:

   Distributed Structure:

   • 650 12 |a Child Development
   • 650 12 |a Communication |x Infant, Newborn
   • 650 12 |a Learning |x Infant, Newborn

   NLM LOCATORplus Structure:

   • 650 12 |a Child Development
   • 650 22 |a Communication [ |9 a]
   • 650 22 |a Learning [ |9 a]
   • 650 22 |a Infant, Newborn

   MeSH 1999 solution:

   The age group terms that will be distributed in the |x subfields by NLM are descriptors and the |x is a position which only allows qualifiers. We are this year adding a list of descriptors that can be used as qualifiers (call it the Qualifying Descriptor Table) that for now just contains the age group terms, Pregnancy, and certain form terms. Next year we will probably formalize this as a user editable table. This Qualifying Descriptor Table will contain for each term the tag(s) and subfield(s) where the term's use is appropriate. That is, the table will show that the term "Humor" will be allowed in |v of 650 and in |a of 655, but not in other contexts.

   With this table we are

   1. able to validate the Distributed Structure above and allow keyword search for an age group in the |x subfield;
   2. providing an option in the MARCout utility to transform the NLM LOCATORplus Structure to the Distributed Structure

   MeSH 2000:

   In MeSH 2000, when these terms are expected to be dropped, we will provide a conversion utility to assist in converting these terms from topical subheadings for age groups to check tags.

   The age group terms that are subject headings do not necessarily map one-to-one with the deprecated qualifiers, e.g., there are "Infant" and "Child" so where do we map "in infancy and childhood?"

   Publication types used as form divisions

   The NLM treatment of PTs distinguishes between those considered to be forms and those considered to be genres.

   Solutions:

   PTs used as Form Divisions solution:

   1. add the form division terms to our Qualifying Descriptor Table, to allow both the descriptor version of these terms (|v Atlases) and the qualifier version of these terms (|v atlases)
   2. Index the |a subfield of 655 tags and allow searches by keyword.
   3. Provide an option in the MARCout utility that will convert from NLM LOCATORplus Structure to Distributed Structure (at least where there is exactly one 655)

   PTs used as Genres Solution:

   CyberTools: Key features: These terms will not be distributed in |v subfields, thus: Distributed Structure

   • 650 12 |a Plants, Medicinal |x chemistry
   • 650 12 |a Quality Control.
   • 655 _7 |a Guideline |2 mesh

   NLM Locatorplus Structure

7. 650 12 |aPlants, Medicinal |x chemistry
8. 650 12 |a Quality Control
9. 659 _7 |a Guideline |2 mesh

   We provide an option in the MARCout utility that will convert from NLM LOCATORplus format to Distributed Structure. We will also index 659 |a tags and make them searchable by keyword.

   1999 Obsolete Form Subdivisions

   Remove the |v subfields containing these descriptions from the 650 and create a 690 containing the term in the |a subfield. If the terms are being dropped but a Form PT replacement has been specified, the replacement will be performed instead of the move to the 690 tag. This field will be indexed and searchable by keyword. In addition, this field can be examined by the Material Type search algorithm.

   MARCout Conversion Utility

   1. Convert separate 650 age group, pregnancy tags to |x subfields on 650s
      If there are one or more 650 _2 tags containng one of a short list of age terms or "Pregnancy" as the "a" subfield, the terms will be added in "x" subfields to all the 650 MeSH tags with "|9 a" NLM markers, multiplying them as necessary to keep one "x" subfield per tag. The 650 _2 tags will be eliminated.

      ---

      Convert 651 _2 |a geographic to |z in all 650s

      If there is exactly one 651 _2, the Geographic term in the "a" subfield will be applied to all 650 MeSH tags as z subfields and the 651 tag will be eliminated.

      Convert Form PTs in 655_7 tags to |v subfields on 650s

      If there is exactly one 655 _7, the Form PT term in the a subfield will be applied to all 650 MeSH tags as v subfields andthe 655 tag will be eliminated. The term identified must be one of a list of PTs that NLM considers a form.

      ---

      Convert Genre PTs in 659 _7 tags to 655 _7 tags

      This option converts 659 _7 (with "mesh" as the content of subfield 2) to 655 _7 tags. These are PTs that NLM considers genres.

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   Start of Message The Newsletter of the Health Sciences OCLC Users' Group

   Start of Message is the newsletter of the Health Sciences OCLC Users' Group, an independent group composed of health sciences libraries and individuals who either use or are interested in the use of the services of OCLC, Inc. in health sciences libraries. Editor: Cindy Fedders Washington University School of Medicine Library (Box 8132) 660 S. Euclid, St. Louis, MO 63110 (314) 362-2784 FAX (314) 362-0190 e-mail: feddersc@medicine.wustl.edu

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