COMARC/B Format for Bibliographic Data

PDFCOMARC/BMarch2022

856 Electronic location and access

This field contains the information required to locate the electronic item described by the record. The information identifies the electronic location containing the item or from which it is available. It also contains information to retrieve the item by the access method identified in the first indicator position. The second indicator specifies the relationship between the electronic and bibliographic item described in the record. The information contained in this field is sufficient to allow for the electronic transfer of a file, subscription to an electronic journal, or logon to an electronic resource. In some cases, only unique data elements are recorded which allow the user to access a locator table on a remote host containing the remaining information needed to access the item.

Before field 856 was introduced, the information on the uniform resource location is being entered in field 337 – System requirements note. This note is now generated from subfield 856u – Uniform Resource Locator.

Subfields & repeatability

FIELD/SUBFIELDREPEATABILITY
856Electronic location and accessr
aHost namer
bAccess numberr
cCompression informationr
dPathr
fElectronic namer
gUniform Resource Namer
hProcessor of requestnr
iInstructionr
jBits per secondnr
kPasswordnr
lLogon/loginnr
mContact for access assistancer
nName of location of host in subfield anr
oOperating systemnr
pPortnr
qElectronic format typer
rSettingsnr
sFile sizer
tTerminal emulationr
uUniform Resource Locatornr
vHours access method availabler
xNonpublic noter
yAccess methodnr
wRecord control numberr
zPublic noter
3Materials specifiedr

Indicators

INDICATORVALUEMEANING
1Access method
0Email
1FTP
2Remote login (Telnet)
3Dial-up
4HTTP
7Method specified in subfield y
No information provided
2Relationship
0Resource
1Version of resource
2Related resource
8No display constant generated

The indicator 1 specifies the method of accessing the electronic resource.

The value "0" of the indicator 1 specifies whether it is possible to access the electronic resource with an email. The same value of the indicator is also used when it is possible to order an electronic journal by email using special software.

The value "1" of the indicator 1 enables entering data needed for an electronic resource transfer; values "2" or "3" of the indicator enable data entry relating to the access method modes.

The value "7" of the indicator 1 is used by different access mode (entered in subfield y).

The indicator 2 specifies the relationship between the electronic resource placed on the location entered in field 856 and the item described by the record.

The value "0" of the indicator 2 is used when the electronic location, described by the record, is entered in field 856. In that case, the item being described by the bibliographic record is an electronic resource (see examples). A note containing the introductory phrase "Access mode (URL):" or "Access mode (URN):" is generated automatically.

The value "1" of the indicator 2 is used when the location of the electronic version of the item, related to the item described by the record, is entered in field 856 (e.g. when there is also an electronic version of the printed resource available). Data relating to the electronic form access is entered in field 856 (see examples 34, 35). A note containing the introductory phrase "Also available on:" is generated automatically.

The value "2" of the indicator 2 is used when the electronic resource, related to the item described by the record is entered in field 856. Data relating to the related electronic source is entered in field 856 (see example 37). A note containing the introductory phrase "Related electronic resource:" is generated automatically.

The value "8" of the indicator 2 is used when the introductory phrase output from field 856 is not required.

SUBFIELDS

856a Host name

This subfield contains the host address. It is repeatable when there are more addresses available for one host.

856b Access number

It can contain the Internet Protocol (IP) numeric address if the item is an Internet resource (see examples 3, 4, 22), or a telephone number if dial-up access is provided through a telephone line (see examples 10, 17). This data may change frequently and may be generated by the system. A telephone number is recorded as follows: [country code]-[area code]-[telephone number], e.g. 49-69-15251140 (a number in Frankfurt, Germany), 1-202-7076237 (a number in the U.S., Washington, D.C.). If an extension is applicable, include it after the telephone number preceded by "x", e.g. 1-703-3589800x515 (a telephone number with extension).

856c Compression information

This subfield is used when special software is required for data decompression (see examples 1, 25, 31).

856d Path

See examples.

856f Electronic name

The electronic name of a file is entered as it exists in the directory/subdirectory indicated in subfield d on the host identified in subfield a. Subfield Podpolje f may be repeated if a single logical file has been divided into parts and stored under different names (see example 8). In this case, the separate parts should constitute a single bibliographic item. In all other cases, a file that may be retrieved under different filenames contains multiple occurrences of field 856, each with it corresponding electronic name in subfield f. A filename may include wildcard characters (e.g. "*" or "?") if applicable, with a note in subfield z explaining how files are named. Filenames may be case sensitive for some systems.

This subfield may also contain the name of the electronic publication or conference (see example 19).

856g Uniform Resource Name

The Uniform Resource Name (URN) is entered representing the global uniform name not being dependent on the location.

856h Processor of request

The username or processor of the request is entered in this subfield (see example 16); generally the data which precedes the at sign "@" in the host address.

856i Instruction

An instruction or command needed for the remote host to process a request (see example 16).

856j Bits per second

The lowest and highest number of bits of data that can be transmitted per second when connected to a host. The syntax for recording the number of bits per second should be: [Lowest BPS]-[Highest BPS] (see examples 10, 17). If only lowest given: [Lowest BPS]-. If only highest given: -[Highest BPS].

856k Password

Used to record general-used passwords, and should not contain passwords requiring security (see example 18).

856l Logon/login

General-use logon/login strings which do not require special security (see examples 12, 29, 31).

856m Contact for access assistance

The address or a contact person is entered for access assistance (see examples 3, 4, 9).

856n Name of location of host in subfield a

See examples 3, 7, 10, 13, 14, 15, 17.

856o Operating system

For information, the operating system is entered used by the host specified in subfield a (see examples 10, 13, 17).

856p Port

The portion of the address that identifies a process or service in the host (see example 14).

856q Electronic format type

This subfield contains an identification of the electronic format type (e.g. text/HTML, ASCII, postscript, computer program – exe or JPEG). The information is designated for the end users to determine how data are transferred through a network and how they can be used or be read (e.g. what software or hardware is required for the file to be displayed). Text files can be transferred as character data which generally restricts the text to characters in the ASCI character set (i.e. the basic Latin script, digits 0-9, a few special characters, and most punctuation marks). Text files with characters outside of the ASCI set, or non-textual data (e.g. computer programs, image data) must be transferred using another file transfer mode, usually binary mode (see example 11). Electronic format type may be taken from lists such as registered Internet Media types (MIME types) (see example 24). Subfield is repeatable if an electronic resource is available in different formats at one electronic address (see example 41).

856r Settings

The settings used for transferring data are entered. Included in settings are:

  • Number Data Bits (the number of bits per character),

  • Number Stop Bits (the number of bits to signal the end of a byte), and

  • Parity (the parity checking technique used).

The syntax of these elements is: [Parity]-[Number of Data Bits]-[Number of Stop Bits] (see examples 10, 17). If only the parity is given, the other elements or settings and their related hyphens are omitted (i.e. [Parity]). If one of the other two elements is given, the hyphen for the missing element is recorded in its proper position, i.e. [Parity]--[Number of Stop Bits] or [Parity]-[Number of Data Bits]-. The values for parity are: O (Odd), E (Even), N (None), S (Space) and M (Mark).

856s File size

The size of the file is entered as stored under the filename indicated in subfield f. It is generally expressed in terms of 8-bit bytes. It may be repeated in cases where the filename is repeated and directly follows the subfield f to which it applies (see example 8).

856t Terminal emulation

See examples 4, 7, 10.

856u Uniform Resource Locator

The URL is entered which provides data in standard syntax needed for the electronic access. With URL address the electronic item should be located using existing Internet protocols.

Field 856 is structured to allow for the creation of a URL from the concatenation of other separate 856 subfields. Within the COBISS system subfield u is used for generating a note on the access mode in the ISBD description; that is why this subfield is always entered when such a note is required.

856v Hours access method available

The hours are entered that access to an electronic resource is available at the location indicated in this field (see examples 3, 4).

856w Record control number

A control number of the record is entered in this subfield.

856x Nonpublic note

The information by cataloguers that is not suitable for library users (see example 1).

856y Access method

The access method when the first indicator position contains value "7". This subfield may include access methods other than the main TCP/IP protocols specified in the first indicator. The data in this subfield corresponds to the access schemes specified in Resource Locators (URL) (RFC 1738), a product of the Uniform Resource Identifiers Working Group of the IETF. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) maintains a registry of URL schemes and defines the syntax and use of new schemes.

856z Public note

Notes are entered that are suitable to be displayed for the library users (see examples 10, 26). Together with the date of the public note entry, the note about an URL address failure is also entered, namely in the following form: "E-resource at http:// … is not accessible (a date of the note entry)" (see example 40).

8563 Materials specified

The more detailed information is entered concerning the part or aspect of the item that data in field 856 refers to (see examples 27, 37, 38, 39).

NOTES ON FIELD CONTENTS

This field may be repeated when there are more different data relating the title (subfields a, b, d) and when more different access modes are available (see example 2). Some libraries may have different URL addresses for the same electronic resource. That is why the already existent fields 856 created by another library should not be changed in the shared cataloguing database; data is always entered in a new field 856, if it is necessary. This field may also be repeated when there are more filenames (subfield f), except for the completed item which is divided into more parts to be saved or searched online.

A note on the access mode is generated from field 856. That is why the field is mandatory when indirectly accessible files are being catalogued. Subfields g, u, z, q and 3 are displayed. The content of the introductory phrase depends on the presence of subfields g, u and q and also on the value of the second indicator.

In the records for serials in electronic form field 856 must refer to the whole title and not to the separate issues. The data as file size of separate issues, etc. is not entered in this filed.

Before field 856 was introduced, the information on the uniform resource location is being entered in field 337 – System requirements note.

EXAMPLES

  1. 85610awuarchive.wustl.edu cdecompress with PKUNZIP.exe d/mirrors2/win3/games fatmoids.zip xcannot verify because of transfer difficulty
  2. 85610uftp://path.net/pub/docs/urn2urc.ps
    85640uhttp://lcweb.loc.gov/catdir/semdigdocs/seminar.html
  3. 85620apac.carl.org b192.54.81.128 mCARL Situation Room mhelp@CARL.org nCARL Systems Inc., Denver, CO v24 hours
  4. 85630alocis.loc.gov b140.147.254.3 mlconline@loc.gov t3270 tline mode (e.g., vt100) vM-F 6:00 a.m.-21:30 p.m. USA EST, Sat. 8.30-17:00 USA EST, Sun. 13:00-17:00 USA EST
  5. 85640uhttp://lcweb.loc.gov/catdir/toc/93-3471.html
  6. 85640uhttp://www.gpntb.ru/win/inter-events/crimea94/report/prog_01r.html s14519 v24
  7. 85620amaine.maine.edu nUniversity of Maine t3270
  8. 85610awuarchive.wustl.edu dmirrors/info-mac/util fcolor-system-icons.hqx s16874 bytes
    85600akeptvm.bitnet facadlist file1 s34.989 bytes facadlist file2 s32.876 bytes facadlist file3 s23.987 bytes
  9. 85620agopac.berkeley.edu mRoy Tennant
  10. 85630b1-202-7072316 j2400-9600 nLibrary of Congress, Washington, DC oUNIX rE-7-1 tvt100 zRequires logon and password
  11. 85610aarchive.cis.ohio-state.edu dpub/comp.sources.Unix/volume 10 fcomobj.lisp.10.Z qbinary
  12. 85610aunmvm.bitnet lanonymous
  13. 85610aseq1.loc.gov d/pub/soviet.archive ffk1famine.bkg nLibrary of Congress, Washington, D.C. oUNIX
  14. 85620amadlab.sprl.umich.edu nUniversity of Michigan Weather Underground p3000
  15. 85620apucc.princeton.edu nPrinceton University, Princeton, N.J.
  16. 85600auccvma.bitnet fIR-L hListserv isubscribe
  17. 85600b1-202-7072316 j2400-9600 nLibrary of Congress, Washington, DC oUNIX rE-7-1
  18. 85610aharvarda.harvard.edu kguest
  19. 85600auicvm.bitnet fAN2
  20. 85610awuarchive.wustl.edu dmirrors/info-mac/util fcolor-system-icons.hqx
  21. 85640awww.gpntb.ru b193.233.14.7 dwin/dewey fMoscow.Russia.GPNTB, Mikhail Goncharov oWINDOWS-NT s2048 bytes qtext/WINI-1251 v24
  22. 85620aanthrax.micro.umn.edu b128.101.95.23
    (Host name and IP numeric address.)
  23. 85610awuarchive.wustl.edu d/aii/admin/CAT.games fmac-qubic.22.hqx
  24. 85640uhttp://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/eid.htm qtext/html
  25. 85640uhttp://www.nlc-bnc.ca/ifla/VI/3/p1996-1/concise.pdf uhttp://ifla.inist.fr/VI/3/p1996-1/concise.pdf cRequires Adobe Acrobat Reader
  26. 2000⊔aBulletin d’informations de l’Association des bibliothécaires français
    85640uhttp://www.abf.asso.fr/bulletin.htm zSommaire des numéros disponible en ligne
  27. 85642uhttp://www.bl.uk/services/bsds/nbs/interface/wface01.html 3Interface (Web Version)
  28. *

    001⊔⊔ac bl cs d0
    011⊔⊔e1408-0990
    2001⊔aLjubljanske novice bElektronski vir
    85640uhttp://www.ljnovice.com/
  29. *

    85620utelnet://izumw.izum.si lcobiss
  30. *

    85600umailto:listserv@infoserv.nlc-bnc.ca
  31. *

    85610uftp://izumc.izum.si/opac20_1.zip cdekomprimiraj z WINZIP32.exe lanonymous
  32. *

    2000⊔a≠The ≠king and his castle bElektronski vir e≠a ≠few remarks on drawings of architectural elements on a medieval map fNataša Golob
    85640uhttp://www.let.ruu.nl/CIHA/posters/139.htm
  33. *

    001⊔⊔an bl cs d0
    011⊔⊔e1408-8134
    2001⊔aCOBISS obvestila bElektronski vir
    85640uhttp://home.izum.si/cobiss/cobiss_obvestila/
    (A record for the serial in electronic form.)
  34. *

    001⊔⊔ac ba cs d1
    011⊔⊔e1318-8585
    2001⊔aCOBISS obvestila
    85641uhttp://home.izum.si/cobiss/cobiss_obvestila/
    (A record for the serial in printed form.)
  35. *

    001⊔⊔an ba ca d2
    011⊔⊔a1318-8585
    2000⊔aAvtomatski telefonski odzivnik - kakovostna dopolnitev izposoje v Centralni tehniški knjižnici fSmilja Pejanovič
    215⊔⊔iǂLetn. ǂ4 hǂzv. ǂ3 k1999 astr. 33-37 cIlustr.
    85641uhttp://home.izum.si/cobiss/cobiss_obvestila/1999_3/html/clanek_03.html
    (An article in the serial being issued in both printed and electronic form. The article is connected to printed issue. Field 856 contains an URL of the article in the serial published in electronic form.)
  36. *

    001⊔⊔an bl ca d2
    011⊔⊔a1580-3538
    2000⊔aV vodi se dojenček navaja na samostojno gibanje bElektronski vir fDorica Šajber-Pincolič
    215⊔⊔iǂLetn. ǂ1 hǂšt. ǂ8 k18. avgust 1999 cIlustr.
    85640uhttp://www.sportosplet.net/8/8_plav.html
    (An article connected to the serial being published only in electronic form.)
  37. *

    001⊔⊔an ba cs d0
    011⊔⊔e0352-4833
    2001⊔aMoj mikro
    85642uhttp://www.mojmikro.delo-revije.si/ 3kazala ter vsebina tekoče številke
    (A record for the printed serial. There are indexes of the old issues of the serial and also a short content of the current issue published on the web site.)
  38. *

    001⊔⊔an ba cm d0
    2000⊔aHow the mind works fSteven Pinker
    85642uhttp://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0393318486/qid=1064232588/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/102-9167010-3008110?v=glance&s=books 3uredniške ocene in ocene bralcev
    (A record for the printed monograph. In addition to the basic information there are also critics and readers reviews published on the web site of the Amazon bookstore.)
  39. *

    001⊔⊔an ba cm d0
    2001⊔aInternet in pravo fBoštjan Makarovič ... [et al.]
    85642uhttp://www.pasadena.si/knjigarna/kazalo.asp?id=18210 3kazalo
    (A record for the printed monograph. In addition to the basic information there is also an index published on the web site of the publisher Pasadena.)
  40. *

    001⊔⊔an bl ca d2 t1.19
    2000⊔aBranje med vrsticami bElektronski vir fMilena Mileva Blažić
    85640zE-vir na naslovu http://www.mladinska.com/za_starse/branje_med_vrsticami ni več dostopen (17. 2. 2011)
    (The record for an article in electronic form. A note about an invalid URL is entered in subfield 856z. The date of a note entry is also entered, because the exact date of the URL address failure is usually not known.)
  41. *

    2000⊔aEsej bElektronski vir fDavid Albahari giz srbščine prevedla Sonja Polanc gurejanje in priprava za elektronsko objavo Blaž Podlesnik
    85640uhttps://doi.org/10.4312/NOKQ9389 qHTML qePUB qPDF
    (The e-book Esej is available in html as well as in epub and pdf formats at the same URL address. Subfield q is repeated for each format.)