Mismatched filing indicators for non-Roman scripts

• Article Type: General
• Product: Aleph
• Product Version: 18.01

Description:
We are adding records with dual fields for Arabic script to our catalog. The primary problem is that Aleph will not let us update a record with linking dual script fields if the filing indicators are different. The example, as you point out, should have a filing indicator of 3 for the Roman script title and 2 for the Arabic script title. This is how it is in OCLC, but ALEPH insists that these are different fields because of the different indicators. It will then not allow the record to be saved to the server, as it thinks we are trying to do a linking field without a proper partner. We were able to overlay the record from OCLC [in order to have the fields with Arabic script], and now the indicators are OK, but it won't take any further edits.

Is there any way we can make Aleph ignore the mismatched filing indicators for paired fields and only look at the subfield 6 or something like that?

Resolution:
A way around this problem is to change column 3 of your "check_doc_mandatory" table in the $data_tab directory of the BIB library. Right now error 0230 is set to "M" for mandatory in that table. If you change it to "T" (for trigger), the error message will still pop up, but the record can then be saved successfully.

This seems like a pretty reasonable setting. The situation where the filing indicators for two matching tags would be different should be somewhat rare, even for multi-alphabet stuff like this. Even if it is fairly common when dealing with Arabic records, the total irritation quotient should be low, as the errors will be fairly routine after a while.

• Article last edited: 10/8/2013