Question

A site wants to create multiple 852 tags in a single HOL record. (MARC holdings format allows this.) In ALEPH they will be able to update item from the first occurrence of 852. Are there more disadvantages?

Answer

Items are linked to particular HOL records. If the HOL record contains multiple 852 fields, with different locations (sublibrary/Collection/call number), then any items associated with the second 852 will not reflect the proper location..

If the second 852 were for a second copy at the same location, that might be OK --though we have never actually tried it..

For serials, see Additional Information below.

In summary, the only case where this *might* be done is with monographs where the 852's represent multiple copies at the same location.

Additional Information

With serials, there would be even more problems. Though MARC allows for multiple 852 fields, it says this (from  www.loc.gov/marc/holdings/):.
"When one or more 852 fields have fields such as 007, 841, 842, 844, 853-855, 86X, or 87X associated with them, each 852 and its associated fields must be communicated in a single unambiguous holdings information cluster. An 852 holdings cluster may be embedded in the related MARC bibliographic record or it may be contained in a single separate holdings record. When the cluster is embedded, no other unassociated 852 location fields or clusters may reside in the bibliographic record; they must reside in separate holdings records.".
Since ALEPH requires that the 852 be in the HOL record (not the bib record), that means that each HOL record should contain one set of holdings information only..

• Article last edited: 4/18/2014