Problem Symptoms

GKEY search on subfield 6 does not return correct results

Cause

880 subfield 6 is not used in indexing when the 880 is paired with another field in the record.

Resolution

All unpaired 880 fields can be found via any of their subfields either using GKEY or an appropriately-defined keyword index.

Additional Information

An 880 field is a fully content-designated representation, in a different script, of another field in the same record.  Field 880 is linked to the associated regular field by subfield $6 ("Linkage").  A subfield $6 in the associated field also links that field to the 880 field.  This constitutes a "pair".

880 fields can be paired (with another MARC tag) as per above, or unpaired (not associated with another tag in the record).

When an associated filed does not exist in the record, field 880 is constructed as if it did and a reserved occurrence number (00) is used to indicate the special situation.

Paired 880s are indexed as if the tag was the associated field. Example: 880 field paired with 245

• 880 field indexed as if it was coded as a 245
• contents of 880 subfields act as if tagged as associated 245 subfields
• 880 linkage information is not needed/indexed

Unpaired 880 will be indexed as an 880 tag and all its subfields will be indexed in their respective subfields, including 880 subfield 6. This indexing makes the record with the unpaired 880 findable in the GKEY index, as well as any keyword indexes built for the 880 fields.

To summarize:

• For paired 880 fields, subfield 6 is not indexed, but contents of other 880 subfields are indexed as subfields in associated tag.
• For unpaired 880 fields, subfield 6 contents are indexed and can be found in the GKEY and other KW indexes.

• Article last edited: 29-May-2014