Videos and Films: Technical Processing Notes

Author: Jim Soe Nyun
Date: November 22, 2002 (with cosmetic changes, December 10, 2002; minor corrections, March 21, 2003; additions for East Asian Films Collection and unusual formats, May 19, 2003)
Approved by: Cataloging Committee
Minor changes made: October 23, 2003 by Jim Soe Nyun
Further changes made to reflect change in 655 indicator use for LCSH-derived headings: May 12, 2004 by Jim Soe Nyun
Minor changes: June 1 and October 23, 2004; September 25, 2006 by Jim Soe Nyun
Changes to revise genre practices: March 17, 2008 by Jim Soe Nyun

Scope: This document is to assist catalogers and assistants in the physical processing and cataloging of all types of video materials for most catalogers in the UCSD Libraries. Serials and Special Collections catalogers, however, will have their own processes. The physical processing guidelines are definitive. The other portions of these notes are to be used in conjuction with the documents referred to below, and are meant to summarize, not replace, the guidelines contained in the original documents.

1. Physical Processing
2. Item Records and Call Numbers
3. Cataloging Notes
   • Genre Terms
   • East Asia Film Collection

Physical Processing

Use the original packaging if the container is sturdy and standard-sized for the format of video recording it contains.

Film and Video Library

• Videocassettes
• Barcoding: Using 2-up barcodes, place 1 barcode on the videocassette on the long side surface opposite the playing edge, avoiding as much printed information as possible; place the 2nd barcode on the bottom surface of the container, away from the container's "spine."
• Property label: Place below title label on top surface; avoid covering as much information as possible.
• Case: If original container was a cardboard sleeve, cut the sleeve apart and insert into new container under transparent cover.
• Call number labels: Two labels will be printed and applied in the Export Verification section of Database Maintenance, one to bottom surface of container, in top position, near the "spine," the other to the spine of the videocassette.
• DVDs and Laserdiscs
  
  • Barcoding: Using 1-up barcodes, place barcode on outside of container in a vertical orientation on the left front face, beginning 1-1/2 inches from the top, leaving space for the call number label.
  • Property label: Place on the front center bottom position of the container.
    
  • Call numbers: Call number will be written on disc using approved black IDenti-pen in the center ring of the disc; use white or other light-colored ink if surface is dark. Call number label will be produced and applied in EV to upper left corner of container.
• Unusual formats--If the item is in a video standard other than NTSC (e.g., PAL or SECAM), or is a DVD coded for anything other than Region 1 (United States) or is not a universal multi-region product that will play on standard US players, note the special playback requirements on an orange dot affixed to the lower left front corner of the outside of the case.
• 16mm Film--Only the container will be labeled and barcoded, not the reels of the film or the film itself.
• Barcoding: Using 1-up barcodes, place barcode on edge of can.
• Property label: Place on top face of can.
• Call number label: Place one on edge of can, near barcode.
• Accompanying material--Booklets and other material accompanying a video are separated from the video and shelved separately in the Music Library.
  • Place material in a manila envelope and assign it an accession number beginning with ORW.
  • If more than one item in an envelope, add item message field: Check for [x] items in envelope.
  • Code item record with the following:
    • Itype=0
    • Location=csm
    • Status=o (non-circulating)
  • Set branch in bibliographic record to multi and add "mus" if needed.

Other branches

Using removable tape, attach 2-up barcodes on backing paper to the outside of the container. EV will generate 2 labels for each item and tape to container using removable tape.

Item Records and Call Numbers

SIO videos are classified unless they are materials accompanying a cataloged item; videos for all other locations use accession numbers. Refer to the Call Number Prefixes (Non-Book) for Innopac document for the prefix appropriate to your format and location. (For the Film and Video Library, for instance, use FVLV for VHS videocassettes, FVLDV for DVDs, and FVLD for laser discs.) Browse Innopac for the last accession number used and assign the next number to your item. (Only for FVL, add a dash to the accession number, followed by the number of chargable units that make up the item. E.g.: FVLV 4435-2 for a VHS videocassette in 2 volumes; but FVLD 2363-1 for two laserdiscs housed in one jacket that would circulate as a unit. Also, only for FVL DVDs, precede the base accession number with one or more zeros if the number isn't 4 digits in length; e.g., the call number 355 would become 0355.) To avoid duplicating call numbers with other catalogers, reserve new numbers in the database by immediately keying them into item records.

Government documents sent to FVL: These are treated as all other FVL materials with the following exceptions: 1) add an "x" to the end of the Su.Doc number in the 086 field; and 2) add a 590 note with the text: U.S. Depository copy.

Cataloging Notes

The following notes deal only with the most commonly-encountered fields requiring attention for copy cataloging. Please refer to Editing Guidelines for OCLC Records: Videos for complete information. When copy cataloging, in most cases it is not necessary to view the video being cataloged, even if the bibliographic record and container lack production credit notes. View the item, however, if necessary to resolve conflicting information between the bibliographic record and the piece in hand. Viewing the item is mandatory when performing original cataloging.

For copy cataloging, add the following fields if lacking in the bib record and the information is easily discernable on the container:

028--Publisher number. Use indicators 42 if not present as a note, use 40 if already present
538--System details note (e.g., VHS). Make it the first note field when adding; no need to retag 500 to 538 if information is present. Record information about special playback requirements if videotape is in anything other than NTSC format, or if a DVD is encoded for either any region other than Region 1 (United States) or is not a universal multi-region product that will play on standard US players.
508--Creation/Production credits note
511--Participant or Performer note
520--Summary note
546--Language note

Subject headings: Accept subject headings on copy cataloging and assign appropriate headings for original cataloging.

Genre terms

Original cataloging: Follow the national standards for genre assignment in SCM H1913, tagging these 655 [blank]0. In addition, supply local terms from the categories below in the master OCLC record.

Copy cataloging: Accept LC-source 655s on copy; delete terms from other vocabularies (e.g., gsafd). If the copy has LCSH-source genre terms tagged as 650s, change the tags to 655 [blank]0. If copy lacks headings addressing the fiction/nonfiction character of your item, add the LCSH terms "Fiction films" or "Nonfiction films"; however, if you can easily ascertain that your item was originally created for broadcast on television, use "Fiction television programs" or "Nonfiction television programs" instead.

Local terms, additions to original and copy cataloging:

Follow the instructions below for both original and copy cataloging. For original cataloging, these local additions are to appear in the master OCLC record.

Film length: Add a heading addressing the length of your item, subdivided by the country of the item's production (not the country where the films takes place). If the item is produced in Hong Kong, use the double subdivision: $z China $z Hong Kong. For items 40 or more minutes in length, use "Feature films" (subdivided by country); for shorter items, including longer collections of separate shorter items, use "Short films" (subdivided by country). Code as a local heading.
Example: 655 _7 Feature films $z United States. $2 local

If the copy already has an LCSH genre term for length, still add this subdivided local term, leaving the unsubdivided LCSH term intact. If you cannot determine the country of production, add the appropriate term, not subdivided by country, coded as a local term, even if there is an LCSH heading for exactly the same term in the record.

Documentary films: Add the genre term, "Documentary films," subdivided by country of production. See "film length," above, for further comments about applying the geographic subdivision. Code as a local heading.

Secondary characteristics: Add one or more genre terms off the list below if appropriate and not already in the master record. Input as LCSH-source, into field 655, with indicators [blank]0. Do not subdivide these headings.
Example.: 655 _0 Comedy films.

• Adventure films
• Animated films
• Comedy films
• Detective and mystery films
• Gangster films
• Horror films
• Musical films
• Science fiction films
• Silent films
• Sports films
• War films
• Western films

Language terms: If the item is in a language other than English, add a local genre term in tag 655, with indicators [blank]7. Use the term, Motion pictures, followed by the LCSH form of the language in subfield v. Enter up to two prominent non-English languages if more than one are are used on an item.
Example: 655 _7 Motion pictures $v French language. $2 local

Closed caption materials: If the video is closed-captioned and the copy lacks a genre term, add:
655 _0 Video recordings for the hearing impaired.

Underground films: Certain East Asia Film Collection items will be identified or ordered as underground films. Add the following genre term (with the $2 for local) in addition to any above that are appropriate.
Example: 655 _7 Underground films. $2 local.

East Asia Film Collection

FVL materials originally produced or coproduced in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and North and South Korea require a 793 added entry for the East Asia Film Collection, using the form below. Also add the field for material not in the above categories, but pre-identified by bibliographer/selector as needing this access point. Don't add this access point to material not housed at the Film and Video Library. All material identified as part of this collection should have item local fka for FVL Annex unless the bibliographer/selector has pre-identified them for the main collection or requests that Annex items be transferred to the main collection.
793 0_ East Asia Film Collection.