The first column of each line of the NHL report contains the code for the processing unit that owns the copy of the heading. The processing units in BISON are: GL for General Libraries, HL for Health Sciences Library, LL for Law Library, ML for Music Library, and PL for Poetry Collection.

The NOTIS record number in the second column identifies the first occurrence of the heading in a bibliographic or authority record. If a heading is established in an authority record, but that authority record belongs to a different processing unit, the record number given in the second column is the NOTIS record number for the bibliographic record.

The third column contains the number of times the heading appears in the merged heading index for the indicated processing unit. If a heading is used more than 9 times, the system uses a plus sign (+)

If an authority record exists for a heading, the fourth column represents the authority fixed fields NAME, SUBJ, and SER.
A period (.) is substituted for the NOTIS fill character (?) and the code "b."

The fifth column indicates the manner in which the heading has actually been used in the bibliographic records of the indicated processing unit. At least one of the three positions in this column will always contain a code other than a period. This column shows the differences between the current usage of the heading for the processing unit and the previous usage of the heading for the processing unit.

a period (.) in any position

no change in use for that heading

c in the first position

new use as a name

c in the second position

new use as a subject

c in the third position

new use as a series

The sixth column contains three unrelated codes (some of which may be blank):

heading type code

subject heading scheme code

provisional field indicator

HEADING TYPE CODE

The heading type code column contains one of the following codes:

0 personal name

1 corporate name

2 conference name

3 uniform title

8 topical subject

9 geographic name

SUBJECT HEADING SCHEME CODE

The subject heading scheme column contains one of the following codes:

<blank> no subject heading scheme

0 LCSH

1 annotated card program heading

2 MeSH

3 National Agriculture Library (NAL)

4 unspecified local

5 Canadian English

6 Canadian French

7 local, identified in subfield $2 of heading

PROVISIONAL FIELD INDICATOR

The provisional indicator column contains "P" if the only appearance of a heading in the bibliographic records of a processing unit is in provisional fields; it contains a blank if the heading appears in even one firm field in any bibliographic record or authority record for a processing unit.

The final column of the report contains the heading itself. The heading may contain an asterisk (*) between subfields or at the end of the heading. All parts of the heading up to the asterisk have a corresponding authority record. If the asterisk appears at the end of the heading, the entire heading has a corresponding authority record. If no asterisk appears, no authority record exists for any part or parts of the heading.

If a heading contains a single subfield, it is extracted from the index.

If a heading consists of two or more subfields, it is divided as follows:

If the heading consists of a name plus a title, it is divided into two headings: the name, and the name plus the title.

The following heading:

CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA .PHILOSOPHICAL SERIES

Becomes the following two extracted headings:

CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA
CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA .PHILOSOPHICAL SERIES

If the heading contains subject subdivisions, it is divided into two or more headings: the heading, and the heading plus each of the subject subdivisions in turn. The following heading:

CATHOLIC CHURCH--RELATIONS--EASTERN CHURCHES--CONGRESSES

Becomes the following four extracted headings:

CATHOLIC CHURCH
CATHOLIC CHURCH--RELATIONS
CATHOLIC CHURCH--RELATIONS--EASTERN CHURCHES
CATHOLIC CHURCH--RELATIONS--EASTERN CHURCHES--CONGRESSES

If the heading is not a personal name, and if the length of the first subfield of the heading is not the same as the length of any of the parts previously extracted, the first subfield of the heading is also extracted as a separate heading. The following heading:

CONFERENCE OF THE NIGERIAN ECONOMIC SOCIETY 1975 IBADAN NIGERIA

Becomes the following two extracted headings:

CONFERENCE OF THE NIGERIAN ECONOMIC SOCIETY
CONFERENCE OF THE NIGERIAN ECONOMIC SOCIETY 1975 IBADAN NIGERIA

Ellen Greenblatt (ulcreg@acsu.buffalo.edu)

Last updated 1/2/95