WorldCat Validation release notes, December 2025

Introduction

This release of changes to WorldCat Validation involves the following new features, enhancements, and bug fixes, which support the Library of Congress's latest MARC standards, enable richer authority data for discovery, and resolve validation errors reported by the cataloging community.

New features and enhancements:
- OCLC-MARC Validations of New MARC Codes Announced 24 July 2025-25 September 2025
- Authority record changes:
  - Field 046 subfield $3
  - Fields 335, 336, 348, 387, and 388
  - LC/NACO Authority records:
    - Field 024, subfields $c, $d, $q, and $z
    - Field 375
    - Fields 385 and 386, subfields $m and $n
    - Field 670
  - Canadiana Authority records:
    - Field 375
Bug fixes
- In Authority records, in field 083, subfields $a and $b are no longer required to contain at least 3 characters when subfield $z is present
- In Bibliographic and Authority formats, field 387 subfield $k may now include any text string
- In Bibliographic format, in fields 610 and 710, subfield $s may be present even when subfield $t is not
- In Bibliographic, Holdings, and Authority formats, field 857 subfield $y may now include any text string

These enhancements and fixes are the result of announcements of new MARC elements and codes by the Library of Congress, as well as feedback and requests from members of the OCLC community.

New features and enhancements

OCLC-MARC Validations of New MARC Codes Announced 24 July 2025-25 September 2025

You may now use all new MARC Codes announced by the Library of Congress in the following LC Technical Notices:

Access Restriction Term Source Codes

The following source code has been added to the Access Restriction Term Source Codes list for usage in appropriate fields and elements.

eprints - Eprints access rights vocabulary encoding scheme

Description Convention Source Codes

The following source code has been added to the Description Convention Source Codes list for usage in appropriate fields and elements.

orc - Open rules for cataloging (Open Rules for Cataloging (ORC))

Language Code and Term Codes

The following source code has been added to the Language Code and Term Source Codes list for usage in appropriate fields and elements.

iso639-5 - Codes for the representation of names of languages--Part 5: Alpha-3 code for language families and groups (Library of Congress)

Resource Action Term Source Codes

The following source code has been added to the Resource Action Term Source Codes list for usage in appropriate fields and elements.

spanor - Spanor: list of Norwegian terminology for MARC 583 “Action Note” (Oslo: The National Library of Norway and the BOTT libraries)

Standard Identifier Source Codes

The following source code has been added to the Standard Identifier Source Codes list for usage in appropriate fields and elements.

nzst - Standards New Zealand (Standards New Zealand, Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment)

Authority record changes

Changes have been made to the validation checks that conform to the field definition and scope for specific data elements. For example, field 335 (Extension Plan) is only valid in name/title and title authority records. These changes apply to records in all authority files.

Field 046 subfield $3

In Authority field 046 (Special Coded Dates), subfield $3 (Materials specified) may only be present in name/title and uniform title records.

Fields 335, 336, 348, 387, and 388

These fields may only be present in name/title and uniform title authority records:

Field 335 (Extension Plan)
Field 336 (Content Type)
Field 348 (Format of Notated Music)
Field 387 (Representative Expression Characteristic)
Field 388 (Time Period of Creation).

LC/NACO Authority record changes

These changes are being made based on the LC Guidelines Supplement to the MARC 21 Format for Authority Data, 2002 Edition with Subsequent Updates, also known as "The Blue Pages," the LC Descriptive Cataloging Manual Z1: Name and Series Authority Records, DCM Z1 for short, along with the Library of Congress’ validation rules. As a result of these changes, records will no longer get stuck in distribution due to these validation errors.

Field 024, subfields $c, $d, $q, and $z

In Authority field 024 (Other Standard Identifier), you may no longer use subfields $c (Terms of availability), $d (Additional codes following the standard number or code), $q (Qualifying information), and $z (Canceled/invalid standard number or code).

Field 375

You may no longer use Authority field 375 (Gender).

Fields 385 and 386, subfields $m and $n

In Authority fields 385 (Audience Characteristics) and 386 (Creator/Contributor Characteristics), you may no longer use subfields $m (Demographic group term) and $n (Demographic group code).

Field 670

You must now include field 670 (Source data found).

Canadiana Authority records

This change is being made based on the PFAN - Name Authority Manual - MARC 21 Supplement.

Field 375

You may no longer use Authority field 375 (Gender).

Note: A different error message will appear in Canadiana authority records than in LC/NACO authority records when validating those records. In both cases, refrain from using field 375.

Canadiana authority record error message:

Invalid relationship - when 375 is present, then 003 must not be equal to CaOONL.

LC/NACO authority record error message:

Invalid tag 375.

Bug fixes

In Authority records, in field 083, subfields $a and $b are no longer required to contain at least 3 characters when subfield $z is present

In Authority field 083 (Dewey Decimal Classification Number), when subfield $z (Table identification-table number) is present, subfields $a (Classification number element-single number or beginning number of span) and $b (Classification number element-ending number of span) may now contain fewer than 3 characters.

In Bibliographic and Authority formats, field 387 subfield $k may now include any text string

In Bibliographic and Authority field 387 (Representative Expression Characteristics), subfield $k (Scale of representative expression) now accepts any text string. Previously, the data in the subfield was required to be numeric.

In Bibliographic format, in fields 610 and 710, subfield $s may be present even when subfield $t is not

In Bibliographic fields 610 (Subject Added Entry-Corporate Name) and 710 (Added Entry-Corporate Name), subfield $s (Version) may be used even when subfield $t (Title of a work) is not present.

In Bibliographic, LHR, and Authority formats, field 857 subfield $y may now include any text string

In Bibliographic, LHR, and Authority field 857 (Electronic Archive Location and Access), subfield $y (Link text) now accepts any text string. Previously, the data in the subfield were required to resemble a URI.

Important links