These guidelines apply to retrospective indexing of UN documents in connection with digitization projects of United Nations libraries. It applies to indexing of UN documents that preceded UNBIS (mainly pre-1980) or indexing in order to complete gaps in UNBIS document series identified for digitization.

When retrospective indexing is done in order to complete gaps in UNBIS document series that are not part of digitization projects, the normal indexing rules should be applied instead of the present guideline.

The level of indexing is less complete than it is for current documents; subject analysis is less exhaustive.

The same bibliographic fields are used as for indexing current documents, in accordance with the UNBIS Manual for Bibliographic Description, with the following exceptions:

000 position 07 Documents with bibliographic level m (monographs) are indexed. In the process of indexing documents for digitization projects, analytic records (000/07 bibliographic level a) are not created for resolutions and decisions contained in reports.

>>>tag 000 - Manual for Bibliographic Description

029 Job numbers recorded in 029 $b must consist of 8 characters followed by a space and the letter for the language of the document indexed. The letters JN are always recorded in 029 $a.
If a job number is present on a document, it should consist of 7 digits preceded by the letter representing the duty station at which the document was issued (e.g. "N" for a document issued in New York, "G" for a document issued in Geneva, "V" for a document issued in Vienna). If the number has fewer than 7 digits, add extra zero(s) after the first two digits that represent the year.
If no job number is present on a document, assign a unique 6-digit dummy job number preceded by the characters NL (if created by DHL) or GL (if created by UNOG). Record the resulting 8-character job number in 029 $b.

Example:
029 $a JN $b G7801055 E
[The job number is printed on the document as 78-1055]

>>>tag 029 - Manual for Bibliographic Description

035 The practice of assigning RecordIDs to bibliographic records for retrospective indexing was discontinued as of July 2006.

>>>tag 035 - Manual for Bibliographic Description

041 The language code for the document at hand is entered at the time of indexing. Codes for other language versions are added in the course of digitization of other language versions.

>>>tag 041 - Manual for Bibliographic Description

069 Classification codes are added only if required for specific products.

>>>tag 069 - Manual for Bibliographic Description

500 General notes are added only for information that is judged to be important (e.g. the presence of important source texts, declarations or reports that are not reflected in the title, substantial bibliographies, etc.).

>>>tag 500 - Manual for Bibliographic Description

520 A brief note is added to indicate the subject or contents of the document when that information is not provided elsewhere in the bibliographic record (for example, in the case of letters or note verbales).
The note should not be detailed or lengthy, and is usually formulated as "Concerns...", stating the issue addressed in the letter or note verbale.

>>>tag 520 - Manual for Bibliographic Description

596 The following note is added to records indexed by DHL: Retrospective indexing.

Note to indexers: Prior to August 2005, the "Retrospective Indexing" note was recorded in field 594 and included the month and year of indexing (MM/YY)

>>>tag 596 - Manual for Bibliographic Description

597 The following note is added to records indexed by UNOG Library: Retrospective indexing.

Note to indexers: Prior to August 2005, the "Retrospective Indexing" note was recorded in field 594 and included the month and year of indexing (MM/YY)

>>>tag 597 - Manual for Bibliographic Description

6XX In general, only the main subjects of documents are indexed and only primary subject terms (tag 650 first indicator value 1) are assigned.
However, judgement is used for substantive reports, final reports of sessions or meetings of UN bodies, or documents containing significant texts that may require more in-depth analysis and assignment of secondary subject terms.

>>>tag 6XX - Manual for Bibliographic Description

930 The following Product codes are used in field 930 in case of retrospective indexing for digitization projects:
DIG
UND
The month and year are not added to these 930 Product codes.
Other 930 codes may be added as required for specific bibliographic products.

>>>tag 930 - Manual for Bibliographic Description

The rules for recording all other bibliographic fields are the same as those followed for indexing current documents.

Complete name authority, series symbol authority, and agenda authority records should be established when required.

Maintained by the Department of Public Information (DPI), Dag Hammarskjöld Library. Comments as well as suggestions for further additions/enhancements may be directed to the Dag Hammarskjöld Library.
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Last updated: 14 July 2009