516  Type of Computer File or Data Note (R)

Definition

A note that characterizes the file. In addition to a general descriptor (e.g., computer program, numeric, or text), use field 516 for more specific information such as the form or genre of textual material (e.g., biography, dictionary, or index). Enter general file data in the fixed field element File. Generally, do not use in records for online resources per the Provider-Neutral E-Resource MARC Record Guide: P-N/RDA Version.

For guidance on describing and encoding the attributes of audio recording carriers, see the Music Library Association’s Supplement 1 (v1.82): Guidelines for Describing and Encoding Attributes of Audio Recording Carriers.

For information on punctuation, see the Punctuation section below.

1st Indicator

Display constant controller. A value that controls the generation of a display constant preceding the note.

2nd Indicator

Undefined. The 2nd indicator position is undefined and contains a blank.

	Undefined

Subfields

Punctuation

For records containing punctuation, follow these instructions:

• Include incidental punctuation needed within any subfields, e.g., commas, periods (following abbreviations or initials), etc.
• Optionally, add a terminal period at the end of the field unless the last subfield ends with an ellipsis or period (following an abbreviation or initial)

For records containing minimal or no punctuation, include incidental punctuation needed within any subfields. Otherwise, omit the punctuation outlined above.

For more information on punctuation, including OCLC policy, see section 2.8, Punctuation.

Indexing

Field 516 is not indexed.

MARC 21

For more information, including content designator history, see MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data, field 516.