At my library we are converting our serial records to MARC Holdings
format.  I basically just started with turning on the MARC Holdings in
our Sirsi serials module. Now I am beginning to enter some notes and
adding the complete holding information.  I am having a few questions as
I continue this process and hope that someone can help me.

My first question pertains to limited retention statements, for instance
"Retained for 2 years plus current in print", and other format
statements, for instance "microfilm 1929-2000".  In what field should I
be placing this information?  Would these both be considered textual
holdings (866 field) or are they part of a location statement (852
field) or are they something else entirely?  I want these statements to
be visible to the public.

The second question pertains to adding previous holdings.  For instance,
I have turned on the MARC Holdings since January 2005.  The MARC
holdings are working fine, but now I want to add the entire holdings
including the holdings in the library prior to MARC holdings being
turned on.  I have been adding an 863 which shows our previous holdings.
I would enter a subfield 81.1, followed by a subfield "a" with the
starting volume and year of our holdings.  I then renumber all the
previously recorded 863s to follow in order.  First, is this the correct
way to do this and second is there a proper format?  Should this first
863 reflect a closed holding statement such as 1969-2004, and the new
MARC Holdings will show everything going forward?  Or should the
statement be open-ended as we are still receiving this title such as
1969-.  A comma will separate the old holdings from the new MARC
Holdings but I'm not sure which is correct or if it doesn't matter,
which will be clearer to patrons.

I hope these questions make sense.  Any help that you can provide is
greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Jeanne Hebard

Electronic Resources/Serials Librarian

Horn Library, Babson College

jhebard@babson.edu

781-239-6405