LIBRARY CODES

The library codes attached to each holding in the ESTC have been created, and have evolved, over a long period of time. Inevitably libraries and research institutions have changed, sometimes their names, their locations or the agency of which they are a part.

There are also libraries which have simply ceased to exist, or institutions which have dispersed or sold their collections.  At the present time we are undertaking an edit of existing codes, library names and library addresses to bring the ESTC Libraries file up to date. This also gives us an opportunity to correct errors or typos in the ESTC Libraries file.

 For North American libraries in the ESTC we are using codes from the US MARC code list for organizations and the list of the National Library of Canada, with the addition of a lower case ‘n’ as a prefix to indicate the North American region.  A few USMARC codes have become obsolete and have changed; we have followed those changes which are recorded in the list below.  The standard format for US MARC codes, which begins with the state prefix, is followed by a city or town indicator, and then an abbreviation indicating the institution. Canadian codes follow a similar structure to which we have added the country code ‘Ca’ as a prefix, in addition to the region code.  Where possible, West Indian libraries have been adopted from the USMARC file, or created by the ESTC office using the same pattern and region code.

For libraries in other parts of the world the ESTC has used region codes: ‘b’ for the British Isles (i.e. Great Britain and Ireland); ‘o’ for Asia, Australia and New Zealand, and has changed to a new region code ‘e’, for continental Europe (those libraries were previously included in region ‘o’). Most British and European codes that we currently use have been created by the British Library editorial office, following the general structure of a city code, followed by a library designation. Some of the largest British and European libraries also have USMARC designations. Those are not presently used, but eventually all ESTC contributing libraries will have standardized codes either created by a national library or drawn from the USMARC lists. 

For Australia, the Australian National Library has already created a standard list of codes, and in the next few months the traditional ESTC codes for approximately 88 contributing libraries will be changed to comply with this list, with the region code ‘o’ and Australian country code ‘Au’ as added prefixes. No change to present coding is contemplated for New Zealand, for which all libraries have ‘Z’ as a country code prefix, or for India, which lacks a country prefix.

As other changes occur, this list will be updated.

            AMENDED LIBRARY NAME AND CODE LIST:  (old code is italicized)

CtH     =          nCtHPL                       Hartford, Conn. Public Library

CtNwchA =     nCtNwFA        Norwich, Conn. Free Library   

CtY-Walpole = nCtY-LW        Lewis Walpole Library, Yale University

CLSU-Hoose = nCLSU-HO   Hoose Library, University of Southern California

CMalG-Cl  =   nCStmoGRI    Getty Research Institute, Santa Monica, California

DeGE    =        nDeGH           Hagley Museum and Library, Greenville, Delaware

DBS      =         nMdGbNIST  U.S. National Institute of Standards, Gaithersburg, Maryland

DHEW    =       nDIE               National Institute of Education Research Library, Washington, DC

GMW     =        nGMcWC       Wesleyan College, Macon, Georgia

MAR     =         nMArRPL      Robbins Public Library, Arlington, Mass.

MdarHi   =      nMNBedfHi   Old Dartmouth Society, Whaling Museum, New Bedford, Mass.

Mha     =          nMHaPL         Haverhill Public Library, Haverhill, Mass

Mne      =         nMNePL         Newburyport Public Library, Newburyport, Mass.

MPlcPS   =      nMPlPS           Pilgrim Society Library, Plymouth, Mass.

NAIU    =        nNAlSU           State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York

NB       =         nNBPu            Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, New York

Nnebg  =         nNNgFL          Newburgh Free Library, Newburgh, New York

NNL     =         nNNHHL        Lehman College of the City University of New York, Bronx, New York

NNM   =          nNNMNH      American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York

NNS   =           nNNYSL         New York Society Library, New York, New York

NP    =            nNPkAML      Adriance Memorial Library, Poughkeepsie, New York

Nptjer  =         nNPjvFPL       Port Jervis Free Public Library, Port Jervis, New York

OchHi  =          nOChL            Chillicothe and Ross County Public Library, Chillicothe, Ohio

PcarldD =       nPCarlD          Dickinson College Library, Carlisle, Pennsylvania

RU       =          nRUn               University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island

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