Punctuation Without the Pain : Leveraging Leader/18 in Koha for Cleaner Records

Historically, cataloguers employed punctuation to demarcate and provide context for the various elements of bibliographic data, ensuring its comprehensibility to users, particularly when the data was presented on cards. However, context-sensitive punctuation can often complicate data-related tasks. Consequently, more recently developed formats do not include punctuation. RDA recommends omitting it, and LoC/PCC opt for punctuation-light MARC for storage and editing since 2020.

Conversely, library catalogues may contain records with and without punctuation. Marc21 is able to differentiate between these two types of records by leveraging the attributes of leader/18. If set to 'c' or 'n', they instruct the cataloguing system to add punctuation automatically as required. However, if set to 'a' or 'i', it should rely solely on the records data. It is regrettable to note that these attributes are currently being ignored by Koha. Therefore, e.g. following the import of RDA records via SRU/Z39.50, it is imperative to add punctuation manually at the record level in order to ensure optimal display.

... mehrThis issue can be resolved using Kohas MARC::Filter. A suitable filter will allow for the transparent injection of the necessary punctuation for records based on leader/18. Due to its Perl-based nature, the filter is better suited to managing complex situations than the standard XSLT approach used for rendering, which can be unwieldy in certain cases.

In this presentation, we will introduce a plugin that operates on the associated hook implemented in Bug 40972 to automatically add the necessary punctuation. Introducing automatic punctuation based on leader/18 will enhance Kohas standard compliance. As more and more RDA-based records enter the systems, this will also become a key issue. Implementation as a plugin allows for straightforward development and swift deployment of the necessary functions.