Numeric Character References: Best Practices

Background

Best practices for dealing with numeric character references in records using non-Latin scripts. To be used in conjunction with the policy “Numeric Character References.”

Best practice recommendations

Non-MARC-8 scripts exported in MARC-8 data format are saved in Numeric Character Reference (NCR) format (see Numeric Character Reference on Wikipedia for more information). However, all settings for Alma should be UTF-8 Unicode.

NOTE: NCRs should NOT be used to create non-Latin scripts for scripts not supported by OCLC. Examples include Georgian, Khmer, and anything else not listed above. Non-Latin fields using NCRs to render non-supported scripts should be deleted from OCLC master records when cataloging and should not be added Alma.

However, some previously unsupported scripts/characters are now supported by OCLC, so non-Latin fields using NCRs in those cases will need to be upgraded.

Old record using NCRs should be upgraded when used for cataloging (Mongolian example):

Upgraded record using newly supported characters (Kazakh example):

Connexion Client Help advises that unsupported non-Latin characters can be entered and exported to a local system using Unicode, but then deleted from the OCLC master record (NOTE: This violates CSU policy, don’t do it!); or you can enter the name of the character within square brackets using the Unicode standard name (for example, enter [schwa]), or for CJK characters, enter the reading of the character (for example, enter [yin]). NOTE: Client Help does not advise using NCRs. But OCLC noted: “However, for the stray unsupported character that appears in a supported script, then the NCR is appropriate. If the script is not supported, it should not be represented in the database, but rather be transliterated.”

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