Re: USMARC and postgresql?

On Tue, May 09, 2000 at 10:36:51AM +0100, kb2qzv(at)poczta(dot)onet(dot)pl wrote:
> Hi everybody,
> I am looking for some help on how to use postgresql to organize
> MARC bibliographic records. I am a beginner. Are there any sites
> or projects that have already been started?
>
> Perhaps anyone knows where to find a series of SQL statements
> to create an usable database for holding bibliographic records
> which would be USMARC compliant?

This is way hard. The reason is simple: MARC allows all of the following:

1. Multiple instances of the same field.
2. Variable length of field.
3. Unpredictable numbers of completed fields.

The commercial vendors of SQL-based library automation systems do this with
BLOBs. It's a pain, though, because building the indices against the
catalogue is difficult. I think, actually, that the PICK-based spproach is
better, but PICK is going away. Anyway, you likely need to talk to someone
about BLOBs. I can't help, sorry.

--
Andrew Sullivan Computer Services
<sullivana(at)bpl(dot)on(dot)ca> Burlington Public Library
+1 905 639 3611 x158 2331 New Street
Burlington, Ontario, Canada L7R 1J4