June 2, 2020

MARCIVE has offered FAST Heading processing for many years.   FAST Headings processed by MARCIVE can be in the form of 600 (personal name), 610 (corporate name), 611 (meeting name), 630 (uniform title), 650 (topical term), 651 (geographic name), and 655 (genre/form term). To be properly identified as FAST within the record, FAST Headings require a second indicator “7” with subfield “2 fast”.  MARCIVE verifies the field against the FAST authority record file, updates as needed, and supplies the matching authority record upon request.

Examples of FAST Processing:

BEFORE:           651  7 $aUnited States, West.$2fast$0(OCoLC)fst01243255

Corrected word orientation

AFTER:              651  7 $aWest United States.$2fast$0(OCoLC)fst01243255

BEFORE            655  7 $aBiography.$2fast$0(OCoLC)fst01423686

Updated from deleted to current form

AFTER:              655  7 $aBiographies.$2fast$0(OCoLC)fst01919896

The 647 _7 $2fast field for Named Events is being seen in more and more records lately.  Now MARCIVE includes the 647 tag in FAST processing, which sometimes consists of the retagging of the 611 field to the 647 (Subject Added Entry for Named Events) field based on the 147 OCLC FAST authority records for  events.  So, we not only verify existing 647 tags, we also correctly flip 611 7 $2fast to 647 when appropriate! This added programming is part of every customer’s specifications that have asked for FAST processing.   No action needed!

Examples of Updating Named Events in FAST Processing:

BEFORE:               611 27 $aHurricane Rita (2005)$2fast$0(OCoLC)fst01755320

AFTER:                  647  7 $aHurricane Rita$d(2005)$2fast$0(OCoLC)fst01755320

BEFORE:               611 27 $aVietnam War (1961-1975)$2fast$0(OCoLC)fst01431664

AFTER:                  647  7 $aVietnam War$d(1961-1975)$2fast$0(OCoLC)fst01431664

BEFORE:               611 27 $aOperation Rolling Thunder (1965-1968)$2fast$0(OCoLC)fst01755778

AFTER                   647  7 $aOperation Rolling Thunder$d(1965-1968)$2fast$0(OCoLC)fst01755778

Please feel free to contact us about FAST processing, or any other aspect of authorities processing at [email protected].

Written by Ligia Gomez, MLS