Punctuation checks now include uniform titles

The major upgrade to the punctuation checking module that was added in MARC Report 232 did not include uniform titles (X30 and 240).

This omission has been rectified in version 233.

Note that the checks for subfields $n and $p are somewhat forgiving, since the punctuation that accomodates these two subfields is variable in theory, and inconsistent in practice. Therefore, the program will accept either a period or a comma as valid for either $n or $p.

Having now completed a review of the use of punctuation in MARC21, I think both Deborah and myself agree that, yes 1) its a necessary way to visually separate data elements, but 2) this work should be done by the computer. Punctuation should be removed from the list of things that catalogers and metalogers are concerned with. Unfortunately, we do not see anything in RDA that addresses this.

<!– One of the ironies of this topic is that the people who had a better way of dealing with punctuation (the British, with UKMARC), now, in order to 'move forward into the harmonic universal world of MARC21', have to become bogged down with all of these niggly periods and commas and exceptions to the rule that have plagued MARC21 from the beginning. –>