-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Degree symbol in Connexion client 1.50
Date:   Tue, 3 Jan 2006 10:16:29 -0500
From:   Caplan,Ellen <[log in to unmask]>
To:     Maps, Air Photo & Geospatial Systems Forum <[log in to unmask]>



This is mainly for those Maps-l subscribers who catalog on OCLC using client 1.50.  This is in response to a question about the degree symbol that Angie Cope posted on Dec. 16:
"I catalog using OCLC Connexion and I'm trying to make a 500 note that includes a latitude longitude coordinate - including the degree and minute symbols. For some reason, my system is stopping me saying that the degree symbol (from the diacritics menu) is an "invalid character - data must be ALA characters."

Has anyone else ran into this situation and discovered a work around? I went ahead and created the record using [degree] (in brackets) instead of the symbol but it would be nice to get the symbol (as it appears on the map) in the 500 note.

Just to clarify - this isn't the lat/long of the map itself -- but instead it's a part of a string of text that I wish to include in a 500 note."
 end


OCLC has not yet implemented this character, but we expect to in 2006. This character and some others were added to the table in client 1.50 so the client software will be ready to use them when they are implemented.  For now, and until OCLC gives the go-ahead, you should follow the LCRI 1.0E and the section on Special Letters, Diacritical Marks, Punctuation Marks.  It states that you should use the superscript for degree, tverdyi znak for seconds, and magkii znak for minutes.

From LCRI 1.0E:
"Special Letters, Diacritical Marks, and Punctuation Marks.
Exception 1:  Do not use the double underscore convention in the following cases; use instead the equivalent indicated:
Degree symbol (600°) = superscript zero (6000)
Inch/inches, second/seconds = hard sign, double prime (tvërdyĭ znak) (")
Foot/feet, minute/minutes = soft sign, prime (mÂgkiĭ znak) (´)"

--Ellen

Ellen Caplan
OCLC, Inc.
Cataloging Products and Services Division
6565 Frantz Rd.
Dublin OH 43017
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800-848-5878