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Alert Service Card Format Discontinued

Effective January 1, 2004

This notice is to inform you that the Cataloging Distribution Service (CDS) discontinued the distribution of Alert Service records in card format effective January 1, 2004. CDS's legacy card-production system is no longer sufficiently reliable for CDS to offer the card format after 2003.

All of the Library's cataloging records used in producing the Alert Service may be searched online through the Library's online public access catalog at http://catalog.loc.gov .

CDS will continue the Alert Service for customers who wish to receive weekly Alert Service records in MARC 21 communications format. The weekly files of MARC 21 format records will be available via electronic FTP (File Transfer Protocol) on an annual subscription basis, with the pricing to be based on the estimated number of records distributed. Additional software will be required by the customer to import, manipulate, and display the MARC 21 records. A range of personal bibliographic software products is available commercially for this purpose. Searching the Web or library resource directories under headings such as "personal bibliographic software" or "MARC systems and services" will identify examples of these software products. The Library of Congress is unable to recommend or endorse specific products.

If you would like to experiment with MARC 21 records, sample files are available on the CDS Web site at www.loc.gov/cds/mds.html#test. Please contact Jim Kimball jpki@loc.gov in CDS if you have questions about MARC records or if you are interested in experimenting with the MARC 21 format option.

Additionally, CDS is exploring the feasibility of distributing the weekly Alert Service notices in other electronic formats. A survey will be mounted at the following URL to gather customer feedback: http://www.loc.gov/cds/surveys/alert-survey.html. You may also contact cdsinfo@loc.gov to offer your comments or request additional information concerning this effort.

The final Alert Service card set was #52, containing data through December 31, 2003. Card set #52 was produced and shipped to customers in early January 2004.

Please contact CDS Customer Service if you have questions about your deposit account or the transition of the Alert Service.