Holdings - 852 subfield f
What is this?
In a holdings record, 852 subfield $e is for "Coded location qualifier"; this is a "Three-character code that identifies the specific issues of the item that are located apart from the main holdings of the same item". This three letter code is composed of one-character codes for Qualifier type (l, p), Number of units (1-9), and Unit type (m, w, y, e, i, s)
When is this trouble?
If 852 $f contains characters other than the defined meaningful codes, it may be miscoded or even included accidentally.
852 0_ ‡b finearts ‡c fa ‡h M1 ‡i .A6365 ‡f inearts(miscoded note or library)
If you are using $f for its intended purpose, $e subfields that do not indicate a former location will create confusion in reports.
If it was intended to be part of a note, that note will not appear in reports.
If part of the call number is stored in a $f instead of a $i, that part of the call number may not show up in online catalog display, and may not have even made it to the spine label of the book.
How to Find
If you are in Alma, there is an analysis to search for this issue in the "Looking for Trouble" folder. Go to the "Holdings" folder and look for the "852 subfield f" analysis.