Authorized Access Points, Class Numbers, and MARC Codes for Moldavia, Moldova, and Associated Regions

Moldova and Moldavia are the names of two closely related but distinct, geographical/jurisdictional entities. Moldova refers to a country that lies to the northeast of Romania and to the southwest of Ukraine, as can be seen on Map 1. Also known as the Republic of Moldova, this country has been an independent state since 1991.

Map 1: The Republic of Moldova
(Source: http://eurasiangeopolitics.com/moldova-maps/)

Moldavia, on the other hand, refers to a region encompassing the eastern part of Romania, most of Moldova, and the southwestern-most parts of Ukraine (see Map 2 below). Moldavia existed as a principality between the 14th century and 1859, when it united with the region of Wallachia to its southwest to become the basis for modern Romania. Parts of Moldavia were ceded to the Russian Empire in the 19th century, including much of present-day Moldova. After various political vicissitudes, a Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed in 1924 on the left bank of the Dniester region as part of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. This was reorganized and expanded into the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1940, which, in turn, was superseded by the independent Republic of Moldova in 1991.

Map 2: The Principality of Moldavia

(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moldavia)

Associated with Moldova are two regions of which catalogers should be aware. One is Bessarabia, a historically significant geographical region that covers most of present-day Moldova, as well as neighboring areas in Ukraine to the north and to the south (see Map 3 below). The other is the Dniester Moldovan Republic, an area on the left bank of the Dniester river also known as Transnistria that, in 1990, declared its independence from Moldova (see the mauve-colored area marked “Dnestr region” in Map 1 above). Although this break-away region has its own military force and functioning government bodies, it is not considered a legitimate state by the international community. For further information, see Areas of Disputed Sovereignty.

Map 3. The region of Bessarabia

(Source: http://www.dw.com/en/moldova-returning-to-bessarabia/a-17824680)

In choosing access points and class numbers, the cataloger must carefully distinguish between Moldavia and Moldova. Given below are the descriptive access points and subject headings for these regions, followed by the class numbers and MARC codes. For further information, see also the section on Moldavia in the chapter on Authorized Access Points for Countries and Areas in the Former Soviet Space.

1. Access points for Moldavia and Moldova

Moldavia
• Descriptive usage: refers to the historical Principality of Moldavia.
• Subject usage: can be used as a subject heading. The subdivision form of this name is --Moldavia.

Moldavia (Romania)
• Descriptive usage: cannot be used as a descriptive access point.
• Subject usage: refers to the northeastern district of Romania that formerly formed part of the principality of Moldavia. Can be used as a subject heading. The subdivision form of this name is: --Romania--Moldavia.

Moldavsʹka A.S.S.R. (Ukraine)
• Descriptive usage: refers to the area on the west bank of the Dniester river populated by Moldavians and forming part of the Ukraine as an Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic from 1924 to 1940.
• Subject usage: can be used as a subject heading. The subdivision form of this name is: --Ukraine--Moldavsʹka A.S.S.R.

Moldavian S.S.R.
• Descriptive usage: refers to the Soviet Socialist Republic on the territory of present-day Moldova and is used as a descriptive access point for the government of this territory prior to 1990. Use Moldova as a qualifier for places within this country.
• Subject usage: cannot be used as a subject heading. Works about this place are entered under Moldova.

Moldova
• Descriptive usage: refers to the independent state formed as a successor to the Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991 and is used as a descriptive access point for the government after 1989. Use this name as a qualifier for places within this country.
• Subject usage: used primarily as a subject heading for works on the area covered by what is today the Republic of Moldova in the 20th and 21st centuries. Note that there are four history period subdivisions for which authorized subject strings have been created:

Moldova--History--Revolution, 1917-1921
Moldova--History--20th centur
Moldova--History--Declaration of Independence, 1991
Moldova--History--1991-

The subdivision form of this term is: --Moldova.

2. Access points for associated regions

Bessarabia (Moldova and Ukraine)
• Descriptive usage: cannot be used as a descriptive access point.
• Subject usage: refers to the historical/cultural region of Bessarabia. The subdivision form of this term is: --Bessarabia (Moldova and Ukraine).

Dniester Moldovan Republic
• Descriptive usage: refers to the region of Transnistria that declared its independence from Moldova in 1990 but is not recognized as a sovereign state by the international community.
• Subject usage: can be used as a subject heading. The subdivision form of this term is: --Dniester Moldovan Republic. See also Areas of Disputed Sovereignty.

3. Class numbers

DK509.1-95

Moldova. Moldavian S.S.R. Bessarabia. Here are classed works about the Republic of Moldova and its predecessor, the Moldovan S.S.R.

DR201-296

Romania (includes Moldavia and Wallachia). Here are classed works about the Principality of Moldavia and about Moldavia as a region within Romania.

4. Geographic Area and Country of Publication Codes

Moldavia as a principality is assigned two Geographic Area codes in MARC, one for Romania (e-rm) and the other for Moldova (e-mv). It is not assigned any Country of Publication code, since the code for Romania, Moldova, or Ukraine will cover any place of publication in the former Moldavia.

Moldova is assigned its own Geographic Area code (e-mv). Prior to June 1998, it had a different code indicating appurtenance to the Soviet Union (e-ur-mv): this code is no longer valid. The Country of Publication code for Moldavia is mv.

Geographic Name

Moldavia

Moldova

043

e-mv---

e-rm---

e-mv---

Country of Publication