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Information Technology Services

CARS Data Standards at Bethel University

A data standards taskforce met September 15, 2004, to review USPS and Bethel data entry address standards, and to determine appropriate changes to the existing set of standards. After review, the following standards were approved and have become the expected CARS data entry style beginning immediately.

  1. Street Suffixes

    1. Use standard USPS abbreviations, mixed case, without periods.

      Ave St Blvd Rd Dr

      For example: 11234 Colorado Blvd
      5678 Long Lake Ave
      404 Hilltop Rd

    2. A complete list of standard USPS abbreviations can be found at
      http://www.usps.com/ncsc/lookups/usps_abbreviations.html

  2. Case of addresses

    1. Continue to enter data into CARS in Mixed Case.

    2. USPS recommends UPPERCASE.

      1. Mailing houses often UPCASE the Mixed Case address blocks received from Bethel.
        (The Mailing service changed the July 2004 Focus mailing to all UPPERCASE)
      2. When providing requests for address labels and mailing files, Information Services will begin supplying address blocks in UPPERCASE, along with salutation and inside addresses in Mixed Case

  3. Punctuation

    1. Avoid all punctuation in addresses.

    2. USPS recommends no punctuation, therefore

      1. Abbreviations have no period.
      2. Omit commas between City and State code

      3. Insert one space between city and state, two spaces between state code and zip code:

        1234 Colorado Blvd
        Minneapolis MN 55119

  4. Numbered Streets

    1. Use ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd) instead of words, except when the address received uses words. (Note that CARS will not superscript "st", "nd", "rd" like WORD.)

      2014 1st Ave N
      231 8th St N

    2. Separate the house number from the street with one space, not a dash.

      2214 182nd St

  5. Compass points

    1. Abbreviate directions N E S W NE NW SE SW
    2. USPS abbreviates all directions

  6. Apartment / Suite / Room

    1. Use Apt or # ON THE SAME LINE with street address.

    2. USPS accepts either Apt or # in front of an apartment number. There must be one space between Apt or # and the apartment number.

      1234 Colorado Blvd Apt 567
      1234 Colorado Blvd # 567

    3. If more than one line is needed, put Apt 567 on the line ABOVE the street address, NEVER on the line between street address and “City St zip”.

      Apt 567
      1234 SW Anderson Lakes Pky
      Minneapolis MN 55001
      or
      1234 SW Anderson Lakes Pky # 567 (if it fits all on one line)
      Minneapolis MN 55001

  7. City names

    1. All city names should be fully spelled out, including Saint Paul.
    2. Because Bethel style had been to always abbreviate St. in St. Paul, ITS will expand any city name in the id record or alternate address record from St. to Saint.

    3. Continue to spell out Fort, Mount, etc.

      1234 Fairview Ave # 1618
      Saint Paul MN 55112

  8. Zip code / City Agreement, City Spelling

    To check the name of a city or find a zip code refer to:

    http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.htm

    For example, If the zip is 49783 and the city is Soo/Sault St. Marie, checking the above site reveals that the only acceptable city name for this zip code is SAULT SAINTE MARIE.

  9. Phone numbers

    1. Use periods in phone numbers, not dashes.

    2. Communications & Marketing is leading Bethel toward the simpler style, which also allows faster data entry.

      651.638.4000