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MARC 21
The original
MAchine Readable Cataloguing (MARC) format was developed at the Library of
Congress in 1965-66. As the usefulness of the format became recognised, national
variants were subsequently developed and from the 1980s, the original format
became known as US MARC. Later USMARC and CANMARC were 'harmonized' in 1997
and the resulting format was named MARC 21. The British Library adopted MARC
21 as its cataloguing format in June 2004.
MARC 21
is a machine-readable ISO 2709 record format, which uses indicators and subfield
identifiers in data fields, to hold data about items of intellectual or cultural
content. It has developed from the single format for bibliographic description
into a 'family' of formats.
MARC records are composed of three elements: the record structure, the content designation
and the data content of the record. The record structure is an implementation
of the standard for information interchange (ANSI/NISO Z39.2 and ISO 2709).
Thus MARC records have three main components:
Leader:
Data elements holding information used in processing the record. The first
element in any MARC record.
Directory:
A series of entries that record the tag (or field label), length and starting
location of every variable field in a record.
Variable
fields: Each variable field is identified by a three-character numeric tag.
The content
designation is the tags, codes and conventions that identify the data elements
within a record. The content of the data elements is usually defined by standards
outside the formats: International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD),
Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR), the various thesauri for subject
headings, and the different classification schemes.
MARC 21
undergoes continuous revision. Discussion papers and proposals for changes
to the format(s) are submitted through MARBI [http://www.loc.gov/marc/development.html]
and are considered at the Mid-Summer and Mid-Winter meetings of the American
Library Association (ALA). UK views on proposed changes are made through the
Book Industry Communication (BIC) Bibliographic Standards Technical Sub-group.
Bibliographic format
Records
in the bibliographic format contain bibliographic information about printed
and manuscript text materials, computer files, maps, music, serials, visual
materials, and mixed media materials. Bibliographic data commonly includes
titles, names, subjects, publication data, notes and information about the
physical nature of the item. Fields in this format are:
001
— 006 |
Control
numbers, and other control and coded information used in processing
the records. |
007 |
Physical
description fixed fields |
008 |
Fixed
length data elements |
01X — 04X |
Number
and code fields (e.g. ISBN, ISSN, language codes) |
05X
— 08X |
Classification
and call numbers |
1xx |
Main
entry headings (person, corporate body or meeting name, or uniform title). |
20X — 24X |
Title
and title related data. |
250 — 270 |
Edition
and imprint data. |
3XX |
Physical
description (including publication frequency for serials) |
4XX |
Series
statements |
5XX |
Notes
fields. |
6XX |
Subject
access data. |
70X — 75X |
Added
entry headings. |
76X — 78X |
Linking
entry fields. |
80X — 830 |
Series
added entry fields. |
841 — 88X |
Holdings,
location and alternate graphics data. |
Authority format
The authority
format is used for the following types of records
- Established
heading
-
Reference
(to guide the user to the established heading)
-
Subdivision
(used as part of an established heading)
-
Established
heading and subdivision
-
Reference
and subdivision
-
Node
label (record contains a term meant to be used in the systematic section of
a thesaurus to indicate the logical basis of category sub-division; the term
is not used as in indexing term)
00X |
Control
fields |
01X — 09X |
Number
and code fields |
1XX |
Heading
fields: for personal, corporate body and meeting names, topical, geographic
and genre/form terms, and general, geographic, chronological and form
sub-divisions. |
2XX — 3XX |
Complex subject references |
4XX |
See From Tracing fields |
5XX |
See Also From Tracing fields |
6XX |
Series treatment fields |
663 — 666 |
Complex
name references |
667 — 68X |
Note
fields |
7XX |
Heading
linking entry fields |
8XX |
Location
and alternate graphics |
Holdings format
This is
designed to be a carrier for holdings information on three types of bibliographic
items:
-
Single-part item
-
Multi-part item
-
Serial item
001 — 008 |
Control fields |
0XX |
Number and code fields |
5XX & 84X |
Note
fields (acquisition, ownership, copy and version, action, physical form,
reproduction, terms governing use and reproduction) |
852 — 856 |
Location and access fields |
853 — 855 |
Caption and pattern fields |
863 — 865 |
Enumeration and chronology fields |
866 — 868 |
Textual holdings statement fields |
876 — 878 |
Item information fields |
88X |
Other variable fields |
Classification format
This is designed to carry information about classification numbers and the captions
assigned to them in classification schemes. There are three types of classification
record:
-
Schedule
record: contains a number or number span taken from a schedule.
-
Table
record: contains a base number that is taken from a table in a schedule.
-
Index
term record: contains an index term representing a concept, which is not associated
with a classification number.
- A classification number may be a single number,
a defined number span or a summary number span.
001 — 008 |
Control fields |
01X — 08X |
Numbers and codes |
15X |
Classification number and term fields |
2XX |
Complex see reference fields |
3XX |
Complex see also reference fields |
4Xx |
Invalid number tracing fields |
5XX |
Valid number tracing fields |
68X |
Note fields |
70X — 75X |
Index term fields |
76X |
Number building fields |
88X |
Location and alternate graphics |
Community Information format
This is designed to carry descriptions of non-bibliographic resources that fulfil
the information needs of a community. There are five kinds of community information
records:
-
Individual
(i.e. a person — storyteller, civic leader, etc)
-
Organisation
(e.g. corporation, club)
-
Program
or service (e.g. computer literacy training, blood bank)
-
Event
(e.g. lecture, regularly scheduled meeting)
-
Other
(e.g. planetarium on a university campus)
001 — 008 |
Control fields |
01X — 08X |
Numbers and codes |
1XX |
Primary name fields (personal, corporate body, meeting) |
2XX |
Title and address fields |
3Xx |
Physical description, Hours, etc. |
4XX |
Series statement fields (when an event is part of a series) |
5XX |
Note fields |
6XX |
Subject access fields |
7XX |
Added entry fields |
88X |
Location and alternate graphics |
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