Bibliographic Management | Factfile

   UKOLN
Introduction Button Cataloguing Rules Button Cataloguing Formats Button Classification Button Cataloguing Formats Button
Item Formats Button Standard Numbers button Other Metadata Schemas Button FAQs Button Glossary Button

Return to home page

UNIMARC

The primary purpose of UNIMARC is to facilitate the international exchange of bibliographic data in machine-readable form between national bibliographic agencies. UNIMARC may also be used as a model for the development of new machine-readable bibliographic formats.

The UNIMARC bibliographic format was first published in 1977, with a second edition in 1980. A revised and expanded version was issued in 1983, with further revisions in 1987 and 1994. In addition the concise Classification format was issued in 2000, and the Holdings format was issued in 2004.

UNIMARC records are composed of three elements: the record label, 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:

  • Record label: 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 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.

UNIMARC is maintained by an IFLA committee, the Permanent UNIMARC Committee (PUC).

Bibliographic format

UNIMARC records 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:

0XXIdentification block (control numbers, standard numbers, etc)
1XXCoded information block
2XXDescriptive information block (title, statement of responsibility, edition, physical description, series)
3XXNotes block
4XXLinking entry block
5XXRelated title block
6XXSubject analysis block
7XXIntellectual responsibility block
8XXInternational use block
9XXNational use block

Holdings format

This format was developed to describe information concerning the specific characteristics of a bibliographic unit or a set of bibliographic units in a given institution. Fields in this format are:

0XXIdentification block (control numbers, standard numbers, etc)
1XXCoded information block
2XXLocation and access block (identifies the institution, physical site or collection at which an item is located or from which it may be available)
3XXNotes block
5XXExtent of holdings block
7XXIntellectual responsibility block
8XXSource information block (source of the record and cataloguer's notes about the data, not for public display)
9XXNational use block

Classification format

This format was developed to describe information concerning the specific characteristics of a bibliographic unit or a set of bibliographic units in a given institution. Fields in this format are:

0XXIdentification block (control numbers, standard numbers, etc)
1XXCoded information block
2XXHeading block (the classification numbers and their captions)
3XXNotes block
4XXSee reference block
5XXSee also reference block
66Number building block
70 - 75Index term block
8XXSource information block (source of the record and cataloguer's notes about the data, not for public display)
9XXNational use block

Back to top

Content by: Ann Chapman of UKOLN.
Page last revised on: 24-May-2005
Email comments to: web-support@ukoln.ac.uk