`
` Library of Congress >> MARC >> Understanding MARC
`WHAT IS A MARC RECORD,
`AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
`Part I: What Does MARC Mean?
`Part II: Why Is a MARC Record Necessary?
`Part III: MARC Terms and Their Definitions
`Part IV: Where do MARC Records Originate?
`Part V: MARC Data Issues
`Part VI: In Conclusion
`
`It is impossible these days to read a library journal, attend a library
`conference, or even have an informal chat with other librarians without
`hearing the phrases "MARC format," "MARC records," or "MARC-
`compatible." Many library professionals have not had an opportunity to
`take formal courses explaining the important topics of library
`automation and the role of MARC, yet automated library systems may be
`important parts of their libraries.
`
`This booklet will explain -- in the simplest terms possible -- what a
`MARC record is, and it will provide the basic information needed to
`understand and evaluate a MARC record.
`
`Part I:
`What Does MARC Mean?
`What is a MARC record? A MARC record is a MA chine-Readable
`Cataloging record.
`
`And what is a machine-readable cataloging record?
`
`Machine-readable: "Machine-readable" means that one particular type of
`machine, a computer, can read and interpret the data in the cataloging record.
`The following pages will explain why this is important and how it is made
`possible.
`
`Cataloging record: "Cataloging record" means a bibliographic record, or
`the information traditionally shown on a catalog card. The record includes
`(not necessarily in this order): 1) a description of the item, 2) main entry and
`added entries, 3) subject headings, and 4) the classification or call number.
`(MARC records often contain much additional information.)
`
`1) Description: Librarians follow the rules in Anglo-American Cataloguing
`Rules, 2nd ed., 2002 revision to compose the bibliographic description of a
`library item. This "description" is shown in the paragraph sections of a card.
`It includes the title, statement of responsibility, edition, material specific
`
`https://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/um01to06.html[8/1/2019 6:25:10 PM]
`
`
`
`Understanding MARC Bibliographic: Parts 1 to 6
`
`details, publication information, physical description, series, notes, and
`standard numbers.
`
`2) Main entry and added entries: AACR2 also contains rules for
`determining "access points" to the record (usually referred to as the "main
`entry" and "other added entries"), and the form these access points should
`take. Access points are the retrieval points in the library catalog where
`patrons should be able to look up the item.
`
`In other words, the rules in AACR2 are used to answer questions such as: For
`this book, should there be entries in the catalog for more than one author or
`more than one title? Should the title of the series be noted? How should the
`author's name be written? Is this a "title main entry" item (no author)?
`
`3) Subject headings (subject added entries): The librarian uses the Sears List
`of Subject Headings (Sears), the Library of Congress Subject Headings
`(LCSH), or some other list of standard subject headings to select the subjects
`under which the item will be listed. Use of an approved list is important for
`consistency, to ensure that all items on a particular subject are found under
`the same heading and therefore in the same place in the catalog.
`
`For instance, the subject heading list indicates that all books about cats
`should be assigned the subject CATS. Using this authorized heading
`eliminates the possibility of listing some books under CATS and others under
`FELINES. Even if a book is called All About Felines, the subject heading
`will be typed CATS. That way, all books on that subject will be listed in one
`place in the catalog for the patron to find. The patron does not have to
`imagine all the possible synonyms for the word he is looking for.
`
`4) Call number: The librarian uses a Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress
`classification schedule to select the call number for an item. The purpose of
`the call number is to place items on the same subject together on the same
`shelf in the library. Most items are sub-arranged alphabetically by author.
`The second part of the call number usually represents the author's name,
`facilitating this subarrangement.
`
`[ Back to Top of Page ]
`
`Part II:
`Why Is a MARC Record Necessary?
`Why can't a computer just read a catalog card? The information
`from a catalog card cannot simply be typed into a computer to produce an
`automated catalog. The computer needs a means of interpreting the
`information found on a cataloging record. The MARC record contains a
`guide to its data, or little "signposts," before each piece of bibliographic
`information.
`
`The place provided for each of these pieces of bibliographic information
`(author, title, call number, etc.) is called a "field." The records in simpler
`computer files sometimes have a fixed number of fields, and each field
`contains a fixed number of characters.
`
`https://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/um01to06.html[8/1/2019 6:25:10 PM]
`
`
`
`Understanding MARC Bibliographic: Parts 1 to 6
`
`However, to allow proper cataloging of books and other library items, the
`best file structure allows for records with an unlimited number of fields and
`unlimited field lengths. This flexibility is necessary because not all titles are
`the same length (The robe versus Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no
`good, very bad day). Some books are part of a series, requiring a field for that
`information, while others have no series statement. And audiovisual items
`have much longer physical descriptions (5 filmstrips : sd., col. ; 35 mm. +
`teaching manual) than do most books (403 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.).
`
`The computer cannot expect a certain type of information to begin and end at
`the same position in every bibliographic record. The statement of
`responsibility will not always begin with the 145th character of the record
`and end at the 207th position, for example. Therefore each MARC record
`contains a little "table of contents" to the record, according to a predefined
`standard.
`
`Data "signposts:" The computer must have assistance if it is to read and
`interpret the bibliographic record. The box charts on the right illustrate the
`information these "signposts" need to convey.
`
`If a bibliographic record has been marked correctly and saved in a computer
`data file, computer programs can then be written to punctuate and format the
`information correctly for printing a set of catalog cards, or for displaying the
`information on a computer screen. Programs can be written to search for and
`retrieve certain types of information within specific fields, and also to display
`lists of items meeting the search criteria.
`
`Why one standard? You could devise your own method of organizing the
`bibliographic information, but you would be isolating your library, limiting
`its options, and creating much more work for yourself. Using the MARC
`standard prevents duplication of work and allows libraries to better share
`bibliographic resources. Choosing to use MARC enables libraries to acquire
`cataloging data that is predictable and reliable. If a library were to develop a
`"home-grown" system that did not use MARC records, it would not be taking
`advantage of an industry-wide standard whose primary purpose is to foster
`communication of information.
`
`Using the MARC standard also enables libraries to make use of
`commercially available library automation systems to manage library
`operations. Many systems are available for libraries of all sizes and are
`designed to work with the MARC format. Systems are maintained and
`improved by the vendor so that libraries can benefit from the latest advances
`in computer technology. The MARC standard also allows libraries to replace
`one system with another with the assurance that their data will still be
`compatible.
`
`MARC 21: The Library of Congress serves as the official depository of
`United States publications and is a primary source of cataloging records for
`US and international publications. When the Library of Congress began to
`use computers in the 1960s, it devised the LC MARC format, a system of
`using brief numbers, letters, and symbols within the cataloging record itself
`to mark different types of information. The original LC MARC format
`evolved into MARC 21 and has become the standard used by most library
`
`https://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/um01to06.html[8/1/2019 6:25:10 PM]
`
`
`
`Understanding MARC Bibliographic: Parts 1 to 6
`
`computer programs. The MARC 21 bibliographic format, as well as all
`official MARC 21 documentation, is maintained by the Library of Congress.
`It is published as MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data.
`
`A comparison of the same record with textual information and with MARC
`tags illustrates the compactness of the MARC 21 format. It's a matter of
`storage space. Look at the box charts below . The MARC 21 format uses
`"260" "$a" "$b" and "$c" to mark the field that holds imprint data instead of
`storing the words "publication area," "place of publication," "name of
`publisher," and "date of publication" in each record. This convention makes
`more efficient use of computer storage space.
`
`Record with textual "signposts"
`
`"SIGNPOSTS"
`
`I
`
`II
`
`DATA
`
`I
`
`Main entry,
`personal name with
`a single surname:
`The name:
`
`Arnosky, Jim.
`
`Title and Statement
`of responsibility
`area, pick up title
`for a title added
`entry, file under
`"Ra..."
`Title proper:
`
`Statement of
`responsibility:
`
`Raccoons and ripe
`corn /
`Jim Arnosky.
`
`Edition area:
`Edition
`statement:
`
`1st ed.
`
`New York :
`Lothrop, Lee &
`Shepard Books,
`c1987.
`
`Publication,
`distribution, etc.,
`area:
`
`Place of
`publication:
`Name of
`publisher:
`
`Date of
`
`https://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/um01to06.html[8/1/2019 6:25:10 PM]
`
`
`
`Understanding MARC Bibliographic: Parts 1 to 6
`
`publication:
`
`I
`
`II
`
`Physical description
`area:
`
`Pagination:
`Illustrative
`matter:
`Size:
`
`25 p. :
`col. ill. ;
`26 cm.
`
`Note area:
`Summary:
`
`Hungry raccoons feast at night in a field
`of ripe corn.
`
`Raccoons.
`
`Subject added
`entries, from
`Library of Congress
`subject heading list
`for children:
`Topical
`subject:
`
`Local call number:
`I
`Local barcode
`number:
`I
`Local price:
`I
`
`599.74 ARN
`
`8009
`
`$15.00
`
`Same record with MARC tags
`
`I
`
`I
`
`I
`I
`
`"SIGNPOSTS"
`
`DATA
`
`:=:=========:11:=:===========:1
`
`100 1# $a
`245 10 $a
`
`
`$c
`250 ## $a
`260 ## $a
`
`
`$b
`
`
`$c
`300 ## $a
`
`
`$b
`
`
`$c
`
`Arnosky, Jim.
`Raccoons and ripe corn /
`Jim Arnosky.
`1st ed.
`New York :
`Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books,
`c1987.
`25 p. :
`col. ill. ;
`26 cm.
`
`https://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/um01to06.html[8/1/2019 6:25:10 PM]
`
`
`
`Understanding MARC Bibliographic: Parts 1 to 6
`
`520 ## $a
`
`650 #1 $a
`900 ## $a
`901 ## $a
`903 ## $a
`
`Hungry raccoons feast at night in a
`field of ripe corn.
`Raccoons.
`599.74 ARN
`8009
`$15.00
`
`[Back to Top of Page ]
`
`Part III:
`MARC Terms and Their Definitions
`This section covers how to read, understand, and use a MARC record. It
`deals with what librarians using a library automation system will see and
`need to understand on their computer screens when adding, editing, or
`examining records. The emphasis will be on those areas commonly used in
`cataloging for schools and small public libraries, i.e. books and audiovisual
`materials. However, what is covered in this section applies equally to all
`forms of materials, including sound recordings, computer software, maps,
`and other non-book items.
`
`Recently approved changes, some of which have already been implemented,
`to the MARC 21 bibliographic format have involved the concept of Format
`Integration. "Format Integration" means that the same "signposts" are used to
`mark data in records for all types of publications, rather than having different
`sets of "signposts" for each type. More technically, under Format Integration,
`one group of tags is used for records of all types of materials rather than
`having a tag set defined for each type.
`
`The box chart in the previous section showed a MARC record labelled with
`"signposts." The proper names of these "signposts" are field, tag, indicator,
`subfield, subfield code, and content designator. These MARC 21 terms are
`covered in this section.
`
`1. FIELDS are marked by TAGS.
`
`A field: Each bibliographic record is divided logically into fields. There is a
`field for the author, a field for title information, and so on. These fields are
`subdivided into one or more "subfields." As previously noted, the textual
`names of the fields are too lengthy to be reproduced within each MARC
`record. Instead they are represented by 3-digit tags. (Though online catalogs
`may display the names of the fields, the names are supplied by the system
`software, not by the MARC record.)
`
`A tag: Each field is associated with a 3-digit number called a "tag." A tag
`identifies the field -- the kind of data -- that follows. Even though a printout
`or screen display may show the tag immediately followed by indicators
`(making it appear to be a 4- or 5-digit number), the tag is always the first 3
`digits.
`
`https://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/um01to06.html[8/1/2019 6:25:10 PM]
`
`
`
`Understanding MARC Bibliographic: Parts 1 to 6
`
`The tags used most frequently are:
`
`010 tag
`020 tag
`100 tag
`245 tag
`
`250 tag
`260 tag
`300 tag
`
`490 tag
`520 tag
`650 tag
`700 tag
`
`marks the Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN)
` marks the International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
` marks a personal name main entry (author)
` marks the title information (which includes the title, other title
`information, and the statement of responsibility)
` marks the edition
` marks the publication information
` marks the physical description (often referred to as the
`"collation" when describing books)
` marks the series statement
` marks the annotation or summary note
` marks a topical subject heading
` marks a personal name added entry (joint author, editor, or
`illustrator)
`
`Here is an example of a field. The number 100 is the tag, defining it as a
`personal name main entry (author) field.
`
` 100 1# $a Pirsig, Robert M.
`
`The Cataloging Distribution Service of the Library of Congress distributes a
`detailed listing of all tags in both the 2-volume publication MARC 21 Format
`for Bibliographic Data and a summarized single volume work entitled
`MARC 21 Concise Formats. For continued work with MARC records, these
`sets are highly recommended. They are detailed documents containing many
`examples. (See the bibliography for complete reference.)
`
`In the MARC record, 10% of the tags are used over and over, and the other
`90% are seen only occasionally or rarely. After even a short exposure to the
`MARC 21 format, it is not unusual to hear librarians speaking in
`"MARCese." Librarians who work with MARC records soon memorize the
`numbers for the fields common to the materials they catalog.
`
`An outline of those 10% of the tags which are used most frequently is
`included with this brochure in Part VII. A brief list of some of the other tags
`is included in Part VIII.
`
`2. Some fields are further defined by INDICATORS.
`
`Indicators: Two character positions follow each tag (with the exception of
`Fields 001 through 009). One or both of these character positions may be
`used for indicators. In some fields, only the first or second position is used; in
`some fields, both are used; and in some fields, like the 020 and 300 fields,
`neither is used. When an indicator position is not used, that indicator is
`referred to as "undefined" and the position is left blank. It is the convention
`to represent a blank, or undefined, indicator position by the character "#".
`
`Each indicator value is a number from 0 to 9. (Although the rules say
`
`https://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/um01to06.html[8/1/2019 6:25:10 PM]
`
`
`
`Understanding MARC Bibliographic: Parts 1 to 6
`
`it can be a letter, letters are uncommon.) Even though two indicators together
`may look like a 2-digit number, they really are two single-digit numbers. The
`allowable indicator values and their meanings are spelled out in the MARC
`21 documentation. In the example which follows, the first 3 digits are the tag
`(245 defines this as a title field) and the next 2 digits (a 1 and a 4) are
`indicator values. The 1 is the first indicator; 4 is the second indicator.
`
` 245 14 $a The emperor's new clothes /
` $c adapted from Hans Christian
`Andersen
` and illustrated by Janet
`Stevens.
`
`A first indicator value of 1 in the title field indicates that there
`should be a separate title entry in the catalog. In the card catalog
`environment, this means that a title card should be printed for
`this item and an entry for "Title" added to the tracings. A first
`indicator value of 0 would mean that a title main entry is
`involved; the card would be printed with the traditional hanging
`indention, and no additional tracing for the title would be
`required (since it is the main entry).
`
`Nonfiling characters: One of the more interesting indicators is
`the second indicator for the title field. It displays the number of
`characters at the beginning of the field (including spaces) to be
`disregarded by the computer in the sorting and filing process.
`For the title The emperor's new clothes, the second indicator is
`set to "4" so that the first four characters (the "T," the "h," the
`"e," and the space) will be skipped and the title will be filed
`under "emperor's."
`
`3. SUBFIELDS are marked by SUBFIELD CODES and
`DELIMITERS.
`
`A subfield: Most fields contain several related pieces of data. Each type of
`data within the field is called a subfield, and each subfield is preceded by a
`subfield code. Fields 001 through 009 have no subfields.
`
`For example, the field for a book's physical description (defined by the tag
`300) includes a subfield for the extent (number of pages), a subfield for other
`physical details (illustration information), and a subfield for dimensions
`(centimeters):
`
` 300 ## $a 675 p. : $b ill. ; $c 24 cm.
`
`A subfield code: Subfield codes are one lowercase letter (occasionally a
`number) preceded by a delimiter. A delimiter is a character used to separate
`
`https://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/um01to06.html[8/1/2019 6:25:10 PM]
`
`
`
`Understanding MARC Bibliographic: Parts 1 to 6
`
`subfields. Each subfield code indicates what type of data follows it. (For each
`field in the MARC 21 bibliographic format, the MARC 21 documentation
`lists and describes the valid subfield codes.)
`
`A delimiter: Different software programs use different characters to
`represent the delimiter on the screen or on printouts. Examples are a double
`dagger ( ), an "at sign" (@), a dollar sign ($), an underline ( _ ), or the
`graphic symbol " ". In this publication the dollar sign ($) is used as the
`=I=
`delimiter portion of the subfield code.
`
`In the example above, the subfield codes are $a for the extent, $b for other
`physical details, and $c for dimensions.
`
`4. CONTENT DESIGNATORS is an inclusive term used
`to refer to tags, indicators, and subfield codes.
`
`The three kinds of content designators -- tags, indicators, and subfield codes -
`- are the keys to the MARC 21 notation system. In his book, MARC for
`Library Use (2nd ed. (Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1989), p. 5), Walt Crawford
`calls the MARC system a "shorthand notation" system. The three types of
`content designators are the shorthand symbols that label and explain the
`bibliographic record.
`
`5. Some GENERAL RULES.
`
`There are some general rules that help define what all the numbers used as
`field tags mean. Please note that in discussions of MARC 21 tags, the
`notation XX is often used to refer to a group of related tags. For example,
`1XX refers to all the tags in the 100s: 100, 110, 130, and so on.
`
`A. Tags divided by hundreds. The basic divisions of the
`MARC 21 bibliographic record are:
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`0XX Control information, numbers, codes
`1XX Main entry
`2XX
`Titles, edition, imprint (in general, the title,
`statement of responsibility, edition, and publication
`information )
`3XX Physical description, etc.
`4XX Series statements (as shown in the book)
`5XX Notes
`6XX Subject added entries
`7XX Added entries other than subject or series
`8XX Series added entries (other authoritative forms)
`
`The 9XXs have been left for locally-defined uses, such as local
`barcode numbers. Local libraries, vendors, or systems can define
`and use them for attaching other types of information to records.
`(X9Xs in each of these groups -- 09X, 59X, etc. -- are also
`reserved for local use, except 490.)
`
`The list of the most common tags shows how each fits into one
`of these divisions: 100 is an author main entry, 520 is a summary
`
`https://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/um01to06.html[8/1/2019 6:25:10 PM]
`
`
`
`Understanding MARC Bibliographic: Parts 1 to 6
`
`note, and so on.
`
`B. Access points: Access points (a main entry, subject added
`entries, and other added entries) are an important part of the
`bibliographic record. These are the headings for which separate
`cards were created for the traditional card catalog, and which a
`patron or librarian can search in an online catalog. Most of the
`access points are in:
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`1XX fields (main entries)
`4XX fields (series statements)
`6XX fields (subject headings)
`7XX fields (added entries other than subject or series)
`8XX fields (series added entries)
`
`These are the fields that are under authority control.
`
`"Authority control" means following a recognized or
`established form. Usually, a cataloger chooses subject and name
`headings from a list of approved headings. In a conversation, if
`you talked about visiting the "Getty Museum" and the "J. Paul
`Getty Museum" in California, your listener would know you
`meant the same thing. But if a cataloger sometimes uses "Getty
`Museum" and other times uses "J. Paul Getty Museum" as
`headings in a catalog, the library user will have a difficult time
`finding all the books on that subject. If a cataloger follows the
`Library of Congress's list of established forms for names, he or
`she will use the heading "J. Paul Getty Museum." As long as the
`cataloger always uses one established form, all the books on that
`museum will be found in one place in the catalog.
`
`For names, the best authority is the Library of Congress Name
`Authority file. This file is available in machine-readable format
`from the Cataloging Distribution Service (CDS) of the Library
`of Congress or online at http://authorities.loc.gov. The form of
`the name used (personal name, corporate name, conference or
`meeting name, series title, or uniform title) can be checked
`against this authority.
`
`For topics or geographic names, the common subject authority
`lists are the Library of Congress Subject Headings or the Sears
`List of Subject Headings. The form of a subject heading should
`match one on the list or follow the rules for construction.
`
`In a desktop computer system, it is difficult to store all of the
`Library of Congress authority files. Five gigantic volumes are
`required to list the Library of Congress Subject Headings. The
`portion used by a school or special librarian would be only a
`fraction of the whole.
`
`What is more important on the computer-based library catalog is
`what is termed "local authority control." Local authority control
`allows the librarian to look at the list of subject headings or the
`list of author names and ask to reuse one that has already been
`
`https://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/um01to06.html[8/1/2019 6:25:10 PM]
`
`
`
`Understanding MARC Bibliographic: Parts 1 to 6
`
`entered. In that way, all headings for the same person or same
`subject will be entered exactly the same way -- which is the
`point of authority control. Names shown in Cataloging in
`Publication (CIP) data in books are also based on Library of
`Congress authority records at the time of publication. The forms
`shown for current publications in an online catalog after a
`retrospective conversion of data should be correct, since nearly
`every book or data vendor's database is based on Library of
`Congress MARC files.
`
`The term "retrospective conversion" describes a project that
`converts bibliographic records from their present form -- such as
`shelflist cards or a brief circulation record -- to full machine-
`readable bibliographic records. The term retrospective is used
`because the project is done for a library's existing collection --
`everything placed in the library up to the present time. Usually
`the retrospective conversion is done by "matching" a library's
`old records (whether on cards or in a non-MARC format) to a
`database of full records in machine readable form. Rather than
`rekeying old records, a librarian can purchase the equivalent
`MARC records.
`
`C. Parallel content: The fields requiring authority control are
`also the fields that use parallel tag construction. In general, in the
`1XX, 4XX, 6XX, 7XX and 8XX fields, a personal name will
`have the last two digits 00. Therefore, for a main entry (1XX)
`that is a personal name (X00), the correct tag is 100. For a
`subject heading (6XX) that is a personal name, the tag is 600,
`and so on. This parallel content can be summarized as follows:
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`
`X00 Personal names
`X10 Corporate names
`X11 Meeting names
`X30 Uniform titles
`X40 Bibliographic titles
`X50 Topical terms
`X51 Geographic names
`
`By combining this chart with the chart "Tags divided by
`hundreds" (above), it becomes evident that if the subject of a
`book (6XX) is a person (Lincoln, Abraham), the tag will be 600;
`if the subject of the book is a corporation (Apple Computer,
`Inc.), the tag will be 610; if the subject of the book is a topic
`(Railroads), the tag will be 650; if the subject of a book is a
`place (United States), the tag will be 651. An added entry (7XX)
`for a joint author (a personal name) will have tag 700.
`
`The Dewey Decimal classification uses a similar construct in its
`tables for geographic locations or standard subdivisions.
`
`6. Unique information appears at the beginning of the
`MARC record.
`
`https://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/um01to06.html[8/1/2019 6:25:10 PM]
`
`
`
`Understanding MARC Bibliographic: Parts 1 to 6
`
`Preceding the main bibliographic record parts -- which are known to all
`librarians because of their presence on catalog cards -- the MARC record
`contains some less familiar information. Automated cataloging systems
`usually provide default data or prompts to help a cataloger input this
`information.
`
`A. Leader: The leader is the first 24 characters of the record.
`Each position has an assigned meaning, but much of the
`information in the leader is for computer use. MARC record
`creation and editing programs usually provide a window or
`prompts to assist the cataloger in filling in any leader data
`elements that require input. The details required for interpreting
`the leader are in Part IX of this brochure.
`
`B. Directory: MARC records are called "tagged" records.
`Before it becomes a tagged record, a MARC record (in what is
`called the MARC communications format), looks very different
`-- like one long run-on sentence. In the communications format,
`the fields are not preceded by tags. However, immediately
`following the leader is a block of data called a directory. This
`directory tells what tags are in the record and where they are
`placed (by a count of the characters to the position where each
`field begins). The directory is constructed (by computer) from
`the bibliographic record, based on the cataloging information,
`and, if any of the cataloging information is altered, can be
`reconstructed in the same way. Part XI displays a record in
`MARC 21 communications format, including its directory.
`
`C. The 008 field: The 008 field is referred to as Fixed-Length
`Data Elements, or Fixed Field Codes. Its 40 characters contain
`important information, but in an abbreviated form. Although it is
`not yet used to its fullest in online catalog systems, this field can
`be used to identify and retrieve records matching specific
`criteria.
`
`For example, there is a code in this field to indicate whether a
`book is large-print, a code to identify the country of publication,
`a code to identify juvenile materials, a code to indicate the
`language of the text, and so on. The details required for
`interpreting the 008 field for books are in Part X.
`
`[ Back to Top of Page ]
`
`Part IV:
`Where Do MARC Records Originate?
`Shared cataloging information -- shared bibliographic records -- has been a
`reality for a number of years. Many librarians have chosen to maximize
`limited resources by acquiring cataloging data rather than creating it
`themselves. For almost a century they have been able to order sets of catalog
`cards for their new books from the Library of Congress, or, more recently,
`
`https://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/um01to06.html[8/1/2019 6:25:10 PM]
`
`
`
`Understanding MARC Bibliographic: Parts 1 to 6
`
`from book jobbers.
`
`Others typed their own cards, using the Cataloging in Publication (CIP) data
`found on the verso of the title page of many books. Librarians also adapted
`the partial or full cataloging records printed in library journals or in
`bibliographies.
`
`Once computers became available, it was no longer necessary for librarians
`everywhere to constantly "reinvent the wheel." Why should hundreds of
`catalogers each use valuable time to compose nearly identical cataloging
`records for the same item when one cataloger could do it and share the record
`that had been created? Why should hundreds of typists retype that same
`record on cards when a computer could be programmed to print them?
`
`After the MARC record was developed, libraries shared in the benefits of
`machine-readable cataloging whether they had an online system or not. The
`cards, purchased from the Library of Congress or from a jobber, were
`computer-printed from bibliographic records based on Library of Congress
`MARC files.
`
`Colleges and universities with large library budgets joined bibliographic
`utilities such as OCLC, WLN, RLIN, and A-G Canada. For an on-going fee
`plus communication costs, their technical service departments went online
`with the utilities' powerful mainframe computers. These ventures allowed
`those libraries to use and contribute MARC records. Catalog cards could be
`ordered, and a printer could be hooked up to the system to receive data over
`the phone lines and print book labels.
`
`Now we are in an exciting age when powerful, inexpensive computers are
`available for the management of library operations in all types and sizes of
`libraries. Computer software programs allow an individual library to have its
`own self-contained circulation system or online public access catalog. These
`programs often can read, store, and print MARC records. Today's computers
`use hard disks and floppy disks for storage of information rather than the tape
`drives used by mainframe computers. For computers, data is commonly sent
`and received on floppy disks. From the floppy disks, bibliographic records
`are uploaded to the stationary hard disk.
`
`As library automation technology changes and as cataloging needs change,
`the MARC 21 formats and related MARC 21 documentation are changing
`also. Although the MARC format was originally developed by the Library of
`Congress and the MARC 21 format documentation is maintained and
`published there, the Library does not make changes or revisions unilaterally.
`
`Two groups which are responsible for reviewing and revising MARC 21
`format documentation are MARBI and the MARC Advisory Committee. The
`Machine-Readable Bibliographic Information (MARBI) Committee is a
`committee of the American Library Association (ALA) and is composed of
`three representatives from each of the three function-oriented divisions of
`ALA: ALCTS (technical services function); LITA (automation); and RUSA
`(reference). ALA tries to assure that all types of expertise are represented on
`MARBI. The MARC Advisory Committee is composed of representatives
`from the national libraries, the bibliographic utilities, vendor groups, and
`other library and scholarly associations. MARBI meets in conjunction with
`
`https://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/um01to06.html[8/1/2019 6:25:10 PM]
`
`
`
`Understanding MARC Bibliographic: Parts 1 to 6
`
`the MARC Advisory Committee at each ALA conference (annual and mid-
`winter). The major activity of the Committee is the review of discussion
`papers and proposals submitted by or through the Library of Congress for
`changes or additions to existing MARC formats, or the development of new
`MARC format support in emerging areas.
`
`In 1987, the Library of Congress issued the first edition of the document
`MARC 21 Specifications for Record Structure, Character Sets, and Exchange
`Media to aid libraries and other organizations who create or acquire MARC
`21 records. Subsequent editions were published in 1990, 1994, and 2000.
`This document provides technical information on the structure of MARC
`records, the character sets used in MARC records, and the format for
`distribution media for MARC 21 records. It is intended for the use of
`personnel involved in the design and maintenance