This document provides an overview of Machine Readable Cataloging (MARC) records. It defines MARC as the standard for encoding bibliographic data for computer processing. Key points include: - MARC records use a common structure and format that allows libraries to share cataloging data and bibliographic resources. - The structure includes a leader field, control fields, variable fields and subfields to store bibliographic information like titles, authors, subjects etc. - Adhering to the MARC standard ensures cataloging data is compatible across different library systems. - Examples of commonly used fields are provided, like title (245), author (100), subjects (650), and notes (500).

1. 1
Machine Readable Cataloging

2. Definitions
2
 What is MARC?
●

MARC is the acronym for MAchine Readable
Cataloging
What is a machine-readable cataloging
record?
● "Machine-readable" means that one particular type of
machine, a computer, can read, interpret and
manipulate the data in the cataloging record.

3. Definitions
3
 MARC is an industry-wide standard for the
“representation and communication of
bibliographic and related information in
machine readable form”

4. Importance of MARC
4
 Because it is the standard for coding
bibliographic data for machine processing
● Standard MARC records are



Predictable
Reliable
Less expensive than other options

5. Importance of MARC
5
 Standard MARC records enable libraries
●
●
to employ automated systems to manage operations
more efficiently
to share bibliographic resources, reduce duplication of
work, and thus lower costs
 Standard MARC record ensure that
● bibliographic (and related data) is compatible from one
automated system to another

6. A Standard is a Standard…
6
MARC21
UKMARC
interMARC
NORMARC - Norway
SAMARC - South Africa
- United States and Canada
 OCLC MARC, RLIN MARC…
- United Kingdom
- France

7. Why one standard?
7
 To foster communication of information and
data interchange.
 The MARC standard also allows libraries to
replace one system with another with the
assurance that their data will still be
compatible.

8. 8
Development of MARC21




The original LC MARC format, developed by the Library of
Congress in 1960, evolved into USMARC
February 1997, The USMARC and CANMARC (developed by
the National Library of Canada in 1973) formats achieved
alignment
October 1998, The LC’s Network Development and MARC
Standards Office came up with the name MARC21 – meaning
MARC for the 21st century
July 2002, the “Agreement for the development and publication
of MARC21 format” was signed by representatives of the
National Library of Congress, the National Library of Canada and
the British Library

9. MARC-ISO2709 File Structure
 ISO2709 is a standard format for
interchanging MARC data
01329cam a2200313 a
4500001000800000005001700008008004100025035002100066906004500087955012500132
0100017002570200025002740200044002990400018003430420009003610500024003700820
0180039410000320041224500870044425000120053126000370054330000290058050000420
0609520022000651650003300871650001200904740003600916991006300952387362719911
106082810.9891101s1990 maua j 000 0 eng 9(DLC) 89048230
a7bcbccorignewd1eocipf19gy-gencatlg apc14 to he00 11-01-89; he06 11-01-89;
he00 11-03-89; fa00 11-06-89; fa05 11-22-89; he03 11-28-89; CIP ver. he06
a0316107506 (pbk.) :c$5.95
08-08-90 a 89048230 a0316107514 :c$12.95
($6.95 Can.) aDLCcDLCdDLC alcac00aGV943.25b.B74 199000a796.334/22201
aBrenner, Richard J.,d1941-10aMake the team.pSoccer :ba heads up guide to
super soccer! /cRichard J. Brenner. a1st ed. aBoston :bLittle,
Brown,cc1990. a127 p. :bill. ;c19 cm. a"A Sports illustrated for kids
book." aInstructions for improving soccer skills. Discusses dribbling,
heading, playmaking, defense, conditioning, mental attitude, how to handle
problems with coaches, parents, and other players, and the history of
soccer. 0aSoccerxJuvenile literature. 1aSoccer.0 aHeads up guide to super
soccer. bc-GenCollhGV943.25i.B74 1990p0002016704AtCopy 1wBOOKS
9

10. MARC Record Structure
 Leader
●
●
Store important information about the MARC record
itself
Each record begins with a leader, which is a 24-
character fixed field containing information for the
processing of the record
10

11. MARC Record Structure
11
 Directory
●
●
●
●
An index to the location of variable fields (control and
data) within a record
Start at position 24
Each corresponds to one MARC field
Each entry includes



Tag : 3 characters
Field length : 4 characters (including FT)
Starting positions : 5 characters

12. MARC Record Structure
12
 Control fields
●
●
●
●
●
●
Tags beginning with two zeroes
Store fixed-length data
Position of codes determines meaning
Do not have indicators
Converts into 008 field when exported
001-008




001 Control number
003 Control number identifier
005 Date and time of latest transaction
008 Fixed-length data element

13. MARC Record Structure
13
 Variable fields (Data fields)
●
●
●
●
Begin with “tag”
Store variable-length data
2 indicator positions
Subfields ($a, $b, $c, etc.)

14. Understanding a MARC Record
Leader
Control No.
Control No. ID
DTLT
01041cam 2200265 a 4500
001 ###89048230 /AC/r91
003 DLC
005 19911106082810.9
008 891101s1990 maua j 001 0 eng
Fixed Data
LCCN
ISBN
ISBN
Title
010 ## $a ###89048230 /AC/r91
020 ## $a 0316107514 :
$c $12.95
020 ## $a 0316107506 (pbk.) :
$c $5.95 ($6.95 Can.)
245 10 $a Make the team.
$p Soccer :
$b a heads up guide to super soccer! /
$c Richard J. Brenner.
TAG INDICATOR SUBFIELD
14

15. MARC Tag Overview
15










0XX Control information, numbers, code
1XX Main entry
2XX Titles, edition, imprint, etc.
3XX Physical description, etc.
4XX Series statements
5XX Notes
6XX Subject headings
7XX Other added entries and linking entries
8XX Series added entries
9XX Locally defined

16. MARC Tag Commonalities
16





X00 Personal name heading
X10 Corporate name heading
X11 Meeting (conference) name heading
X30 Uniform title heading
where X = 1, 6, 7, or 8

17. Local Data Fields
17






049 Local holdings
09X Local call number fields
59X Local notes
69X Local subject headings
9XX Local information and processing fields
Exception: 490 series statement
MARC tags containing “9” are local data fields

18. Commonly used MARC Fields
18
 020 ISBN
●
●
$a ISBN
$c terms of availability
 050 Library of Congress call number
●
●
$a classification number
$b item number
 082 Dewey Decimal Classification call
number
●
●
●
$a classification number
$b item number
$2 edition number

19. Commonly used MARC Fields
19
 100 Personal name - main entry
●
●
●
●
●
●
1st indicator 0 = forename, 1 = surname
$a personal name
$d date associated with name (year of birth)
$e relator term
$q fuller form of name
$u affiliation

20. Commonly used MARC Fields
20

● 1st
245 Title Information
indicator 0 no title added entry, 1 title added entry
●
●
●
●
●
●
2nd indicator – number of non-filing characters
$a title proper
$b remainder of title, subtitle
$c remainder of title page/statement of responsibility
$f inclusive date
$h medium

21. Commonly used MARC Fields
21
 250 Edition Statement
●
●
$a edition
$b remainder of edition statement
 260 Publication information
●
●
●
$a place of publication
$b name of publisher
$c date of publication

22. Commonly used MARC Fields
22
 300 Physical description
●
●
●
●
$a number of pages
$b usually illustration information
$c dimension
$e accompanying materials
 440 Series statement/added entry
●
●
●
●
●
2nd indicator = no. of non-filing characters
$a title
$n number of part/section of work
$p name of part/section of work
$v volume number

23. Commonly used MARC Fields
23





500 General note
504 Bibliography note
505 Formatted contents note
520 Summary, abstract, etc.
650 Subject - Topical term
●
●
●
●
●
$a Topical term
$v Form subdivision
$x General subdivision
$y Chronological subdivision
$z Geographic subdivision

24. Commonly used MARC Fields
24







110 Corporate body - main entry
111Meeting name - main entry
600 Subject - personal name
651 Subject - geographic name
700 Personal name - added entry
710 Corporate body - added entry
711 Meeting name - added entry

25. MARC Record is a Machine Readable
Cataloging record
25
Leader 01041cam 2200265 a 4500
Control No. 001 ###89048230 /AC/r91
Control No. ID 003 DLC
DTLT 005 19911106082810.9
Fixed Data 008 891101s1990 maua j 001 0 eng
LCCN 010 ## $a ###89048230 /AC/r91
ISBN 020 ## $a 0316107514 :
$c $12.95
ISBN 020 ## $a 0316107506 (pbk.) :
$c $5.95 ($6.95 Can.)
Cat. Source 040 ## $a DLC
$c DLC
$d DLC

26. LC Call No.
Dewey No.
ME:Pers Name
Title
Variant Title
Edition
Publication
Phys Desc
050 00 $a GV943.25
$b .B74 1990
082 00 $a 796.334/2
$2 20
100 1# $a Brenner, Richard J.,
$d 1941-
245 10 $a Make the team.
$p Soccer :
$b a heads up guide to super soccer! /
$c Richard J. Brenner.
246 30 $a Heads up guide to super soccer
250 ## $a 1st ed.
260 ## $a Boston :
$b Little, Brown,
$c c1990.
300 ## $a 127 p. :
$b ill. ;
$c 19 cm.

27. Note: General
Note: Summary
Subj: Topical
Subj: Topical
500 ## $a "A Sports illustrated for kids book."
520 ## $a Instructions for improving soccer
skills. Discusses dribbling, heading,
playmaking, defense, conditioning,
mental attitude, how to handle
problems with coaches, parents,
and other players, and the history
of soccer.
650 #0 $a Soccer
$v Juvenile literature.
650 #1 $a Soccer.
This MARC format can be interpreted to...

28. …this simple Card Catalog output
G V 9 4 3
. 2 5
. B 7 4
1 9 9 0
B r e n n e r, R i c h a r d J., 1 9 4 1 -
M a k e t h e t e a m . S o c c e r : a h e a d s u p g u i d e to s u p e r
s o c c e r ! / R i c h a r d J. B r e n n e r. -- 1 s t e d . -- B o s t o n :
Little, B r o w n , c 1 9 9 0 .
1 2 7 p . : ill. ; 1 9 c m .
" A S p o r t s illustrated for k i d s b o o k . "
S u m m a r y : I n s t r u c t i o n s for i m p r o v i n g s o c c e r skills.
D i s c u s s e s
dribbling, h e a d i n g , p l a y m a k i n g , d e f e n s e , c o n d i t i o n i n g , m e n t a l
attitude, h o w to h a n d l e p r o b l e m s with c o a c h e s , p a r e n t s , a n d
o t h e r p l a ye r s , a n d t h e history o f s o c c e r.
I S B N 0 3 1 6 1 0 7 5 1 4 : $ 1 2 . 9 5
1 . S o c c e r -- J u v e n i l e literature. 2 . S o c c e r. II. Title: H e a d s
u p
g u i d e to s u p e r s o c c e r. II. Title.
D e w e y C l a s s n o . : 7 9 6 . 3 3 4 / 2 -- d c 2 0 8 9 - 4 8 2 3 0 / A C / r 9 1
M A R C
28

29. Common Cataloging Errors
29
 Incorrect indicator values
●

Use of the wrong indicator values can cause a system
to mis-index a term, particularly in the title and subject
areas.
Typographical errors
●

Misspelled word, especially at the beginning of an
indexed tag results if failed searches.
Not doing proper punctuation
● These are signposts for your system. They are useful
for future database manipulation and conversion

30. Common Cataloging Errors
30
 Not knowing how a particular automation system
handles data
●

While automation systems may all use the MARC record, they each
handle it differently. You need to know what tags are indexed and what
searches retrieve that information. This leads us to our next common
error:
Adjusting cataloging so that it “works” in your
automation system
● The temptation to modify cataloging information so that it is accessed
“logically” by the system is a dangerous path. While it may “work”
today, but if the software is modified or if you migrate to another
system, your records may not work properly or may be inaccessible,
forcing you to redo the records.

31. Common Cataloging Errors
31
 Failure to accurately code the fixed field area
(008)
●

Not coding information properly here results in failed detailed
searches, particularly when searching by year of publication,
genre, or target audience.
Use of non-standard subject headings
● Resist the urge to create local subject headings, particularly
if they deviate from the controlled vocabulary you use (Sears,
LCSH, etc.) This causes problems with records imported
from vendors, from users who access your catalog via the
Internet, or from patrons confused by local use that deviates
from what they encounter at other libraries. It’s also more
work for you.

32. Common Cataloging Errors
32
 Not practicing good authority control

33. END
33