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Topic – MARC

Presented by – Susheel Chourasiya

Documentation Research and Training Centre

Indian Statistical Institute Bengalore centre

560059

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Contents

● Introduction

● Terminology

● Component of bibliographic records

● Variable fields

● Design principle for MARC21

● Most frequently used tags

● references

●

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Introduction

● MARC stands for Machine Readable Cataloging.

● It is a standard for the description of the digital format of any item.

● This is a computerized method of recording the information for cataloging purpose.

● These computer readable cataloging records will help the computer programs to search for and display specified pieces of the information stored in a cataloging record.

 

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History

● Libraries had shared cataloging before MARC was developed.

● Computer scientist Henriette Avram who worked in Libray of Congress created it in 1960s so that records can be shared among libraries.

● It defines a data format that emerged from a Library of Congress­led initiative that began nearly forty years ago.

● Originally the Library of Congress program was called LC MARC

● Became USMARC in 1980s.

● MARC 21 was born when the USMARC,CANMARC and UNIMARC harmonized in the year 1997.

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Terminology

● A MARC record is 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 international standard Format for Information Exchange (ISO 2709) and its American counterpart, Bibliographic Information Interchange (ANSI/NISO Z39.2).

● The content designation­­the codes and conventions established explicitly to identify and further characterize the data elements within a record. 

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Cont..

● The content of the data elements that comprise a MARC record is usually defined by standards outside the formats. Examples are the International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD), Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), or other cataloging rules etc

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Cont..● Field: This is the term used to describe the various sections of cataloging 

information.

● For example, Title Statement, contains the information found in the title and statement of responsibility area of the AACR2 rules.

● Tag: This is the three­digit number assigned to each field in the MARC record.

● The tag indicates specific information about the field.For example, a topical subject heading has a different tag than a geographic subject heading.

● Indicators: There are two spaces that follow each field in a MARC record. These spaces are for the Indicators.

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MARC 21 Formats

• MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data● MARC 21 Format for Authority Data● MARC 21 Format for Holdings Data● MARC 21 Format for Classification Data● MARC 21 Format for Community Information

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Component of bibliographic record

● Leader - Data elements that primarily provide information for the processing of the record. The data elements contain numbers or coded values and are identified by relative character position. The Leader is fixed in length at 24 character positions and is the first field of a MARC record.

String: 00802cam__2200241_a_4500

Position: 012..........................24

The meaning of any one-lettered code depends on its relative position in the string.

'a' position 6 → record is for a book or printed serial

'a' position 18 →AACR2 (current cataloging rule followed)

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MARC record with Leader highlighted

00802cam##2200241#a#4500001001300000003000400013005001700017008004100034020001800075040001800093043001200111050002600123082001500149100001800164245004200182260003500224300002100259650002400280650002600304650003300330856010600363856009100469@##2006040204@DLC@20060918142242.0@060210s2006####nyu###########000#1#eng##@##$a9780385336642@##$aDLC$cDLC$dDLC@##$as-pe--00$aPS3601.R345$bC46#2006#00$a813/.6#222#1@$aArana,#Marie.@10$aCellophane#:$ba#novel#/$cMarie#Arana.@##$aNew#York#:$bDial#Press,$c2006.@##$a367#p.#;$c25#cm.@#0$aEngineers$vFiction.@#0$aPapermakers$vFiction.@#0$aRain#forests$zPeru$vFiction.@42$3Publisher#description$uhttp://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0633/2006040204-d.html@%

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cont

● Directory - A series of entries that contain the tag, length, and starting location of each variable field within a record. Each entry is 12 character positions in length.

● The directory begins in character position 24 of the record and ends with a field terminator.

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Directory

EXAMPLES

Tag Field length Starting character position

Entry 1 001 0013 00000

Entry 2 003 0004 00013

Entry 3 005 0017 00017

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MARC record with Directory highlighted

00802cam##2200241#a#4500001001300000003000400013005001700017008004100034020001800075040001800093043001200111050002600123082001500149100001800164245004200182260003500224300002100259650002400280650002600304650003300330856010600363856009100469@##2006040204@DLC@20060918142242.0@060210s2006####nyu###########000#1#eng##@##$a9780385336642@##$aDLC$cDLC$dDLC@##$as-pe-@00$aPS3601.R345$bC46#2006#00$a813/.6#222#1@$aArana,#Marie.@10$aCellophane#:$ba#novel#/$cMarie#Arana.@##$aNew#York#:$bDial#Press,$c2006.@##$a367#p.#;$c25#cm.@#0$aEngineers$vFiction.@#0$aPapermakers$vFiction.@#0$aRain#forests$zPeru$vFiction.@42$3Publisher#description$uhttp://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0633/2006040204-d.html@%

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Variable fields

● The variable fields follow the leader and the directory in the record and consist of control fields and data fields. Control fields precede data fields in the record and are arranged in the same sequence as the corresponding entries in the directory.

● Control fields in MARC 21 formats are assigned tags beginning with two zeroes. They are comprised of data and a field terminator; they do not contain indicators or subfield codes.

● Data fields in MARC 21 formats are assigned tags beginning with ASCII numeric characters other than two zeroes. Such fields contain indicators and subfield codes, as well as data and a field terminator.

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00802cam##2200241#a#4500001001300000003000400013005001700017008004100034020001800075040001800093043001200111050002600123082001500149100001800164245004200182260003500224300002100259650002400280650002600304650003300330856010600363856009100469@##2006040204@DLC@20060918142242.0@060210s2006####nyu###########000#1#eng##@##$a9780385336642@##$aDLC$cDLC$dDLC@##$as-pe-@00$aPS3601.R345$bC46#2006#00$a813/.6#222#1@$aArana,#Marie.@10$aCellophane#:$ba#novel#/$cMarie#Arana.@##$aNew#York#:$bDial#Press,$c2006.@##$a367#p.#;$c25#cm.@#0$aEngineers$vFiction.@#0$aPapermakers$vFiction.@#0$aRain#forests$zPeru$vFiction.@42$3Publisher#descript ion$uhttp://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0633/2006040204-d.html@%

Variable Data Field

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Design principle for MARC21

CONTENT DESIGNATION: The purpose of content designation is to identify and characterize the data elements which comprise a MARC record with sufficient precision to support manipulation of the data for a variety of functions.

●Contain specific pieces of information identified by:●Tags●Indicators●Delimeters●Subfield Codes

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Tags

● Three digit numbers

Eg: 245 = Title and statement of responsibility

245 10 $a Once upon a town: $b the miracle of the North Platte Canteen/ $c Bob Greene.

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Indicators

● Digits or blanks that give the computer instructions or information about the data contained in the field

● The indicator in a 245 field is 10 = Author main entry; no nonfiling characters

245 10 $a Once upon a town: $b the miracle of the North Platte Canteen/ $c Bob Greene.

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Delimeters

● Tell the computer where each subfield will start

● Denoted as $,#,_, etc...

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Subfield codes

● Single letters or digits indicate what type of information is in a subfield

Eg: in a 245 filed, a= title proper; b=remainder of title; c= statement of responsibility

245 10 $a Once upon a town: $b the miracle of the North Platte Canteen/ $c Bob Greene.

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The variable data fields consists of indicators, one or more subfield codes,variable data and a field terminator.

Primary grouping of Variable Fields:

0xx - Control information, numbers, codes

1xx - Main Entry

2xx - Titles, Editions, Imprint

3xx - Physical Description 4xx - Series statement

5xx - Notes6xx - Subject Added Entry7xx - Added entries8xx - Series Added Entry9xx - Reserved for local implementation

Variable data Field

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MARC record with variable length fields highlighted

00802cam##2200241#a#4500001001300000003000400013005001700017008004100034020001800075040001800093043001200111050002600123082001500149100001800164245004200182260003500224300002100259650002400280650002600304650003300330856010600363856009100469@##2006040204@DLC@20060918142242.0@060210s2006####nyu###########000#1#eng##@##$a9780385336642@##$aDLC$cDLC$dDLC@##$as-pe-@00$aPS3601.R345$bC46#2006#00$a813/.6#222#1@$aArana,#Marie.@10$aCellophane#:$ba#novel#/$cMarie#Arana.@##$aNew#York#:$bDial#Press,$c2006.@##$a367#p.#;$c25#cm.@#0$aEngineers$vFiction.@#0$aPapermakers$vFiction.@#0$aRain#forests$zPeru$vFiction.@42$3Publisher#description$uhttp://www.loc.gov/catdir/enhancements/fy0633/2006040204-d.html@%

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Field Tag

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." They are represented by 3-digit tags.

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.

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Most frequently used tags

The tags used most frequently are:●010 tag marks the Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN)●020 tag marks the International Standard Book Number (ISBN)●100 tag marks a personal name main entry (author)●245 tag marks the title information (which includes the title, other title information, and the statement of responsibility)

●250 tag marks the edition●260 tag marks the publication information●300 tag marks the physical description (often referred to as the "collation" when

describing books)●490 tag marks the series statement●520 tag marks the annotation or summary note●650 tag marks a topical subject heading●700 tag marks a personal name added entry (joint author, editor, or illustrator)

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01X- 09X Numbers and Codes

Fields 01X-09X contain standard numbers, classification numbers, codes, and other data elements relating to the record

Examples: ● 010 - Library of Congress Control Number (NR)● 013 - Patent Control Information● 015 - National Bibliography Number● 020 - ISBN● 022 - ISSN● 024 - Other Standard Identifier● 080 - Universal Decimal Classification Number● 082 - Dewey Decimal Classification Number

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Access points

• A main entry, subject added entries, and other added entries are an important part of the bibliographic record and serve as access points in an online catalogue:

• 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)

Most of these fields require Authority Control

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MARC may appear difficult at first, but with knowledge and use, it will begin to make sense. As you become more familiar with MARC, the simpler it will become.

CONCLUSION

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● www.loc.gov/marc/specifications/specrecstruc.html● https://www.loc.gov/marc/marcservice.html

references

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