The bibliographic record describes the item in hand (book, CD, DVD, eBook, map, etc.). to describe the item, we use the MARC21 standard. The MARC21 standard divides the MARC record
into fixed and variable fields, denoted by three-digit numbers. Fixed fields
and variable fields encompass the bibliographic record.
Indicators: Each
MARC field has two indicators, the first and second. Depending on the system,
blank indicators can be represented as a blank or #. If not left blank,
indicators are numbers.
Subfields: Subfields divide MARC fields into more specific
sections. Depending on the MARC field, subfields can be letters or numbers.
Subfields will be represented by symbols $, $$, †, or ‡, depending on the
system.
Minimum Requirements for MARC Records
Fixed Fields
Fixed Fields
are represented in the bibliographic record by field LDR and 008.
Check the
date (should be the same as the publication date on the item and in the 26x
field) in the 008. The date appears seven characters from the start of the
line.
Variable
Fields
0XX Control
Fields
020: This is the ISBN field. There is likely to be
more than one of these fields, as books often have multiple ISBNs. Note that
this field is only for books. DVDs may have a 024 field, or they may not.
042: Records with a 042 MARC field are a good
record to use; those records are PCC records (Program for Cooperative Cataloging) and
are considered good records by MnPALS catalogers.
035: OCLC number field.
Additionally, Alma stores other system numbers in MARC field 035. The OCLC
number is a unique number assigned to the record. OCLC will merge
duplicate records, in which case, there will be multiple OCLC numbers. In Alma,
these numbers may take several forms: (OCoLC)123456, ocm123456, ocn123456,
123456, etc. If a record has multiple OCLC numbers, you can search OCLC using
any of the numbers.
Call Numbers
Physical records
must have a call number in 050 Library of Congress or 082 Dewey.
050 Field: This is where
the Library of Congress (LC) call number goes. The LC call number starts with letters.
The call number has two subfields–$a and $b. Subfield $a is the classification
number, and subfield $b is the Cutter number, usually ending with the publication
year.
082 Field: This is where
the Dewey Decimal call number goes. The Dewey Decimal number starts with three
numbers. The call number has two subfields–$a and $b. Subfield $a is the
classification number, and subfield $b is the Cutter number.
Main Entry, 1XX
Record the author
in field 100. Additionally, you may see 110, corporate name, or 111, a
conference name.
100 Field:
This is the author field. Not every record will have a 100, for instance, if a
book has an editor but not an author.
- Verify that
the author listed on the title page matches the author in the bibliographic
record.
- If there are
two or three authors, the first author listed is in the 100; additional authors
should be listed in field 700.
Example:
100 10 $a
Lovelace, Maud Hart, $d 1892-1980.
Titles, 24x
245 field:
The 245 is the title field, and every
bibliographic record must have a title, 245 field. It will generally also list
the author in subfield c. The first indicator is 1 if there is a 100 field in
the record or 0 if no author in field 100. The second indicator indicates the
number of non-filing characters. Non-filing characters are words at the
beginning of the title that the system ignores for sorting purposes. In
English, these words are: a, an, the. Corresponding words in other languages
also have non-filing characters. The number of nonfiling characters will depend
on which of these words starts the title, and adds one more value to represent
the space between that word and the next. The word “The” is 4, “an” is 3, and
“a” is 2. (However, if a title begins with a quotation mark, that adds another
non-filing character.) If the title does not start with one of these words,
then the second indicator is 0.
- Verify that the title in the 245 matches the
title on the title page.
Example:
245 10 |a
Betsy and Tacy go downtown / |c Maud Hart Lovelace ; illustrated by Lois
Lenski.
Edition Statement
250 Field:
This is the
edition field. That information will be listed based on whether the book is a
first, second edition, etc..
- Verify the
edition statement on the item, for example, 2nd ed., Rev. ed.
Example:
250__ |a 1st Harper trophy ed.
260 or 264 Field:
These fields
provide information about publication information. 260 is an older form of the field,
still present in some older records. 264 is the newer version of the field. 260
and 264 have the same subfields: $a, $b, and $c.
$a is the city of publication.
$b is the name of the publisher.
$c is the date of
publication.
Records with a 264 field may contain a second 264
field containing the copyright date.
- Verify publication information from the title
page and/or title page verso. Ensure the publication date is consistent with
the fixed Dates (008).
Examples:
260 |a New
York : |b Harper & Row, |c 1979.
264 1|a Washington : |b U.S. Government
Printing Office, |c 2024
Physical Description 3XX
300 Field:
This field provides physical details about the
resource.
$a provides the number of pages.
$b illustrations (charts, tables, drawings,
photographs, etc.).
$c provides the dimensions (usually just the
height, in centimeters).
- Verify the
paging and illustrations of the item on hand. For books without pages, the 300
field will look like – 1 volume or 26 unnumbered pages. Fixed Ills field
must reflect information in |b.
- Example: 300 __|a
180 pages : |b illustrations ; |c 20 cm.
Each record should contain fields 336, 337,
and 338.
Example for books:
336 |a
text |2 rdacontent
337 |a
unmediated |2 rdamedia
338 |a
volume |2 rdacarrier
Series statement 4XX and/or 8XX
490 Field: This field is for the series statement. Newer
records will also include the authorized (traced) form of the series in an 830
field (the authorized form of the series in the 830 field may or may not be
worded differently than the name of the series in the 490 field).
Verify
the series with the item on hand.
Example:
490 0_ |a A Harper trophy book.
8xx:
Series added Entries, maybe represented in fields 800,
810, 811, or 830.
Verify an 8XX field exists if 490 1_ is
used
Example:
800 1_|a Lovelace, Maud Hart, |d 1892-1980. |t Betsy-Tacy book ; |v 4.
Note fields
5XX
5XX Fields: Fields in the 500-599 range are note fields.
Records may or may not include 5XX fields. Some common note fields are:
500 general notes
505 table of contents
520 summaries
59X are Alma reserved
local notes, appearing in IZ only.
Examples:
500
__|a Originally published under the title: Down town, a Betsy-Tacy story.
504__
|a Includes bibliographical references (pages_xx-xx) and index(es).
505__ |t Cats /|r John
Smith -- |t Dogs /|r Mary Smith.
520__ This book is about
cats and dogs. Their care at home and while traveling.
Subject
headings 6XX
6XX Fields:
Fields in the
600-699 range are subject heading fields.
600 personal names used as subjects, for example, in a book
about William Shakespeare.
650 topical subjects.
651 geographic headings
used as subjects
655 genre
69x Alma local subjects
The first indicator will be blank
for all these fields, and the second one should be 0, indicating the subject
heading comes from the Library of Congress Authority File. There can be other values
in 6XX fields beyond Library of Congress subject headings in the second
indicator. Any subject field may have several subfields to subdivide topics
further.
Example:
650_0 |a City and town life |v Juvenile fiction.
651 _0 |a Minnesota |v
Juvenile fiction.
Added entries 7XX
700 Field: This is the contributor field. Use the 700
field for resources with multiple authors, illustrators, or DVDs with multiple
actors, directors, and producers. The formatting of the 700 is the same as the 100
fields.
700
– Author added entry
710 – Corporate body added entry
711 – Conference
added entry
Example: 700 1_ |a Lenski, Lois, |d
1893-1974, |e illustrator.