MARC

Machine Readable Cataloging

& MARC family
Reference: Rebecca Guenther (2004) New and traditional descriptive
formats in the library environment
Timeline comparing creation of MARC to major developments in software, networking, and
data representation between 1960 and 1980

Jason Thomale. 2010. Interpreting MARC: Where’s the Bibliographic Data? Code {4} Lib Journal. Issue 11, 2010-09-21
http://journal.code4lib.org/articles/3832
1. MARC21 Bibliographic Format
MARC - 1960s --> USMARC, CANMARC, UKMARC, etc.

UNIMARC - 1977

MARC21 – 1997, Harmonization of USMARC and CAN/MARC

Translations in several languages

MARC21 Concise Format for Bibliographic Data is available at:

http://www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/ecbdhome.html

MARC21 Formats are available at:

http://www.loc.gov/marc/

Good introduction to the use of MARC: Understanding MARC

Bibliographic, http://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/
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 MARC 21
Parts of a MARC record
Leader: identifies the beginning of a new record, type of
record
Directory: think of it as the index to the record. Identifies the
position and length of each field
Control Fields: coded information about the resource
described, standard/control numbers, dates, language, etc.
Some are called fixed fields due to their fixed length
Variable fields: more detailed description of the recourse,
fields have variable length

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 MARC 21
Content designators
Types of codes used to indicate content of a record:
tags: 3-digit numbers (001-999) to encode fields
e.g. 100 = personal name main entry

indicators: 2 possible positions for each field,

special information about that field
e.g. 100 1_ = surname as the entry element
subfield codes: combination of a delimiter and a
lower case letter or number, to encode subfields
e.g. 100 1_ |a = name

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MARC21
groups of fields (by hundreds)
Bibliographic format

0XX Control information, numbers, codes

1XX Main entry
2XX Titles, edition, imprint/publication
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)

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 Parallels in MARC formats
X00 Personal names
1XX Main entry
X10 Corporate names 4XX Series statement
X11 Meeting names 6XX Subject heading
X30 Uniform titles 7XX Added entry
X40 Bibliographic titles 8XX Series added entries

X50 Topical terms

X51 Geographic names
Exercise: If Steve Jobs is the subject of a book, what field number
should you use to indicate that "Jobs, Steve, -- 1955-2011" is the
'subject' of the book?

Exercise: If "Apple Computer, Inc." is the subject of a book, what

field number should you use to indicate that?
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2. MARC Family
2.1 MARC XML
2.2 MODS, Metadata Object Description
Schema
2.3 MADS, Metadata Authority
Description Schema
…

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 New needs
 Need to take advantage of XML
 Establish standard MARC 21 in an XML
structure
 Need simpler (but compatible) alternatives
 Development of MODS
 Need interoperability with different schemas
 Assemble coordinated set of tools
 Need continuity with current data
 Provide flexible transition options

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10
2.1 MARC 21 evolution to XML

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MARC 21 in XML – MARCXML
 MARCXML record
 XML exact equivalent of MARC (2709)
record
 Lossless/roundtrip conversion to/from
MARC 21 record
 Simple flexible XML schema, no need to
change when MARC 21 changes
 Presentations using XML stylesheets
 LC provides converters (open source)
 Adopted by OAI to replace oai_marc
 http://www.loc.gov/standards/marcxml 12
 Uses of MARCXML and related tools

 Standardize MARC 21 across community for

XML communication and manipulation
 Open MARC 21 to XML programming tools and
presentation style sheets
 Standardize MARC 21 for OAI harvesting
 Standardize transformations to and from other
standard formats (DC, ONIX, …)
 Basis for evolution while maintaining
standardization

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 MARC 21 (2709) record
(machine view)
00967cam 2200277 a 4500
001000800000005001700008008004100025020005300229040001800
282050002400312082002100336100003000357245007400387260004
400461300003500505440001200540500002000552650004200572651
002500614
347139419990429094819.1931129s1994 wauab 001 0 eng a
93047676 a0898863872 (acid-free, recycled paper) :c$14.95
aDLCcDLCcDLC 00aGV1046.G3bG47 199400a796.6/4/09432201
aSlavinski, Nadine,d1968-10aGermany by bike :b20 tours geared
for discovery /cNadine Slavinski. aSeattle,
Wash. :bMountaineers,cc1994. a238 p. :bill., maps ;c22 cm. 0aBy bike
aIncludes index. 0aBicycle touringzGermanyxGuidebooks.

Exercise: Can you explain how a machine can tell where is 100 field
which carries the title and responsible body information?
(Hint: textbook page 24). Can you explain another chunk of the digit?
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MARC21 (2709) to MARCXML
<record xmlns="http://www.loc.gov/MARC21/slim">
<leader>00967cam 2200277 a 4500</leader>
<controlfield tag="001">3471394</controlfield>
<controlfield tag="005">19990429094819.1</controlfield>
<controlfield tag="008">931129s1994 wauab 001 0 eng </controlfield>
<datafield tag="020" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
<subfield code="a">0898863872 (acid-free, recycled paper) :</subfield>
<subfield code="c">$14.95</subfield>
</datafield>
<datafield tag="040" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
<subfield code="a">DLC</subfield>
<subfield code="c">DLC</subfield>
<subfield code="d">DLC</subfield>
</datafield>
<datafield tag="050" ind1="0" ind2="0">
<subfield code="a">GV1046.G3</subfield>
<subfield code="b">G47 1994</subfield>
</datafield>
<datafield tag="082" ind1="0" ind2="0">
<subfield code="a">796.6/4/0943</subfield>
<subfield code="2">20</subfield>
</datafield>
<datafield tag="100" ind1="1" ind2=" ">
<subfield code="a">Slavinski, Nadine,</subfield>
<subfield code="d">1968-</subfield>
</datafield> 15
 MARCXML record (continued) What does this
<datafield tag="245" ind1="1" ind2="0"> set tell you?
<subfield code="a">Germany by bike :</subfield>
<subfield code="b">20 tours geared for discovery /</subfield>
<subfield code="c">Nadine Slavinski.</subfield>
</datafield>
<datafield tag="260" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
<subfield code="a">Seattle, Wash. :</subfield>
<subfield code="b">Mountaineers,</subfield>
<subfield code="c">c1994.</subfield>
</datafield>
<datafield tag="300" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
<subfield code="a">238 p. :</subfield>
<subfield code="b">ill., maps ;</subfield>
<subfield code="c">22 cm.</subfield>
</datafield>
<datafield tag="440" ind1=" " ind2="0">
<subfield code="a">By bike</subfield>
</datafield>
<datafield tag="500" ind1=" " ind2=" ">
<subfield code="a">Includes index.</subfield> What does this
</datafield> set tell you?
<datafield tag="650" ind1=" " ind2="0">
<subfield code="a">Bicycle touring</subfield>
<subfield code="z">Germany</subfield>
<subfield code="x">Guidebooks.</subfield>
</datafield> 16
</record>
 MARCXML to DC
<rdf:Description xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-
syntax-ns#" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
<dc:title>Germany by bike : 20 tours geared for
discovery </dc:title>
<dc:creator>Slavinski, Nadine, 1968-</dc:creator>
<dc:type>text</dc:type>
<dc:publisher>Seattle, Wash. : Mountaineers,
</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>c1994.</dc:date>
<dc:language>eng</dc:language>
<dc:subject>Bicycle touring</dc:subject>
</rdf:Description>

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2.2 MODS
Metadata Object Description Schema
 Bibliographic element set
 Initiative of the Network Development and MARC
Standards Office, Library of Congress
 Uses XML Schema
 Specifically for library applications, although could
be used more widely
 A derivative (and subset) of MARC elements

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Why MODS?
 XML based, web friendly, transportable,
processible, configurable, sufficiently descriptive
without being too complex, extensible
 Benefits over MARC: MARC isn’t XML based and
can’t easily be output from web forms. Requires
special “cataloging” knowledge and systems to
implement
 Investigating XML as a new more flexible syntax
for MARC element set

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Why MODS? (cont.)
 Need for rich hierarchical descriptive metadata in
XML but simpler than full MARC, especially for
complex digital library objects
 Benefits over Dublin Core: DC doesn’t have
sufficient specificity. DC doesn’t specify a syntax
and is inconsistently applied. DC isn’t extensible
 Need compatibility with existing library
descriptions

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 Features of MODS
 Uses language-based tags
 Elements generally inherit semantics of MARC
 MODS does not assume the use of any specific
cataloging code
 Reuse element descriptions throughout schema
 Not intended to be round-trippable
 Not intended to be a MARC replacement

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 MODS high-level elements
 titleInfo  note
 name  subject
 typeOfResource  classification
 genre  relatedItem
 originInfo  identifier
 language  location
 physicalDescription
 accessConditions
 abstract
 part
 tableOfContents
 targetAudience
 extension
 recordInfo
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MARCXML to MODS What does this
<mods xmlns="http://www.loc.gov/mods/"> set tell you?
<titleInfo>
<title>Germany by bike : 20 tours geared for discovery /</title>
</titleInfo>
<name type="personal">
<namePart>Slavinski, Nadine,</namePart>
<namePart type="date">1968-</namePart>
<role><roleTerm type=“text”>creator</roleTerm></role>
</name>
<typeOfResource>text</typeOfResource>
<originInfo>
<place><placeTerm type=“code” authority="marc">wau</placeTerm>
<placeTerm type=“text”> Seattle, Wash. :</placeTerm>
</place>
<publisher>Mountaineers,</publisher>
<dateIssued>c1994</dateIssued>
<issuance>monographic</issuance>
</originInfo>
<language>
<languageTerm type=“code” authority="iso639-2b">eng</languageTerm>
</language>
<physicalDescription>
<extent>238 p. : ill., maps ; 22 cm.</extent>
</physicalDescription>
<note type="statement of responsibility">Nadine Slavinski.</note>
<note>Includes index.</note> 23
 MODS (continued) What does this
<subject authority="lcsh"> <subject>set tell you?
<topic>Bicycle touring</topic> What does
<geographic>Germany</geographic> authority='lcsh' mean?
<topic>Guidebooks.</topic>
</subject>
<classification authority="lcc">GV1046.G3 G47 1994</classification>
<classification authority="ddc" edition="20">796.6/4/0943</classification>
<relatedItem type="series">
<titleInfo><title>By bike</title></titleInfo>
</relatedItem>
<identifier type="isbn">0898863872 (acid-free, recycled paper) :</identifier>
<identifier type="lccn">93047676</identifier>
<recordInfo>
<recordContentSource>DLC</recordContentSource>
<recordCreationDate encoding="marc">931129</recordCreationDate>
<recordChangeDate encoding="iso8601">19990429094819.1
</recordChangeDate>
<recordIdentifier>3471394</recordIdentifier>
</recordInfo>
</mods>
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 http://lcweb4.loc.gov/

•MODS descriptions for each web site (but not each capture)
•Transformation from XML to HTML display
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•Links to web archive
 Could you
pair the
displayed
info with
the MODS
statements?

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Differences between MODS and
Dublin Core
 MODS has structure
 Names
 Related item
 Subject
 MODS is more MARC-like so more
compatibility with existing descriptions
 Semantics
 Conversions
 Relationships between elements
 MODS includes record management
information
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Choosing MODS for descriptive
metadata
MODS is particularly useful for
 compatibility with existing bibliographic
data
 embedded descriptions in related item
 Rich, hierarchical descriptions that work
well with METS structural map
 “out of the box” schema; can use
<extension> for local elements and to
bring in external elements from other
schemas
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3 Transformation tools
 MARC toolkit
 Converter from MARC 21 to MARCXML
 Transformations between metadata
formats
 MODS
 Dublin Core
 ONIX

 http://www.loc.gov/marcxml

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More development
 Changes from version 3.4
http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/mods.xsd
 MADS ontology developed
http://www.loc.gov/standards/mads/
(Metadata Authority Description Schema)
 MODS User Guidelines (Version 3) [updated
04/06/2010]
 Bibliographic Framework Initiative
http://bibframe.org/
http://www.loc.gov/bibframe/

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