Review of Content Standardmarc 21 Code List for Relators, Sources, Description

Review of Content StandardMARC 21 Code List for Relators, Sources, Description ConventionsSeptember, 2005

This review is intended to assess the potential utility of content standards for use and potentially for inclusion in an ISO 11179-based metadata registry. The review is directed primarily toward the utility of the standard itself, rather than to matching the standard with specific agency programs. The review covers issues such as the subject area, currency, quality, authority, and acceptance of the standards. These are factors that need to be taken into account no matter what the programmatic application of the standard may be.

1. Summary

MARC in General

MARC is the acronym for MAchine-Readable Cataloging. It defines a data format that emerged from a Library of Congress-led initiative that began thirty years ago. It provides the mechanism by which computers exchange, use, and interpret bibliographic information, and its data elements make up the foundation of most library catalogs used today. MARC became USMARC in the 1980s and MARC 21 in the late 1990s.

"Machine-readable" means that a computer can read and interpret the data in the cataloging record. A "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: Catalogers use Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd ed., 2002 revision, to compose the bibliographic description of a library item. This description includes the title, statement of responsibility, edition, material specific 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.

3) Subject headings (subject added entries): Catalogers use 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.

4) Call number: Catalogers use 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.

A set of code lists is associated with the set of formats.

Code List for Relators, Sources, Description Conventions

This standard contains several lists of codes intended for use in MARC 21 Authority, Bibliographic, Classification, Community Information, and Holdings records. The lists contain over 500 discrete codes, several of which are obsolete. Some codes appear on more than one list. The standard is arranged for use in seven main parts; a brief description of these parts follows.

Relator Codes.

Part I contains a list of relator terms and their associated codes. The purpose of this list is to allow the relationship between a name and a work to be designated by codes in the MARC record.

Category Code Sources.

Part II contains a list of works that are sources of codes which categorize a bibliographic item.

Classification Sources.

Part III contains a list of sources of classification schemes for government documents and other types of publications.

Term, Name, Title Sources.

Part IV contains a list of works that are sources of terms, names, and titles used as headings or for indexing of authors, subjects, etc.

Format Sources.

Part V contains a list of works that are sources of machine-readable cataloging formats.

Description Convention Codes.

Part VI contains a list of codes assigned to sources of conventions (that is, rules, manuals, guidelines, policies, etc.) that are used in the description of bibliographic items. The codes in this list are used to identify the description conventions applied in a MARC record as a whole, or to specific MARC elements (e.g., particular fields).

Other Sources.

Part VII contains various lists of codes assigned to be used to identify sources of data in MARC fields or to characterize the data in the MARC field. The codes are recorded in subfield $2 of the MARC variable field to which they apply. The code lists grouped here do not fit into any of the existing groupings of codes in Parts I-VI.

This Web standard includes all MARC relator and source codes that have been assigned by the Library of Congress as the result of an official request. For newly assigned codes only, a date is given before which the code should not be included in exchange records. The date represents a 60-day waiting period which is required to allow MARC implementers time to add newly assigned codes to any validation tables they may use to check the codes recorded in certain MARC data elements. MARC implementers may use newly assigned codes in their internally systems immediately as long as records containing new codes are not distributed until after the waiting period.

2. Identification of Standard

2.1. Title

MARC (Machine Readable Cataloging Record) 21 Code List forRelators, Sources, Description Conventions

2.2. Acronym

MARC 21 Code List for Relators, Sources, Description Conventions

2.3. Web page(s), Identifier, or Contact Information:

2.3.1 Web page(s)

MARC general:

Code List for Relators, Sources, Description Conventions:

2.3.2 Identifier

ISBN 0-8444-1019-5

2.3.3 Contact Information

2.4 Authority

2.4.1 Creator

The Network Development and MARC Standards Office at the Library of Congress and the Standards and the Support Office at the Library and Archives Canada maintain the MARC 21 formats. Input for development is provided by MARC 21 users from around the world, including libraries, library networks and utilities, and library system vendors.

2.4.2. Acceptance as authoritative

Widely used and accepted as authoritative worldwide, especially in the U.S. and Canada.

2.5 Publisher

The Network Development and MARC Standards Office plans and develops library and information network standards at the Library of Congress. It is the maintenance agency for several national standards, including the MARC 21 formats.

The Standards division at the Library and Archives Canada maintains and supports the MARC 21 formats and other library standards.

2.6 Language(s)

The MARC Standards Office encourages independent translation efforts. Various MARC publications and standards have been translated into other languages. There is a list at:

As these are listed in the language of the translation, it’s hard to tell which standards have been translated into each language. The Code List for Relators, Sources, Description Conventions has been translated into French.

3. Content description

3.1 Subject area of content and area of application and

3.2 Kind of content

Structure of the Codes

Information about the structure of the codes for a particular list is presented at the beginning of the corresponding part. The MARC codes listed in this standard use only lower case alphabetic characters, and in some cases, numeric characters 0 through 9. No code exceeds the maximum of eight characters in length. Some codes are limited to less than eight characters (for example, relator codes are always three characters).

MARC Code List: PART I: RELATOR CODES

Introduction

The purpose of this list of relator terms and associated codes is to allow the relationship between a name and a work to be designated by codes in the MARC record. The relator code list is in two sections: Term Sequence, and Code Sequence.

Code Structure

The relator codes are three-character lowercase alphabetic strings. In most cases they consist of the first letter of the first word of the relator term followed by two additional letters derived from the word(s) making up the relator term.

MARC Code List: Relator Codes -- Term Sequence

Arrangement of the List

In the Term Sequence, the relator terms are listed alphabetically by the term. An alphabetic listing by code is provided in a separate Code Sequence list. An entry for a term to which a code has been assigned includes the term followed by the code in brackets, both in boldface. In many cases, a definition in italics follows the relator term. Following the definition, any variants of the term are listed on successive lines, with the first variant preceded by the symbol UF ("used for"). For example:

Censor [cns]

Use for a censor, bowdlerizer, expurgator, etc., official or private.

Bowdlerizer

Expurgator

The UF terms from each entry also appear in their alphabetic position in the list as references, but not in boldface. These references do not give the code. The entry under the term referred to must be consulted to determine the code. For example:

Bowdlerizer

USE

Censor

Expurgator

USE

Censor

Entries may also include a note in [brackets] explaining a change in the use of codes. For example:

Graphic technician

USE

Artist

[Coded [grt] (Graphic technician) before Mar. 1988]

MARC Code List: Relator Codes -- Code Sequence

Arrangement of the List

In the Code Sequence list, the relator terms and their codes are listed alphabetically by the code. Only the code and the term are given in this part. For example:

art

Artist

cns

Censor

Tracings or references for variants of terms and use notes are only included in the Term Sequence list.

Discontinued codes are also listed in this part in their alphabetical sequence. They are identified by a hyphen preceding the code. For example:

-grt

Graphic technician

MARC Code List: PART II: Category Code Sources

FIELD 072 (Subject Category Code)
FIELD 072 (Human Services Code)
FIELD 073 (Subdivision Usage)
FIELD 073 (Type of Program or Organization Code)

Introduction

Category Code Sources contains a list of works that are sources of codes that categorize an item described in a record, along with a code assigned to each source. The purpose of this list is to allow the source of a category code given in a field of a MARC record to be identified in that field.

Code Lists

Entries in the list are arranged in alphabetical order by the code and consist of the source code followed by the bibliographic citation for the source work. Additional information about the source work may appear in an italicized note following the citation.

Source codes are limited in use to specific fields. In the following list, source codes are grouped under the field in which the codes may be used. Source codes which may be used in more than one field are repeated under each field in which they may be used.

Code Structure

The code assigned to the work is derived from its title and consists of a maximum of eight lowercase alphabetic characters.

The code may be followed by the edition or date of publication of the source work. The code is separated from the edition or date by a slash (/). Omission of the year or edition will imply that the assigning institution used the most recent edition of the source work available. For example:

inissc/1983

INIS: Subject categories and scope descriptions, published 1983

MARC Code List: PART III: Classification Sources

FIELD 052 (Geographic Classification)
FIELD 055 (Classification Numbers Assigned in Canada)
FIELD 065 (Other Classification Number)
FIELD 084 (Other Classification Number)
FIELD 084 (Classification Scheme and Edition)
FIELD 086 (Government Document Call Number)
FIELD 087 (Government Document Classification Number)
FIELD 852 (Location)

Introduction

Classification Sources contains a list of works that are sources of classification schemes, along with the code assigned to each source work. The purpose of this list is to allow the source of the classification number or span of numbers given in MARC records to be designated by a code.

Arrangement of the List

Entries in the following list are arranged in alphabetical order by the code and consist of the source code followed by the bibliographic citation for the source work or scheme. Additional information about the source work may appear in an italicized note following the citation.

Code Structure

The code assigned to the work consists of a maximum of eight lowercase alphabetic characters. For many classification schemes of states of the United States, the source code consists of the U.S. Postal Service abbreviation for the state as the first two characters, followed by other letters identifying the specific scheme. For government document classifications schemes "docs" follows the first two characters. For other sources, the entire code may be based on the title of the work or scheme.

msdocs/1975

Mississippi state government publications, published 1975

Situations Where Source Codes Are Used

The Canadian and United States government document classification schemes are not assigned codes in this list, instead, specific indicator values have been defined for each to identify the source of the classification number. MARC field 086 1st indicator value 0 is used to identify the (U.S.) Superintendent of Documents Classification System; value 1 is used to identify the Government of Canada, Outline of Classification.

MARC Code List: PART IV: Term, Name, Title Sources

FIELD 040 (Cataloging Source)
FIELD 600-651 (Subject Added Entries)
FIELD 654 (Subject Added Entry Faceted Topical Term)
FIELD 655 (Index Term Genre/Form)
FIELD 656 (Index Term Occupation)
FIELD 657 (Index Term Function)
FIELD 658 (Index Term -- Curriculum Objective)
FIELD 700-788 (Heading Linking Entries)

Introduction

This part contains a list of works that are sources of terms, names, or titles used in headings or for indexing, along with the code assigned to each source. The purpose of this list is to allow the source of the term, names, and titles in a field of a MARC record to be designated by a code in that field.

Arrangement of the List

Entries in the following list are arranged in alphabetical order by the code and consist of the source code followed by the bibliographic citation for the source work. Additional information about the work may appear in an italicized note following the citation.

Source codes are limited in use to specific fields. In the following list, source codes are grouped under the field in which the codes may be used. Source codes that may be used in more than one field are repeated under each field in which they may be used.

Code Structure

The code assigned to the work is derived from its title and consists of a maximum of eight lowercase alphabetic characters.

test/1967

Thesaurus of engineering and scientific terms, published 1967

sears/12th

Sears list of subject headings, 12th edition

For a term that is a translation of one from an established list, the source code contains a second slash is used, followed by the MARC code for the name of the language. If no edition is given, both slashes must appear between the source code and the code for the language. Language codes from MARC Code List for Languages (maintained by the Library of Congress) are used. This technique is used for individual terms used in translation. When a thesaurus is translated and published, the translation thesaurus has it own code (e.g., "mesh" for Medical Subject Headings, and "fmesh" for Liste systématique et liste permutée des descripteurs français MeSH)

lcsh//hun

Identifies a translation into Hungarian of a term from LCSH

A special non-specific source code for subject/index terms has been assigned for use in the 6XX (Subject Added Entry) fields in bibliographic and community information records, and in 7XX (Linking Entry) fields in authority records. The code local, meaning "locally assigned", should be used whenever a term is a local extension of a published list (e.g., a locally established term that follows the guidelines for particular thesaurus), or a term comes from a local standard for which a more specific MARC source code assignment is not desired.