Introduction to
MARC Records and RDA
Loralyn Felix
February 6, 2012
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“Access to information does
not happen by accident or by
magic.”
Allison G. Kaplan and Ann Marlow Riedling
Catalog It!: A Guide to Cataloging School Library Materials
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Cataloging
 Cataloging is an important part of a school
library media specialists work!
 Well maintained library catalogs…
 Let users know what is available
 Ensure library materials are easily accessible
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Cataloging
In the past, librarians kept track of library holdings
with handwritten or typed records that were filed
in card catalogs.
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Cataloging
 Card catalogs typically provided three main
access points for materials
 Main author’s name
 Title of the item
 Subject(s) covered in the item
 Sometimes other access points were included
 Additional authors
 Illustrators
 Name of series
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Cataloging
Now, librarians use computers to create records
and upload them into online catalogs.
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MARC Records
 MAchine Readable Cataloging (MARC) format...
 Possible to encode records so that all areas can
be searchable
 The Library of Congress establishes official rules
and documentation
 Libraries throughout the world follow this
professional standard
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MARC Records
 School library media automation systems such
as Alexandria and Koha have been programmed
to recognize MARC files
 Vendor supplied records easily loaded
 MARC records found in other library’s online
catalogs downloaded and imported
 Original MARC records can be created by
manually entering information into a template
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What does a MARC record look like?
The computer sees…
01356cam 2200313 a
450000100090000000500170000900800410002690600450006792500440011295502760015601
000170043202000180044904000180046704200140048505000220049908200140052110000350
053524501000057025000120067026000500068230000320073250000590076450000370082352
000690086065000170092970000250094670000230097170000480099416574960201202291213
43.0101210s2011 maua c
000 1 eng a7bcbccorignewd1eecipf20gy-gencatlg0
aacquireb2 shelf copies xpolicy default bxc11 2010-12-10cxc11 2010-12-10axc09 2011-0125ixc09 2011-02-01 swapped the a.e. and the m.e., added qualifer to John Paterson's name,
added title a.e., to cip axn02 2011-11-18 1 copy rec'd., to CIP ver.fxc15 2012-01-11 copy 1 to
shelftrc20 2012-02-29 copy 2 to BCCD a 2010048225 a9780763647124 aDLCcDLCdDLC
alcacapcc00aPZ8.P273bFl 201100a[Fic]2221 aPaterson, Johnq(John Barstow)14aThe flint
heart :ba fairy story /cby Katherine and John Paterson ; illustrated by John Rocco.
a1st ed. aSomerville, Mass. :bCandlewick Press, c2011. a288 :bcol. ill. ;c22 cm. a"Freely
abridged from Eden Phillpotts's 1910 fantasy." a"Reinforced trade edition"--Jkt. aA magical
amulet brings power and despair to those who touch it. 1aFairy tales. 1 aPaterson, Katherine.1
aRocco, John,eill.1 aPhillpotts, Eden, d1862-1960.tFlint heart.
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What does a MARC record look like?
000
001
005
008
906
925
955
010
020
040
042
050
082
100
245
250
260
300
500
500
520
650
700
700
700
01356cam a2200313 a 450
16574960
20120229121343.0
101210s2011 maua c 000 1 eng
__ |a 7 |b cbc |c orignew |d 1 |e ecip |f 20 |g y-gencatlg
0_ |a acquire |b 2 shelf copies |x policy default
__ |b xc11 2010-12-10 |c xc11 2010-12-10 |a xc09 2011-01-25 |i xc09 2011-02-01 swapped the a.e. and the m.e., added qualifer to John
Paterson’s name, added title a.e., to cip |a xn02 2011-11-18 1 copy rec’d., to CIP ver. |f xc15 2012-01-11 copy 1 to shelf |t rc20 2012-02-29
copy 2 to BCCD
__ |a 2010048225
__ |a 9780763647124
__ |a DLC |c DLC |d DLC
__ |a lcac |a pcc
00 |a PZ8.P273 |b Fl 2011
00 |a [Fic] |2 22
1_ |a Paterson, John |q (John Barstow)
14 |a The flint heart : |b a fairy story / |c by Katherine and John Paterson ; illustrated by John Rocco.
__ |a 1st ed.
__ |a Somerville, Mass. : |b Candlewick Press, |c 2011.
__ |a 288 : |b col. ill. ; |c 22 cm.
__ |a "Freely abridged from Eden Phillpotts’s 1910 fantasy."
__ |a "Reinforced trade edition"--Jkt.
__ |a A magical amulet brings power and despair to those who touch it.
_1 |a Fairy tales.
1_ |a Paterson, Katherine.
1_ |a Rocco, John, |e ill.
1_ |a Phillpotts, Eden, |d 1862-1960. |t Flint heart.
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What does a MARC record look like?
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MARC Records
“The good news is that catalogers don’t
have to know exactly how the computer
finds the information but they do need to
know where to put the information, and
how to tag it, so that the computer can do
its job.”
Karen Burns
SW Iowa Regional Library
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MARC records
The basic divisions of a MARC record are:
0XX Control information, standard and classification numbers,
codes
1XX Main entry (author or body responsible for the work)
2XX Titles, edition, imprint (in general, the title, statement of
responsibility, edition, and publication information)
3XX Physical description, etc.
4XX Series statements (as shown in the item)
5XX Notes
6XX Subject added entries
7XX Added entries other than subject or series
8XX Series added entries (other authoritative forms)
9XX Local library information (Not part of the USMARC format)
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MARC records
Most commonly used MARC tags include:
010
020
100
245
250
260
300
490
520
650
700
Library of Congress Control Number (LCCN)
International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
Personal name main entry (author)
Title information (includes title information and statement of
responsibility)
Edition
Publication information
Physical description
Series statement
Annotation or summary note
Topical subject heading
Personal name added entry (joint author, editor, or illustrator)
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MARC records
Some fields are further defined by indicators. In
the 245 field below, the field tag is followed by
two indicators. There are also three subfields
which are identified by delimiters and subfield
codes.
245 14 $a The flint heart : $b a fairy story /
$c by Katherine and John Paterson ;
illustrated by John Rocco.
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Cataloging
 Rules and standards govern the way information
is entered into MARC records
 Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, Second Edition
(AACR2)
 Cataloging code followed in North America since
1978
 Revisions have been made to accommodate new
types of resources and changes in technology
 Resource Description and Access (RDA) will soon
replace AACR2
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Cataloging
 Resource Description and Access (RDA)
 Designed to better accommodate the digital
environment and intended to
 Support all types of content and media
 Work well with newly emerging resources
 Function in a variety of technological environments
(MARC 21 for now, Web environment in the
future)
 Backward compatible with AACR2
 Library of Congress (LC) plans to complete
transition to RDA by March 31, 2013
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Cataloging
 Catalogers will need to…
 Learn new terminology
 Main Entry = Preferred Access Point
 Authorized Heading = Authorized Access Point
 “See” References = Variant Access Points
 Understand how to enter information
 Most traditional cataloging abbreviations will be
replaced with words and phrases
 Information will be recorded as it appears
 Other changes
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Cataloging
“Terminology should be understandable across a
wide range of information environments, not just in
the library community.”
[S.l.]
[s.n.]
p.
v.
col. ill.
b&w
ill.
[Place of publication not identified]
[Publisher not identified]
pages
volumes
color illustrations
black and white
Illustrations
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Cataloging
 Catalogers will need to…
 Include relationship information in 100/110 and
700/710 fields using $e
 Start using new MARC fields (a few examples)
 264 tag in place of 260 tag for publication information
 336 tag for Content type
$a text $2 rdacontent
$a spoken word $2 rdacontent
 337 tag for Media type
$a unmediated $2 rdamedia
$ audio $2 rdamedia
 338 tag for Carrier type
$a volume $2 rdacarrier
$ computer disc $2 rdacarrier
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AACR2
020 ## $a 9780061992254
099 ## $a Fic A6488o
100 1# $a Applegate, Katherine.
245 14 $a The one and only Ivan / $c Katherine
Applegate ; illustrations by Patricia Castelao.
250 ## $a 1st ed.
260 ## $a New York : $b Harper, $c c2012.
300 ## $a 305 p. : $b ill. ; $c 21 cm.
520 ## $a When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for
years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets
Ruby a baby elephant that has been added to the
mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.
650 #0 $a Gorilla $v Juvenile fiction.
650 #0 $a Elephants $v Juvenile fiction.
650 #0 $a Friendship $v Juvenile fiction.
650 #0 $a Animal welfare $v Juvenile fiction.
700 1# $a Castelao, Patricia $e ill.
RDA
020 ## $a 9780061992254
099 ## $a Fic A6488o
100 1# $a Applegate, Katherine $e author.
245 14 $a The ONE AND ONLY IVAN / $c
Katherine Applegate ; illustrations by Patricia
Castelao.
250 ## $a 1st ed.
264 #1 $a New York, N.Y. : $b Harper, $c [2012]
264 #4 $c ©2012.
300 ## $a 305 pages : $b illustrations ; $c 21 cm
336 ## $a text $2 rdacontent
337 ## $a unmediated $2 rdamedia
338 ## $a volume $2 rdacarrier
520 ## $a When Ivan, a gorilla who has lived for
years in a down-and-out circus-themed mall, meets
Ruby a baby elephant that has been added to the
mall, he decides that he must find her a better life.
650 #0 $a Gorilla $v Juvenile fiction.
650 #0 $a Elephants $v Juvenile fiction.
650 #0 $a Friendship $v Juvenile fiction.
650 #0 $a Animal welfare $v Juvenile fiction.
700 1# $a Castelao, Patricia $e illustrator.
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Cataloging
 How will RDA impact school libraries?
 Vendors will begin providing RDA records
 Automated library systems may need to be
updated to work with new RDA records
 Helpful for school library media specialists to
have a basic knowledge about RDA standards
 Information should be entered according to RDA
standards when creating original records
 Records in school library catalogs will include
fewer abbreviations and some new terminology
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“RDA goes beyond earlier cataloging codes
in that it provides guidelines on cataloging
digital resources and places a stronger
emphasis on helping users find, identify,
select, and obtain the information they
want.”
American Library Association, Canadian Library Association
CILIP: Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals
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References
Adamich, Tom. 2008. Resource Description and Access (RDA): The new way to say, AACR2. Knowledge Quest
36, no. 3 (January-February): 72-76. http://librarystaffdevelopment.wikispaces.com/file/view/RDA+TheNew-Way-to-Say.pdf (accessed February 4, 2013).
American Library Association, Canadian Library Association, and CILIP: Chartered Institute of Library and
Information Professionals. 2012. RDA toolkit: Resource description & access. American Library
Association, Canadian Library Association, and CILIP: Chartered Institute of Library
http://www.rdatoolkit.org/about (accessed March 12, 2012).
Anhalt, Joy, and Richard A. Stewart. 2012. RDA simplified. Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 50, no. 1:33-42.
Burns, Karen. 1999. MARC records frequently asked questions. Iowa Library Service Districts.
http://www.ilsa.lib.ia.us/marcfaq.htm (accessed February 1, 2013).
Hart, Amy. 2010. Getting ready for RDA: What you need to know. Library Media Connection 29, no. 2 (OctoberNovember): 30-32. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed February 4, 2013).
Joint Steering Committee for Development of RDA. 2010. RDA: Resource description and access.
http://www.rda-jsc.org/rda.html (accessed March 8, 2012).
Kaplan, Allison G., and Ann Marlow Riedling. 2006. Catalog it: A guide to cataloging school library materials.
Worthington, Ohio; Linworth Books.
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References
Rhodes, Chris. 2010. Chris Oliver on RDA and the future of cataloging. ALA Editions. (December).
http://www.alaeditions.org/blog/52/chris-oliver-rda-and-future-cataloging (accessed March 15, 2012).
The Library of Congress. 2012. Library of Congress Online Catalog. http://catalog.loc.gov/ (accessed February 4,
2013).
The Library of Congress. 2012. Resource description and access (RDA): Information and resources in
preparation for RDA. http://www.loc.gov/aba/rda/ (accessed March 20, 2012).
Utah State Library. 2012. Cataloging basics. http://library.utah.gov/programs/development/cataloging/
basics.html (accessed December 4, 2012).
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Image Sources
Books. [Online image]. http://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Feb/25/ripple-effect-word-more-thoughts-readingand-writi/ (accessed February 5, 2013).
Books on Shelves. [Online image]. http://www.sodahead.com/living/how-often-do-you-read/question-3435363/
(accessed February 5, 2013).
Card catalog. [Online image]. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mamsy/4175783446/sizes/m/in /photostream/
(accessed March 19, 2012).
Cards in catalog drawer. [Online image]. http://etseq.law.harvard.edu/2008/10/852_rare_october_2008/
(accessed February 3, 2013).
Southern Utah University Sherratt Library online catalog record. [Screen shot]. http://unicorn.li.suu.edu/uhtbin
/cgisirsi/?ps (accessed February 3, 2013).
Library of Congress online catalog record. [Screen shot]. http://lccn.loc.gov/ (accessed February 4, 2013).
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