Beyond Copy Cataloging:
MARCing the Next Frontier
Susan M. Sutch
smsutch@marc-angel.com
An Infopeople Workshop
Winter/Spring 2005-6
What We Will Cover
 Verifying bib records
 Seven steps for original cataloging
 Authority control
 Assigning LCSH subjects
What We Won’t Cover
 OCLC MARC bib record
 Automation system differences
 Sears Subject Headings
Why do we use MARC?
We Use MARC Because…
 We are no longer islands. Share
bibliographic info rather than re-invent
the 3 x 5 card set at each library.
 Sharing info requires materials to be
organized in a standardized fashion.
 Union Catalogs and ILL a result
Machine Readable Cataloging
 Used in most countries in the world!
 MARC 21 current standard (1998-) for U.S.
and Canada, England
 MARC Division of the Library of Congress
and ALA set standard
Did You Know That
the MARC database is the largest
library expense after the collection
itself?
MARC Review
On Your MARC
Cataloging Rules
 MARC (standard)
 AACR2(cataloging bible)
 LCRIs (more rules)
Catalogers Desktop
http://desktop.loc.gov/
Copy Cataloging Steps
 Verify bibliographic record
 Decide to import or create new
 Add local holdings tag
 949,
852, 967 MARC tag
Computer Checks Bib Record
by
 Match tags
 whether bib record already
exists
 008 fixed tag
 common positions
 245 and 246 indicators
 know indicators used
by computer system
Bib Record Import Problems
 Your automation system is not
importing a bib record it should (or
vice versa)
 A copy is attached to the wrong
bib record
Match Tags to Check When
There Is a Problem
 001 – control number (accession)
 003 – control number identifier
 010 – LCCN
 020 – ISBN
Check 001 Tag –
Control Number
 Should have same 001 control number
as the record you want to match
 Supposed to be unique, but LC and
OCLC might use different control
numbers for the same record
Check 003 Tag –
Control Number Identifier
 Goes with 001 tag
 Cataloging Source Code
 001 and 003 tags should match the
record you are trying to import if:

You want the system to only add a copy
and not a whole new record
Check Other Match Tags
LCCN (010) and ISBN (020)
 Subfields:
valid – computer looks here to
match
 $z invalid
 $a
Verify Bib Record: 008 Tag
 42 Positions in the 008 tag:
 Some
are format specific
 Some are universal for all formats
 Coded info needs to be consistent
with rest of bib record
Verify Bib Record:
245 Title Indicators
 First indicator–
 0 if title is main entry (no 1XX tag)
 1 if title is added entry (has 1XX tag)
 Second indicator  Number of spaces to skip when
alphabetizing the title
Verify Bib Record:
Other Titles
 Parallel title -245 $b
 title in other
language
 add variant title so
can alphabetize and
display in OPAC
 Variant title – 246
 title in other
areas
 first indicator
either 1 or 3
 second indicator
how title
displayed in
OPAC
Oh No, I Have to Catalog!!!!
7 Original Cataloging Steps
1. MARC format
2. Primary info source
3. Main entries
4. Edition, imprint, extent
5. Notes
6. Subjects
7. Added entries
Cataloging Step #1:
Choose MARC Format
 Book
 Electronic resource
 Serial
Choose from 8
 Mixed
 Map
 Visual material
 Music
 Sound recording
Cataloging Step #2:
Chief Source of Information
 Book – title page, verso
 Electronic resource – title screen, ReadMe,
online documentation
 Serial – (print) first issue (online)
 Mixed – objects themselves
 Map – entire map(s)
 Visual material – title and credit frames, then
item itself
 Music – title page
 Sound recording – physical item and labels
Cataloging Step #3:
Main Entries
 MARC 1XX (author) tag
 Main entries:
 personal
100
 corporate 110
 conference 111
 uniform title 130
 1XX tags do not repeat
Cataloging Step #4:
Edition, Imprint
 Edition
 Imprint

MARC 250 tag

MARC 260 tag

leave blank if first
edition


edition (not indexed)
publisher place (not
indexed) 008 country
code used instead

publisher (not indexed)

date (not indexed) 008
used instead
Cataloging Step #4:
Extent
 MARC 300 tag
 no fields indexed, all OPAC display
 varies by format
 Book example–
 $a number of pages
 $b illustrated
 $c height in centimeters
 $e accompanying material
Cataloging Step #5:
Notes
 MARC 5XX tag
 Notes included in keyword index:
505 contents note
511 performer note
520 summary note
 Note limited to OPAC display
500 general note
Cataloging Step #6:
Subjects Indicator
 MARC 6XX tag
 Most subjects
 Indicator
2 = 4 (if assigned locally)
 Indicator 2 = 0 (if LCSH)
Most systems will index subjects only if
indicator 2 = 0
Cataloging Step #6:
Subject Indicator Exception
 655 tag (genre/form)
 1st
indicator blank
 2nd
indicator always 7
 Coded
subject source in subfield $2
Cataloging Step #7:
Added Entries
 7XX Author/Title
 8XX Series
 700 Personal
 800 Personal
 710 Corporate
 810 Corporate
 711 Conference
 811 Conference
 730 Uniform title
 830 Uniform title
Notice anything?
Calling All Subjects!!!!
Understanding and Assigning
LC Subject Headings
Ways to Get the LCSH
Classification Web
Library of Congress
Authorities web site
“Big Red Books”
MARC Distribution Service:
Subject Authorities
Authority files in
bibliographic utilities
How do you Begin Assigning
LCSH Subject Headings?
 SLAM
 Translate into LCSH terminology
 main headings
 subdivisions
 Know LC conventions
 No single ref source for all needed info
Assign Subjects - SLAM
 Scan
 title page, TOC, preface, introduction, text,
bibliography, index, container
 Look for
 keywords, form of item, author’s intent,
audience, viewpoint
 Ask yourself
 Are there one or several topics of focus?
 Mentally compose
 a sentence,”This resource is about…”
Translate into LCSH Terms
 Main heading – main focus of a
subject (required)
 Subdivisions – used under main
heading (optional)
– strictly defined
 free floating – used with many main
headings
 established
Ways to Assign LCSH Main
Headings
 Search LCSH
 follow Use and See Also references
 Use BT and NT
 Search library catalogs or utilities
to find similar items
 Search authority files
Assign LCSH Main Headings
– Navigate LCSH gs
Choose a Subdivision
 Established – for use under a
particular heading
 Free-floating –
 many
types of headings, not all
Where to Get Subdivisions
 Established
 LCSH
 authority
records
 Free–floating
 Subject
Cataloging Manual
 Free-Floating Subdivisions: an
Alphabetical Index
LC Insider Info
 Library of Congress
 patterns/habits evolved over 100
years
 contact
LC for complete list of
practices/conventions
 each
institution chooses which to
use and which not to
LC Convention Examples
 Main headings for subjects that
comprise at least 20%+ of work
 Sub-topic becomes separate main
heading if more than 20% of work
More LC Conventions
 First subject heading should
reflect the primary topic or focus of
work
 Broader headings only when not
possible to assign specific
LC Rule of Three
 Rule of three
 Separate
main headings when up to
three distinct topics are discussed
 broad heading applies only if it
encompasses the 2-3 subtopics and
nothing else
 If work discusses more than three
topics, assign broader heading
Authorizing Everything
Are you Under Authority Control?
Why We Need Authorities
 Example:
 Are African American,
Soviet Union
proper subject terms?
 How
do you x-reference these?
Authority Records:
 Completely separate MARC21
record
 Used together with MARC bib
record in a computerized library
How Authority Records Help
 The librarian/cataloger
 can find things in other systems, provide
consistent access and cross-reference
 provides check whether name, title, subject is
correct
 General user in OPAC
 OPAC ‘see’ and ‘see also’ refs
 source of catalog info public sees on OPAC
Why Use Authority Records?
 Everyone in English speaking
world using same forms of words
 Allows:
 consistency
of terms
 cross references to official term
 scope notes to further explain
Different MARC Authority
Records
 Name
 person
 corporate
 meeting
 Jurisdiction
 Subject
 general
 genre
 geographic
 Name/Title
 classic works
that have been
published with
different titles
 Title
 not associated
with a particular
author
Sample Authority Record from LC
Authorities Online
005 20020521235823.0
008 020329|| anannbabn |n ana
010 __ $a sh2002003572
040 __ $a DLC $b eng $c DLC
150 __ $a English literature $x Asian authors
670 __ $a Work cat.: 2002025662: Innes, Catherine
Lynette.
A history of Black and Asian writing in Britain, 2002.
680 __ $i Here are entered works of English literature
written in Britain by authors of Asian origin or ancestry.
Works of literature written in Asia in the English language
are entered under $a Oriental literature (English).
681 __ $i Note under $a Oriental literature (English)
Authority Records: X-Ref Tags
 4XX tags
 ‘Used
for / see from’ references
 lead from unauthorized to
authorized heading
 5XX tags
 ‘See
also under’ references
 lead from authorized to another
authorized heading
Authority Records:Notes Tags
 Cataloger only
 use
670 tag (found in)
 OPAC display
 use
680 tag
Can I Get MARC
Authority Records Online?
http://authorities.loc.gov
Yes, and they are free!!!!!!!!!!!!
Putting It All Together
 Is my copycat record OK?
 Seven steps to ‘do it yourself’ cataloging
 Add a subject
 Maintaining authority
The Final Authority
Order, unity and continuity are
human inventions just as truly as
catalogues and encyclopedias.
Bertrand Russell