TECHNICAL NOTICE (July 21, 1999)

Format for Bibliographic Data

Format Changes List
Base Text (February 1999)

Network Development and MARC Standards Office
Library of Congress

This section is provided for the lists of format changes that accompany each update to the MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data. It can also be found in Appendix G of the MARC 21 Bibliographic Format.

This edition of the MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data supersedes the March 1994 base text and updates No. 1 (March 1995) through No. 3 (July 1997) to the USMARC Format for Bibliographic Data as well as the September 1993 base text and updates No. 1 (October 1994) through No. 6 (January 1998) to the Canadian MARC Communication Format for Bibliographic Data. It includes changes resulting from proposals which were considered by the ALA ALCTS/LITA/RASD Machine-Readable Bibliographic Information Committee (MARBI) at its meetings from 1998 through February 1999 and by the Canadian Committee on MARC (CCM) at its meetings from 1998 through February 1999.

LC Implementation Plans
Subscribers can anticipate receiving MARC records reflecting these changes in all distribution services not earlier than October 21, 1999.

• Deleted content designators:
  • Field
    • 551 Entity and Attribute Information Note [redefined as field 552]
  • Code values
    • 007 Remote-sensing image - character position 01 (Specific
      material designation): code # (No type specified) [redefined as code u
      (Unspecified)]

• Local content designators
  • Fields
    • 261 Imprint Statement for Films (Pre-AACR 2)
    • 262 Imprint Statement for Sound Recordings (Pre-AACR 2)
    • 400 Series Statement/Added Entry Personal Name
    • 410 Series Statement/Added Entry Corporate Name
    • 411 Series Statement/Added Entry Meeting Name
  • Subfield codes
    • $d Plates or publisher's number for music (Pre-AACR 2) in
      field 260 (Publication, Distribution,etc. (Imprint)

• Obsolete content designators
  • Code values
    • 006 Maps - character positions 16-17 (Special format
      characteristics): codes m (Braille), q (Large print)
    • 008 Maps - character positions 33-34 (Special format
      characteristics): codes m (Braille), q (Large print)

• New content designators:
  • Fields
    • 007 Physical Description Fixed Field (Tactile Material)
    • 007 Physical Description Fixed Field (Kit)
    • 007 Physical Description Fixed Field (Notated Music)
    • 526 Study Program Information Note
    • 552 Entity and Attribute Information Note [provisionally defined
      with tag 551]
  • Indicators
    • 028 Publisher Number - 1st indicator (Type of publisher number): value 5 (Other
      publisher number)
    • 052 Geographic Classification - 1st indicator (Source of code): values
      (LC classification), 0 (U.S. Department of Defense classification),
      7 (Source in subfield 2)
    • 210 Abbreviated Title - 2nd indicator (Type of abbreviated title): values
      (Abbreviated key title), 0 (Other abbreviated title)
    • 355 (Security Classification Control) - 1st indicator (Controlled
      element): value 5 (Record)
  • Subfield codes
    • $b Item number in 080 (Universal Decimal Classification)
    • $d Populated place name in 052 (Geographic Classification)
    • $x Common auxiliary subdivision in 080 (Universal Decimal Classification)
    • $2 Source of code in 052 (Geographic Classification)
    • $2 Edition in 080 (Universal Decimal Classification)
    • $2 Source in 210 (Abbreviated Title)
  • Code values
    • Leader - character position 09 (Character coding scheme): codes # (MARC-8),
      a (UCS/Unicode)
    • 006 Books - character position 06 (Form of item): code s (Electronic)
    • 006 Maps - character position 12 (Form of item): codes # (None of the
      following), a (Microfilm), b (Microfiche), c (Microopaque), d (Large print),
      f (Braille), r (Regular print reproduction), s (Electronic)
    • 006 Music - character position 06 (Form of item): code s (Electronic)
    • 006 Serials - character position 05 (Form of original item): code s (Electronic)
    • 006 Serials - character position 06 (Form of item): code s (Electronic)
    • 006 Visual materials - character position 12 (Form of item): codes # (None
      of the following), a (Microfilm), b (Microfiche), c (Microopaque),
      d (Large print), f (Braille), r (Regular print reproduction), s (Electronic)
    • 006 Mixed material - character position 06 (Form of item): code s (Electronic)
    • 007 All materials - character position 01 (Specific material designation):
      code u (Unspecified)
    • 007 Computer file - character positions 06-08 (Image bit depth),
      09 (File formats), 10 (Quality assurance targets),
      11 (Antecedent/source), 12 (Level of compression), 13 (Reformatting quality)
    • 008 Books - character position 23 (Form of item): code s (Electronic)
    • 008 Maps - character position 29 (Form of item): codes #
      (None of the following), a (Microfilm), b (Microfiche), c (Microopaque),
      d (Large print), f (Braille), r (Regular print reproduction), s (Electronic)
    • 008 Music - character position 23 (Form of item): code s (Electronic)
    • 008 Serials - character position 22 (Form of original item): code s (Electronic)
    • 008 Serials - character position 23 (Form of item): code s (Electronic)
    • 008 Visual materials - character position 29 (Form of item): codes #
      (None of the following), a (Microfilm), b (Microfiche), c (Microopaque),
      d (Large print), f (Braille), r (Regular print reproduction), s (Electronic)
    • 008 Mixed material - character position 23 (Form of item): code s (Electronic)
    • 046 (Special Coded Dates) - a (Type of date code): code x (Corrected dates
      and incorrect dates)

• Changes in repeatability:
  • Field
    • 080 Universal Decimal Classification: changed from Not repeatable (NR)
      to Repeatable (R)
    • 210 Abbreviated Title: changed from
      Not repeatable (NR) to Repeatable (R)
  • Subfield codes
    • $a Classification number in 080 (Universal Decimal Classification: changed from
      Repeatable (R) to Not repeatable (NR)
    • $u Uniform Resource Locator: changed from Repeatable (R) to Not repeatable (NR)

• Changes in content designator field names:
  • Special Coded Dates Type of Date Code, Date 1, Date 2 (B.C. Dates)
  • 052 Geographic Classification Code
  • Abbreviated Key Title
  • 362 Dates of Publication and/or Sequential Volume Designation

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