MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data: 008: Fixed-Length Data Elements-General Information (Network Development and MARC Standards Office, Library of Congress)

Forty character positions (00-39) that provide coded information about the record as a whole and about special bibliographic aspects of the item being cataloged. These coded data elements are potentially useful for retrieval and data management purposes.

When a serial or non-serial item being described is a reproduction of a previously existing item and bibliographic information about the reproduction is given in field 533 (Reproduction Note), field 008 is coded for the original except for 008/23 (Form of item) for books, music, continuing resources, and mixed materials and 008/33 (Type of material) for visual materials, which are coded for the reproduction. (When an item is a reproduction, codes defined for certain positions of field 008, which relate to characteristics of the reproduction, are recorded in subfield $7 (Fixed-length data elements of reproduction) in field 533.) For reproductions for which bibliographic information is not given in field 533 (e.g., when a reproduction is being described in the body of the entry or when field 534 (Original Version Note) is used to record information about the original) and for reprints of previously existing items, field 008 is coded for the reproduction or reissue except when cataloging guidelines specifically require coding a particular position for the original.

Data elements are positionally-defined. Character positions that are not defined contain a blank (#). All defined character positions must contain a defined code; for some field 008 positions, this may be the fill character (|). The fill character may be used (in certain character positions) when a cataloging organization makes no attempt to code the character position. The fill character is not allowed in field 008 positions 00-05 (Date entered on file). Its use is discouraged in positions 07-10 (Date 1), 15-17 (Place of publication, production, or execution), and the 008 position defined for Form of item (either position 23 or 29 depending upon the 008 configuration).

Character positions 00-17 and 35-39 are defined the same across all types of material, with special consideration for position 06. The definition of character positions 18-34 was done independently for each type of material, although certain data elements are defined the same in the specifications for more than one type of material. When similar data elements are defined for inclusion in field 008 for different types of material, they occupy the same field 008 character positions.

In the following documentation, character positions are described in the order of their listing at the beginning of this section. Field 008 positions 00-17 and 35-39 (All materials) for all types of material are described first, followed by seven groups of sections for positions 18-34 (Books, Computer files, Maps, Music, Continuing resources, Visual materials and Mixed materials).

008 Composite Listing by Character Position

The following list presents all field 008 data elements in character position order. It relates each character position and definition (name) to the type(s) of material for which it is valid (V).

Validity by Material Type

Character Position		BK	CF	MP	MU	CR	VM	MX
00-05	Date entered on file	V	V	V	V	V	V	V
06	Type of date/Publication status	V	V	V	V	V	V	V
07-10	Date 1	V	V	V	V	V	V	V
11-14	Date 2	V	V	V	V	V	V	V
15-17	Place of publication, production, or execution	V	V	V	V	V	V	V
18	Illustrations (code 1)	V	.	.	.	.	.	.
18	Undefined		V	.	.	.	.	V
18	Relief (code 1)	.	.	V	.	.	.	.
18	Form of composition (code pt. 1)	.	.	.	V	.	.	.
18	Frequency	.	.	.	.	V	.	.
18	Running time (digit 1)	.	.	.	.	.	V	.
19	Illustrations (code 2)	V	.	.	.	.	.	.
19	Undefined	.	V	.	.	.	.	V
19	Relief (code 2)	.	.	V	.	.	.	.
19	Form of composition (code pt. 2)	.	.	.	V	.	.	.
19	Regularity	.	.	.	.	V	.	.
19	Running time (digit 2)	.	.	.	.	.	V	.
20	Illustrations (code 3)	V	.	.	.	.	.	.
20	Relief (code 3)	.	.	V	.	.	.	.
20	Format of score	.	.	.	V	.	.	.
20	Running time (digit 3)	.	.	.	.	.	V	.
20	Undefined	.	V	.	.	V	.	V
21	Illustrations (code 4)	V	.	.	.	.	.	.
21	Undefined	.	V	.	.	.	V	V
21	Relief (code 4)	.	.	V	.	.	.	.
21	Type of continuing resource	.	.	.	.	V	.	.
21	Music parts	.	.	.	V	.	.	.
22	Target audience	V	V	.	V	.	V	.
22	Projection (code pt. 1)	.	.	V	.	.	.	.
22	Form of original item	.	.	.	.	V	.	.
22	Undefined	.	.	.	.	.	.	V
23	Form of item	V	V	.	V	V	.	V
23	Undefined	.	.	.	.	.	V	.
23	Projection (code pt. 2)	.	.	V	.	.	.	.
24	Nature of contents (code 1)	V	.	.	.	.	.	.
24	Undefined	.	V	V	.	.	V	V
24	Accompanying matter (code 1)	.	.	.	V	.	.	.
24	Nature of entire work	.	.	.	.	V	.	.
25	Nature of contents (code 2)	V	.	.	.	.	.	.
25	Undefined	.	V	.	.	.	V	V
25	Type of cartographic material	.	.	V	.	.	.	.
25	Accompanying matter (code 2)	.	.	.	V	.	.	.
25	Nature of contents (code 1)	.	.	.	.	V	.	.
26	Nature of contents (code 3)	V	.	.	.	.	.	.
26	Type of computer file	.	V	.	.	.	.	.
26	Undefined	.	.	V	.	.	V	V
26	Accompanying matter (code 3)	.	.	.	V	.	.	.
26	Nature of contents (code 2)	.	.	.	.	V	.	.
27	Nature of contents (code 4)	V	.	.	.	.	.	.
27	Undefined	.	V	V	.	.	V	V
27	Accompanying matter (code 4)	.	.	.	V	.	.	.
27	Nature of contents (code 3)	.	.	.	.	V	.	.
28	Government publications	V	V	V	.	V	V	.
28	Accompanying matter (code 5)	.	.	.	V	.	.	.
28	Undefined	.	.	.	.	.	.	V
29	Conference publication	V	.	.	.	V	.	.
29	Undefined	.	V	.	.	.	.	V
29	Form of item	.	.	V	.	.	V	.
29	Accompanying matter (code 6)	.	.	.	V	.	.	.
30	Festschrift	V	.	.	.	.	.	.
30	Undefined	.	V	V	.	V	V	V
30	Literary text for sound recordings (code 1)	.	.	.	V	.	.	.
31	Index	V	.	V	.	.	.	.
31	Undefined	.	V	.	.	V	V	V
31	Literary text for sound recordings (code 2)	.	.	.	V	.	.	.
32	Undefined	V	V	V	V	V	V	V
33	Literary form	V	.	.	.	.	.	.
33	Undefined	.	V	.	V	.	.	V
33	Special format characteristics (code 1)	.	.	V	.	.	.	.
33	Original alphabet or script of title	.	.	.	.	V	.	.
33	Transposition and arrangement	.	.	.	V	.	.	.
33	Type of visual material	.	.	.	.	.	V	.
34	Biography	V	.	.	.	.	.	.
34	Undefined	.	V	.	V	.	.	V
34	Special format characteristics (code 2)	.	.	V	.	.	.	.
34	Entry convention	.	.	.	.	V	.	.
34	Technique	.	.	.	.	.	V	.
35-37	Language	V	V	V	V	V	V	V
38	Modified record	V	V	V	V	V	V	V
39	Cataloging source	V	V	V	V	V	V	V

CONTENT DESIGNATOR HISTORY

Changes to several character positions in field 008 were approved as part of Format Integration and related proposals. See the History section for character positions 18-34 of the individual 008 field configurations for a description of the changes. The changes to field 008 were incorporated into the current MARC specifications in 1995.

In 2002, the Serials 008 field was renamed “Continuing Resources.”

008/33 - Comic strips (BK) [OBSOLETE, 2008] [MARC 21]
008/40 - Fill character usage [OBSOLETE, 1997] [CAN/MARC only]

008 - Fixed-Length Data Elements-General Information (NR)

FIELD DEFINITION AND SCOPE

008 Composite Listing by Character Position

CONTENT DESIGNATOR HISTORY