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MARC Specialized Tools

Introduction

This category includes any software program that provides enhanced usability to MARC 21 records and systems. For example, conversion utilities and validation programs are included in this category. Free tools are indicated in the title of each listing.

For more information about these tools, please see their corresponding websites.

Disclaimer

Tools List

AGent™
The AGent™ platform is a modern, comprehensive and effective resource management platform that allows libraries to manage, share and search their resources. The integrated product suite comprises AGent VERSO™, a complete integrated library system (ILS), AGent Resource Sharing™, an interlibrary loan (ILL) and consortial borrowing solution and AGent Search™, a powerful federated search system.

Contact:

Albert Flores
Auto-Graphics, Inc.
3201 Temple Avenue
Pomona, California, 91768 USA
Voice (Toll-Free): +1-800-776-6939 x1502
Voice (Local): +1-909-595-7004
Fax: +1-909-595-3506
Arabic Translitrator - Free / Open Source
Arabic Translitrator is an Arabic transliteration from romanized form as described in the LC/ALA romanization tables. This Application is meant to be used for library systems who need Arabic script records in their database.

Contact:

Hesham Makki
http://sourceforge.net/users/hmakki
Athenaeum MARC Utility
The Athenaeum MARC Utility is a FileMaker Pro based product that decodes MARC 21 bibliographic and authority data in a format suitable for import into the Athenaeum series of products For earlier versions of Athenaeum Pro, Athenaeum Express and all versions of Athenaeum Light, the stand alone MARC utility is available for translating MARC data into a format that is easily imported into these programs. Commencing with Athenaeum Express 8.5 and Athenaeum Pro 7.6, MARC import functionality is incorporated directly into those solutions. Athenaeum Light, Express and Pro are library products for schools and small business libraries.

Contact:

SumWare Consulting
PO Box 480
Kumeu, Auckland, 0841 New Zealand
Voice:+64 (9) 411 5432
support @ sumware.co.nz
Aurora ZMarc Collector
Aurora ZMarc Collector is a unique tool developed to assist libraries in the bulk retrieval of MARC records from global Z39.50 resources. The program can be used for small scale retrieval, or for full-blown retrospective conversion projects, where MARC records are required for upgrading. Files of candidate records can be prepared offline, and used for unattended global searching. Results are written to a MARC file which can be used for immediate loading, or for individual examination and handling in the Aurora Cataloguing system or other local library management system.

Contact:

AIT (Aurora Information Technology)
10 St James Lane
Turramurra, NSW, 2074 Australia
Voice:+61 2 9943 0189
BIBLIObase
BIBLIObase is the name of a set of programs developed in partnership for by BIBLIOsoft and Irisdata. Modules include Acquisitions, Cataloging, Circulation and Loan, Inventory Management, OPAC and Serials Management. The Cataloging module allows users to create and manage records in UNIMARC or other MARC formats such as MARC 21, and facilitates the cooperative exchange of bibliographic data.

Contact:

Luis Damas
BIBLIOBase
R. Ramalho Ortigao, 35 A
Lisboa, 1070-228 Portugal
Voice:+21-933-73-88
BookWhere
WebClarity Software Inc.'s BookWhere is an easy to use and comprehensive copy cataloging tool for building and maintaining library catalogs. With the largest selection of accessible library databases in the world, BookWhere can easily locate MARC bibliographic records. Key features include: record rating and scoring service to pinpoint high quality records; multiple record batch searching; and MARC record editing (included with BookWhere Suite).

Contact:

WebClarity Software Inc.
565 Bryne Dr., Unit B
Barrie, Ontario, L4N Canada 9Y3
Voice: 1-866-213-8880
Fax: 1-705-792-2718
C# MARC Editor - Open Source
CSharp MARC is a C# Class Library and Editor for reading and manipulating MARC Records. It has advanced find/replace features, and can perform batch addition, deletion or modification of records.

Contact:

Matt Schraeder
C# MARC Editor
Cataloging Calculator - Free
The Cataloging Calculator is a cataloging tool that finds variable and fixed MARC fields (bibliographic and authority data), language codes, geographic area codes, publication country codes, and AACR2 abbreviations, LC main entry and geographic Cutter numbers. Note: Both frames and javascript must be enabled for this tool to work.

Contact:

Kyle Banerjee
http://alptown.com/contact/
CyberTools for Libraries
CyberTools for Libraries is an integrated, web-based library information system incorporating Cataloging and Authority Management, OPAC, Serials Management, Circulation, Z39.50, and more. See a fuller description under MARC Systems --- CyberTools for Libraries
DK's INDscripteR - Indic Script Converter
INDscripteR supports the conversion of Romanized text as per the ALA/LC Romanization tables into the vernacular Indic script using Unicode. INDscripteR currently converts Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Panjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil and Telugu. Since a significant number of titles appear in India in Tibetan language, INDscripteR also supports Tibetan. Work on Urdu is curently in progress.

Contact:

D.K. Agencies Pvt. Ltd.
A/15-17, D.K. Avenue, Mohan Garden
New Delhi, Delhi, 110059 India
Voice: +91-11-25357104
Fax: +91-11-25357103
eZcat/eZcat Pro
BookSystems' eZcat and eZcat Pro allows users to take advantage of Z39.50 technology to obtain free MARC 21 records. Users can search the databases of the Library of Congress and over 400 other publicly listed libraries. Additional features of eZcat include the ability to: download one or many records and search for MARC records in batch format. eZcat can be used with other library automation systems that import MARC 21 records. eZcat Pro supports all the features of eZcat along with printing and editing features.

Contact:

Book Systems, Inc.
721 Clinton Ave., Suite 11
Huntsville, Alabama 35801 USA
Voice: +1-256-533-9746
Fax: +1-256-536-1175
FRBR Display Tool -Free
The FRBR Display Tool sorts the bibliographic data found in a set of MARC records into hierarchical displays by grouping the bibliographic data using the “Works,” “Expressions,” and “Manifestations” FRBR concepts. Possible uses for the FRBR Display Tool include experimenting with the collocation and sorting of search result sets into the FRBR categories to test concepts; and applying FRBR to local data to evaluate its consistency for FRBR-type development. The FRBR Display Tool is downloadable, very flexible and easy to augment to fit individual institutions' needs.

Contact:

Network Development and MARC Standards Office,
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., S.E.
Washington, DC, 20540-4402 USA
Voice: +1-202-707-6237
Voice: +1-202-707-0115
InfoWorks Link Checker
InfoWorks Link Checker is designed for librarians to quickly check URL links in MARC 21 records and works with flat MARC files containing URLs. InfoWorks Link Checker can also check multiple links simultaneously by applying multiple threading technology. The user may also define what URL fields (up to 4 different fields) and subfields (up to 8 different subfields) to check. InfoWorks Link Checker generates a number of reports, including a general report (for all links), a broken link report, a redirected URL report, and a blocked URL report.InfoWorks Link Checker automatically displays checking results and reports in Web browsers so that URLs may be launched from the report for manual rechecking. It works with integrated library systemss on a Windows platform.

Contact:

InfoWorks Technology
PO Box 2261
Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, 16066 USA
Voice: +1-412-635-9218
InfoWorks Spelling Checker for Database Maintenance
InfoWorks Spelling Checker for Database Maintenance locates spelling errors and cleans up bibliographic databases. It works with flat MARC files in any integrated library systems. InfoWorks Spelling Checker for Database Maintenance allows users to define which languages and fields to check and provides both batch and interactive checking. It includes a special dictionary for library use and allows users to build custom dictionaries. InfoWorks Spelling Checker for Database Maintenance runs on the Windows platform.

Contact:

InfoWorks Technology
PO Box 2261
Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania, 16066 USA
Voice: +1-412-635-9218
J-ISIS - Free
J-ISIS is a new multiplatform Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) that provides the same successful concepts and functionalities as the UNESCO ISIS suite while removing the usage restrictions. It uses a client-server model, supports UNICODE, and incorporates the latest software developments. J-ISIS has its own Persistence Manager based on Oracle Berkeley DB Java Edition for storing MARC records. It also includes a TCP/IP database server, an http web server and a web browser used for displaying records. You can easily create databases and populate them either through data entry or by importing data from external files using standard formats for information interchange such as ISO-2709, MARC21, UNIMARC, MARCXML, MODS and Dublin Core. Records can be viewed, indexed, searched, edited and modified interactively or using batch processing. Selected, marked and search result records can be formatted, sorted and printed in HTML, PDF, etc. You can export data stored in the Persistence Manager into external files using standard formats for information interchange including ISO-2709, MARC21, UNIMARC, MARCXML, MODS and Dublin Core. And much more ...

Contact:

MARC Report
MARC Report is quality control software for MARC data and prevents common coding and cataloging errors in MARC database. Users can easily validate MARC records according to the latest MARC21 standards. MARC Report includes hundreds of cataloging cross-checks don't simply validate MARC records but also check the internal cataloging logic of each record. MARC Report also includes a MARC editor, and an unmatched collection of integrated MARC utilities, now including both MARC Review (standard) and MARC Global (optional). A 30-day free trial is available.

Contact:

Deborah Fritz
5880-A Highway A1A
Melbourne Beach, Florida 32951 USA
Voice: +1-800-560-MARC
Fax: +1-321-676-1904
MARC RTP - Free
MARC RTP will read files of bibliographic records in MARC format, and convert them to a text-delimited format for importing into a database or spreadsheet. Records can also be converted into other formats are possible. The program can also produce a listing or summary of the structure of a file of records. MARC RTP is a command line utility and has no graphical user interface.

Contact:

Ross Johnson
B39/9 Chandler Street
Belconnen, ACT, 2617 Australia
MARC Toolkit for Libraries (formerly MARC Template Library) - Free
The MARC Toolkit for Libraries is a collection of source code libraries and software for MARC records. Open Source.

Contact:

Mark Basedow
MARCBreaker - Free
MARCMaker, developed by the Library of Congress, converts structurally sound MARC records and reformats the information into an ASCII text file format. The resulting text file is identical to the input file format required by MARCMaker (See below). A User's Manual is available online. This MARC utility runs on PCs on a Windows platform with DOS or a DOS emulation. The current version (2.5) does not run under Windows NT or UNIX.

Contact:

Network Development and MARC Standards Office,
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., S.E.
Washington, DC, 20540-4402 USA
Voice: +1-202-707-6237
Fax: +1-202-707-0115
MarcEdit - Free
MarcEdit provides users with new flexibility when working with and cross walking MARC data. Features include: a MarcEditor with numerous, built-in MARC editing functions; a Script Maker to help users generate simple scripting solutions for common maintenance problems; a Delimited Text Translator that allows users to import delimited text files and convert the data into MARC; a plugin architecture so users can extent the application. In addition to the standard suite of tools, MarcEdit also includes Unicode support, a MARC-8 to UTF-8 conversion utility, a new XML API allowing users to develop their own crosswalks through XSLT, a native Z39.50 client and much more. Included in MarcEdit 4.5 are the following cross walks:
  • MARC >Text,
  • Text >MARC,
  • MARC >MARC21XMLslim,
  • MARC21XMLslim >MARC,
  • MARC >Dublin Core (unqualified),
  • MARC >EAD (example using the NWDA best practices),
  • MARC21XML >MODS and
  • MARC21XML >OAI Dublin Core.

Contact:

Terry Reese
MARConvert
MARConvert handles special problems or unusual requirements in converting records into or out of MARC21, USMARC, CanMARC, UNIMARC, or MARCXML bibliographic/authority formats. MARConvert can convert MARC records to or from any other format, including delimited ASCII files, tagged-text formats, markup formats such as XML or HTML, relational tables or databases; from MARC21 to UNIMARC or the reverse; from MARC21 to MARCXML or the reverse Character encodings can be converted from anything to anything. MARConvert™ currently handles MARC-8, Latin-1, UTF-8, UNIMARC, and the character set used in the Library of Congress' MakrBrkr programs. Other conversions can be added.

Contact:

OCLC, Online Computer Library Center, Inc.
6565 Frantz Road
Dublin, Ohio, 43017 USA
Voice: +1-800-848-5878
MarciveWeb SELECT
MarciveWeb SELECT enables librarians to search 10 million records from LC, NLM, NLC, GPO and other sources, and obtain customized MARC 21 bibliographic and authority records. Bibliographic records can be automatically enriched with Table of Contents (TOC) data, additional Fiction/Biography access points, and summaries. Other database quality improvement services include retrospective conversion from shelflists; upgrades from brief records to full MARC 21 format; deduplication; reclassification; and authority control.

Contact:

MARCIVE® Inc.
P.O. Box 47508
San Antonio Texas 78265-7508 USA
Voice: +1-800-531-7678
MARCMaker - Free
MARCMaker, developed by the Library of Congress, generates the MARC record structure from preformatted text. MARCMaker accepts files from most text editors and word processors if the text is formatted according to the simple input file rules. This MARC utility runs on PCs on a Windows platform with DOS or a DOS emulation. The current version (2.5) does not run under Windows NT or UNIX. A User's Manual is available online.

Contact:

Network Development and MARC Standards Office,
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., S.E.
Washington, DC, 20540-4402 USA
Voice: +1-202-707-6237
Fax: +1-202-707-0115
MARC/Perl - Free
MARC/Perl is a Perl 5 library for reading, manipulating, outputting and converting bibliographic records in the MARC format. It is possible to try out the MARC/Perl library without actually installing by uploading and retrieving records from a Web Interface to it.
MARCView
MARCView can view, search, and print ANSI/ISO standard MARC records, UNIMARC records, and MARCXML records. It will also handle many files that are not strictly MARC. Searches can specify field, subfield, both, or neither. The presence of a field and/or subfield can be searched. Words with diacritics are found when the plain-text word is searched.Displays MARC-8, UTF-8, and UNIMARC characters if there is a Latin-1 equivalent. MARCView also displays file and record statistics and the raw MARC record.

Contact:

OCLC, Online Computer Library Center, Inc.
6565 Frantz Road
Dublin, Ohio, 43017 USA
Voice: +1-800-848-5878
MicroLIF Conversion Tool - Free
MARC-LIF converts MARC 21 records to MicroLIF records and LIF-MARC converts MicroLIF records to MARC 21 records. The MicroLIF Conversion Tool also supports the popular text file format used by MARCBreaker and MARCMaker. It runs under DOS and on Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP/Vista in DOS emulation mode.

Contact:

Phil Huang
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California, 94928 USA
Voice: +1-707-664-2799
Fax: +1-707-664-2876
Mitinet
Mitinet™ helps libraries create and maintain high-quality MARC records, with easy-to-use products. BestMARC™, our cloud-based database management system, is a record source, cataloger and record enhancement tool in one. Find the right MARC record quickly and easily update it with reading program and holdings information. Or use over 30 material type templates to catalog original records in either RDA or AACR2. We also offer expert services for updating and converting existing records such as Database Cleanups and RDA Conversions. We can help you reduce duplicate records, enhance existing MARC records with additional content, or convert brief records to full. We specialize in custom data solutions for database merges, union catalogs and standardization projects.

Contact:

Mitinet Inc.
1039 N Edge Trail
Verona, Wisconsin, 53593 USA
Voice (USA and Canada: +1-800-824-6272
Fax: +1-608-845-9261
NOTEbookS
NOTEbookS is a corporate library management system that runs on Lotus Notes or Domino. It can import MARC bibliographic, authority, holdings, classification and community information records into Lotus Notes or Domino.

Contact:

Beau Schless
43 Mary Catherine Lane
Sudbury, Massachusetts, 01776 USA
Voice: +1-978-443-2996
Fax: +1-978-443-7602
OCLC, Online Computer Library Center, Inc.
OCLC offers cataloging services and tools for libraries using the MARC 21 bibliographic and authority formats. OCLC also provides off-site cataloging services. Libraries using OCLC have access to WorldCat (the OCLC Online Union Catalog), the world's largest bibliographic database. OCLC offers a multitude of flexible options, including copy cataloging, original record creation, interactive and batch access, languages including Arabic, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Korean, all materials formats, authority control, database preparation, technical processing and retrospective conversion.

Contact:

OCLC, Online Computer Library Center, Inc.
6565 Frantz Road
Dublin, Ohio, 43017 USA
Voice: +1-800-848-5878, ext. 6251
Surpass Copycat
Surpass Copycat is a Z39.50 copy cataloging tool that allows users to find and download free MARC records from the Internet. Users can simultaneously search multiple libraries such as the Library of Congress, public libraries, medical libraries and state-wide union catalogs. Over 200 libraries come pre-configured. Copycat also features “scan and search” that allows the user to scan the EAN/ISBN barcode of a book they wish to catalog to instantly launch a search for that book. Multi-search allows users to enter search terms or scan barcodes for group searching. Free trial available. Windows based.

Contact:

Surpass Software
517 Oothcalooga Street Suite C
Calhoun, Georgia, 30701 USA
Voice (Toll Free US): +1-877-625-2657
Voice: +1-706-625-5399
Fax: +1-706-625-2699
USEMARCON Plus - The Universal MARC Record Convertor - Free
USEMARCON facilitates the conversion of catalogue records from one MARC format to another e.g. from UKMARC to UNIMARC. The software was designed as a toolbox-style application, allowing users with detailed knowledge of the source and target MARC formats to develop rules governing the behaviour of the conversion. Rules files may be supplemented by additional tables for more accurate conversion of MARC-specific character sets or coded information. The tables and rules files are simple ASCII text files and can be created using any standard text editor such as MS Windows Notepad. he package includes source code and program compiled for Windows (it should run under at least all 32 bit Windows versions). The source code can be compiled with no changes in different Linux distributions or SUN Solaris, and it should be possible to compile it in other systems that support Autoconf/Automake with minor or no changes. A manual is available.

Contact:

The British Library
Bibliographic Development
Boston Spa, Wetherby West Yorkshire LS23 7BQ United Kingdom
Voice: +44 (0) 1937 546548
Fax: +44 (0) 1937 546586
Visual MARC Editor
Visual MARC Editor provides a user interface that displays fields and subfields. It also displays the MARC record structure in a familiar tree view. Visual MARC Editor provides explanations of MARC tags and displays the structure of fixed fields and fixed subfields and lists of coded values in fixed fields.

Contact:

Mrs. Meera Gaikaiwari
Algorhythms Consultants Pvt. Ltd
3 Pranav, S.No. 98, Bhusari Colony, Paud Rd.
Pune, MH, 411039 India
Voice: +91-20-25284765
Fax: +91-20-25281066

Web & XML Tools

MARC4J - Free
MARC4J is a Java API that provides an event model for MARC records through Java callbacks and is inspired by the Simple API for XML (SAX). The goal of MARC4J is to provide a generic application interface to records that conform to the ISO 2709 exchange format. With MARC4J, the user may write programs that involve MARC records without knowing the details of the MARC record structure. The MARCHandler interface allows one to receive information about the record label (record position 00-23), control fields (001-009) and data fields (010-999), including indicator values, tag names, data element identifiers and data elements. Besides the event model, MARC4J also includes a MARC object model to provide a round trip conversion from MARC to a different format using the event model (for example to convert MARC records to XML) and from a non-MARC format to MARC using record objects.

Contact:

Bas Peters
MarcEdit - Free
See description above
MARC to XML / XML to MARC Conversion Utilities - Free
MARC to XML / XML to MARC Conversion Utilities are freeware programs that permit the conversion between the MARC and XML structures. The MARC to XML encoding was designed to be an alternate structure for the information in standard MARC structure records and thus, its implementation provides full mappability between the two. XML DTDs for all of the MARC 21 formats are also available. The conversion utilities are available for the DOS, Windows, Windows NT, OS/2, Macintosh, and UNIX platforms and support the MARC 21 bibliographic, authority, holdings, classification and community information formats.

Contact:

Network Development and MARC Standards Office,
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., S.E.
Washington, DC, 20540-4402 USA
Voice: +1-202-707-6237
Fax: +1-202-707-0115
MARCXGen - Free
MarcXGen extracts URLs from MARC 21 bibliographic records and generates HTML code to create a single web page of hyperlinks that can be used with third party Link Checking software such as LinkBot and Xenu's Link Sleuth. With Version 2, MarcXGen also creates separate files of delimited data that may be used to build a relational database environment that may simplify some maintenance tasks associated with bad or problem URLs in library database records.

Contact:

Tom Tyler
University of Denver
2199 South University Blvd.
Denver, Colorado, 80208 USA
Voice: +1-303-871-2000
MARCXML - Free
MARCXML is a framework for working with MARC data in a XML environment. This framework is intended to be flexible and extensible to allow users to work with MARC data in ways specific to their needs. The framework itself includes many components such as schemas, stylesheets, and software tools.

Contact:

Network Development and MARC Standards Office,
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., S.E.
Washington, DC, 20540-4402 USA
Voice: +1-202-707-6237
Fax: +1-202-707-0115
MarcXmlParser - Free
MarcXmlParser is a .NET Class Library software component that provides rich APIs to work with MARCXML records. As this software is XML wrapper class, it will work best with XML documents. With MarcXmlParser, any Marc record element can be easily created and manipulated.

Contact:

Mr. Vinh, Nguyen Hong
Hiendai Software Company
Ha Dinh 54 Urban Area,Ha Dinh Str., Thanh Xuan Dist.
Hanoi, Vietnam
Voice: 084.04.22107136
XMARC - Free
A document that describes a mapping between MARC and XML for storing MARC data in a database using XML compliant field names. The mapping has a few simple rules for constructing XML element names from MARC field and subfield names that results in a unique and legal XML element name for every field and for every combination of field and subfield. Includes test files to illustrate mapping principles.

Contact:

Geoff Mottram
YAZ - Free
Z39.50 toolkit with tools for dealing with MARC. The MARC library of YAZ and yaz-marcdump converts between formats: ISO-2709, MARCXML, MARCXchange, line-mode. The records may be converted between the following encodings: UTF-8, ISO-8859-1, ISO-5426, ISO-5428, Danmarc2 + all encodings supported by a local iconv library.

Contact:

Adam Dickmeiss
Index Data
Rued Langgaards, Vej 7, 5A-54
2300 København S, Denmark
Voice: +45 41130128
ZMARCO - Free
ZMARCO is an Open Archive Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) 2.0 compliant data provider. The "Z" in ZMARCO stands for Z39.50; "MARC" stands for MAchine-Readable Cataloging; and the "O" stands for OAI, as in the Open Archives Inititive. Essentially ZMARCO allows MARC bibliographic records that are available through a Z39.50 server to relatively easily be made available via the OAI-PMH.

Contact:

Tom Habing