MARC 21 Concise Bibliographic: Leader and Directory
Information for Translators and Other Users
Items highlighted in
red indicate changes made after the 2000 edition of
the MARC 21 Concise Formats
was published and are included in the 2001
printed edition of the MARC 21 Concise Formats.
A fixed field that comprises the first 24 character positions (00-23) of each
record and provides information for the processing of the record.
Character Positions
- 00-04 - Logical record length
The computer-generated, five-character
numeric string that specifies the length of the entire record. The number is
right justified and each unused position contains a zero.
- 05 - Record status
Indicates the relation of the record to a file.
- a - Increase in encoding level
The Encoding level (Leader/17) of the
record has been changed to a higher encoding level.
- c - Corrected or revised
A change other than in the Encoding level
code has been made to the record.
- p - Increase in encoding level from prepublication
The cataloging
level of a prepublication record has changed because of the availability of
the published item.
- 06 - Type of record
Indicates the characteristics of and defines the
components of the record.
- a - Language material
Includes printed,
microform, and electronic language material.
- c - Notated music
Includes microform and
electronic notated music.
- d - Manuscript notated music
Includes microform
manuscript music.
- e - Cartographic material
Includes maps, atlases,
globes, digital maps, and other cartographic items.
- f - Manuscript cartographic material
Includes
microform manuscript maps.
- g - Projected medium
Examples include:
motion pictures, videorecordings (including digital
video), filmstrips, slides, transparencies, or material specifically
designed for projection.
- i - Nonmusical sound recording
Examples include:
speech.
- j - Musical sound recording
Examples include:
phonodiscs, compact discs, or cassette tapes.
- k - Two-dimensional nonprojectable graphic
Examples include: activity cards, charts, collages,
computer graphics, drawings, duplication masters, flash cards, paintings,
photonegatives, photoprints, pictures, photo CDs,
postcards, posters, prints, spirit masters, study prints, technical
drawings, photomechanical reproductions, and reproductions of any of these.
- m - Computer file
Includes the following
classes of electronic resources: computer software (including programs,
games, fonts), numeric data, computer-oriented multimedia, online systems or
services. For these classes of materials, if there is a significant aspect
that causes it to fall into another Leader/06 category, the code for that
significant aspect is used instead of code m (e.g., vector data that is
cartographic is not coded as numeric but cartographic). Other classes of
electronic resources are coded for their most significant aspect (e.g.,
language material, graphic, cartographic material, sound, music, moving
image). In case of doubt or if the most significant aspect cannot be
determined, consider the item a computer file.
- o - Kit
Contains a mixture of components
from two or more types of items, none of which is
the predominant constituent of the kit.
- p - Mixed material
Indicates that there are
significant materials in two or more forms that are usually related by
virtue of their having been accumulated by or about a person or body.
Includes archival fonds and manuscript collections of mixed forms of
materials, such as text, photographs, and sound recordings.
- r - Three-dimensional artifact or naturally occurring object
Includes man-made objects, such as models, dioramas,
games, puzzles, simulations, sculptures and other three-dimensional art
works and their reproductions, exhibits, machines, clothing, toys, and
stitchery, and naturally occurring objects, such as microscope specimens and
other specimens mounted for viewing.
- t - Manuscript language material
- 07 - Bibliographic level
Indicates the bibliographic level of the
record.
- a - Monographic component part
A monographic bibliographic unit that
is physically attached to or contained in another unit such that the
retrieval of the component part is dependent on the identification and
location of the host item or container. The record contains fields that
describe the component part and data that identify the host, field 773 (Host
Item Entry).
- b - Serial component part
A serial bibliographic unit that is
physically attached to or contained in another serial unit such that the
retrieval of the component part is dependent on the physical identification
and location of the host item or container. The record contains fields that
describe the component part and data that identify the host, field 773 (Host
Item Entry).
- c - Collection
A made-up multipart group of items that were not
originally published, distributed, or produced together. The record
describes units defined by common provenance or administrative convenience
for which the record is intended as the most comprehensive in the
system.
- d - Subunit
A part of a collection, especially an archival unit
described collectively elsewhere in the system. The record contains fields
that describe the subunit and data that identify the Host Item Entry (field
773).
- i - Integrating resource
A bibliographic resource
that is added to or changed by means of updates that do not remain discrete
and are integrated into the whole. Examples include: Updating loose-leafs
and updating Web sites.
- m - Monograph/item
An item either complete in one part (monograph) or intended to be completed in a finite
number of separate parts (multivolume monograph).
- s - Serial
An item issued in successive parts bearing numerical or
chronological designations and intended to be continued indefinitely (e.g., serials, journals, series, newspapers).
- 08 - Type of control
- 09 - Character coding scheme
Identifies the character coding scheme
used in the record.
- 10 - Indicator count
The computer-generated number 2 that indicates the
number of character positions used for indicators in a variable data field.
- 11 - Subfield code count
The computer-generated number 2 that indicates
the number of character positions used for each subfield code in a variable
data field.
- 12-16 - Base address of data
The computer-generated, five-character
numeric string that indicates the first character position of the first
variable control field in a record. The number is right justified and each
unused position contains a zero.
- 17 - Encoding level
Indicates the fullness of the bibliographic
information and/or content designation of the MARC record.
- # - Full level
The most complete MARC level created from information
derived from an inspection of the physical item.
- 1 - Full level, material not examined
The information used in
creating the record is derived from an extant description of the item
without reinspection of the physical item. This code is used primarily in
the retrospective conversion of records when all of the information on the
extant description is transcribed. Certain control field coding and other
data elements are based only on explicit information in the
description.
- 2 - Less-than-full level, material not examined
The information used
in creating the record is derived from an extant description of the item
without reinspection of the physical item. This code is used primarily in
the retrospective conversion of records when all of the descriptive access
points but only a specified subset of other data elements are transcribed.
Authoritative headings may not be current.
- 3 - Abbreviated level
Indicates a brief record that does not meet the
National Level Bibliographic Record minimal level cataloging specifications.
Headings in the records may reflect established forms to the extent that
such forms were available at the time the record was created.
- 5 - Partial (preliminary) level
A record that is not considered final
by the creating agency (e.g., the headings may not reflect established
forms; the record may not meet national-level cataloging
specifications).
- 7 - Minimal level
A record that meets the national-level
bibliographic record minimal-level cataloging specifications and is
considered final by the creating agency. Headings reflect established forms.
The U.S. requirements for minimal-level records can be found in National
Level and Minimal Level Record Requirements
(www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/nlr/)
- 8 - Prepublication level
Indicates a prepublication level record.
This includes records create in cataloging in publication programs.
- u - Unknown
Used by an agency receiving or sending data to replace a
local code when the appropriate MARC encoding level code cannot be
determined. Code u is not used in newly input or updated records.
- z - Not applicable
The encoding level concept does not apply to the
record.
- 18 - Descriptive cataloging form
Indicates the descriptive cataloging
form reflected in the record. Subfield $e (Description conventions) of field
040 (Cataloging Source) may contain additional information on the cataloging
conventions used.
- # - Non-ISBD
The descriptive portion of the record does not follow
International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD) cataloging and
punctuation provisions.
- a - AACR 2
The descriptive portion of the record and the choice and
form of entry of the access points are formulated according to either the
second edition of the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules or
cataloging manuals based on AACR 2. The punctuation practices of ISBD
apply.
- i - ISBD
The descriptive portion of the record is formulated
according to the descriptive and punctuation provisions of ISBD. The heading
forms are not formulated according to AACR 2. This category includes records
that use ISBD punctuation but the other conventions used are
unknown.
- u - Unknown
An organization receiving or sending data in Leader/18
cannot determine the appropriate descriptive cataloging form used in the
record. Code u may be used in Dublin Core originated
records.
- 19 - Linked record requirement
Indicates whether a note containing
basic identification information (i.e., main entry and title, main entry and
uniform title, main entry under uniform title, title, uniform title, Standard
Technical Report Number, or report number) can be generated from a Linking
Entry field (76X-78X).
- # - Related record not required
The record contains basic
identification information in every Linking Entry field in the record or in
a related Linking Entry Complexity Note (field 580), or the record contains
no 76X-78X Linking Entry field.
- r - Related record required
The record contains at least one 76X-78X
Linking Entry field that does not contain basic identification information
and contains no related Linking Entry Complexity Note (field 580) with basic
identification information.
- 20-23 - Entry map
Four computer-generated, single-digit numeric
characters that indicate the structure of each entry in the Directory.
- 20 - Length of the length-of-field portion
Contains a 4
- 21 - Length of the starting-character-position portion
Contains a 5
- 22 - Length of the implementation-defined portion
Contains a 0
- 23 - Undefined Entry map character position
Contains a 0
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A computer-generated index to the location of the variable control and data
fields within a record. The Directory immediately follows the Leader at
character position 24 and consists of a series of fixed-length (12 character
positions) entries that give the tag, length, and starting character position of
each variable field.
Character Positions
- 00-02 - Tag
Three numeric or alphabetic (uppercase or lowercase, but
not both) characters that identify an associated field.
- 03-06 - Field length
Four numeric characters that indicate the length
of the field, including indicators, subfield codes, data, and the field
terminator. The number is right justified and each unused position contains a
zero.
- 07-11 - Starting character position
Five numeric characters that
indicate the starting character position of the field relative to the Base
address of data (Leader/12-16) of the record. The number is right justified
and each unused position contains a zero.
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