Library of Congress>> Standards >> MARC >> Understanding MARC Authority Records

MARC 21 REFERENCE MATERIALS (continued)

Part XII: Sample Records
Selected Bibliography
Selected Library of Congress Cataloging Distribution Service Publications
MARC 21 Content Designators: A Review

Part XII

Sample Records

The examples of authority records in this booklet are based on records from the Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF). Some of the information has been, however, slightly changed to illustrate the fields described in this booklet. The examples are first shown in a tagged display used by most data editing screens found in library systems. They are also shown in a formatted display that may be viewed by library patrons and librarians.

More examples of MARC 21 authority records are found in the MARC 21 Format for Authority Data or online at: www.loc.gov/marc/authority/examples.html

1. MARC 21 Communications Formatted Record

The block of data below is what the programmer sees when he looks at the contents of a MARC file. The tags do not appear before the fields, but a directory to the data tells which tags should be used and where each field starts (in other words, where each tag belongs).

00559cz###2200169n##450000100080000000500170000800
80041000250100031000660350023000970400013001200530
01500133100003200148400004000180400003400220670003
300254670009200287^3284961^20011122072419.0^790430
n|#acannaabn##########|a#aaa######^##$an##79041870
##$zn##86057158#^##$a(OCoLC)oca00275319^##$aDLC$cD
LC^#0$aPR6045.O72^1#$aWoolf, Virginia,$d1882-1941^
1#$aWoolf, Virginia Stephen,$d1882-1941^1#$aStephe
n, Virginia,$d1882-1941^##$aHer The voyage out ...
 1915.^##$aNUCMC files$b(Woolf, Virginia, 1882-194
1; Woolf, Virginia Stephen; b. Virginia Stephen)^\

Cracking the code, or, Interpreting the Directory: Usually, only the computer programmer and the computer come into contact with the record in the MARC 21 communications format. It is, however, interesting to understand how the Directory works.

The first 24 positions make up the Leader. In this example, the Leader fills approximately 1/3 of the first line and ends with "4500." Immediately following the Leader, begins the Directory. Tags have been underlined in this example. Each individual tag directory is 12 characters long. The first tag is 001. Following each tag, the next four positions show the length of the field. The data in the 001 field (control number) in this record is 8 characters long. The next 5 positions tell the starting point for this field within the data string that follows the Directory. The 001 field begins at the 00000 position (the first position is position 0). The next tag is 005, which is 17 characters long and begins at the 8th position (the length of the previous position -- 8 -- added to its starting spot -- 00000 -- equal 8). The next tag is 008. It is 41 characters long and begins at the 25th spot (8 + 17=25).

This directory tells us:

Field terminators (displayed as a ^ in this example) mark the end of the Directory and the end of each field that follows. Notice that the sums of the 2nd and 3rd columns in any row equal the number in the 3rd column in the next row. The starting point of one field plus its length equals the starting position of the next field.

This can be verified by counting the character positions within the data, remembering that spaces count, as do the field terminators (^). (Two character positions are always reserved for indicators at the beginning of a field.) A record terminator (displayed as a \ in this example) ends each authority record.

2. Authority Records in Display Forms

If a librarian uploaded a MARC 21 record into a library automation system, the data entry screen may look like the tagged displays below. The descriptors in the left-hand column are not stored in a MARC record. They are part of the software program's screen display. Most systems are designed so that records may be edited to add other fields containing local information.

Tagged Display: Most data editing screens are called "tagged displays" because they show the MARC 21 tags, inserted where they belong, as directed by the Directory. A computer program has been written to do this tagging.

Formatted Displays: The type of screens that OPAC patrons use are formatted, since MARC tags would be meaningless to the general public. Within each particular OPAC program is a routine that formats each record in the way the designers thought would best serve the public using the online catalog. One example of such a display is included for each authority record below.

Authoritative Heading Record -- Personal Name

Tagged Display:

Leader                 00758cz###2200217n##4500
Control No.            001   3284961
Last Transaction       005   20011122072419.0
Fixed Data             008   790430n|#acannaabn##########|a#aaa######
LCCN                   010 ##  $a n##79041870#
                               $z $##86057158#
System Control No.     035 ##  $a (OCoLC)oca00275319
Cat. Source            040 ##  $a DLC
                               $c DLC
Classification No.     053 #0  $a PR6045.O72
Authorized Heading     100 1#  $a Woolf, Virginia,
                               $d 1882-1941
See From Tracing       400 1#  $a Woolf, Virginia Stephen,
                               $d 1882-1941
See From Tracing       400 1#  $a Stephen, Virginia,
                               $d 1882-1941
Source Data Found      670 ##  $a Her The voyage out ... 1915.
Source Data Found      670 ##  $a NUCMC files
                               $b (Woolf, Virginia, 1882-1941; 
                                  Woolf, Virginia Stephen; b. 
                                  Virginia Stephen)

Formatted Displays:

Authoritative Heading Record -- Corporate Name

Tagged Display:

Leader                 01487cz###2200241n##4500
Control No.            001   663438

Last Transaction       005   20010924094922.0
Fixed Data             008   880506n|#acannaab|##########|a#ana####|#
LCCN                   010 ##  $a n##87907845#
Cat. Source            040 ##  $a DLC
                               $c DLC
Authorized Heading     110 2#  $a Louisville and Nashville Railroad 
                                  Company.
See From Tracing       410 2#  $a Louisville & Nashville
See From Tracing       410 2#  $a L. & N.R.R.
See Also From Tracing  510 2#  $a Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. 
                                  Louis Railway
See Also From Tracing  510 2#  $a St. Louis and Southeastern Railway 
                                  Company
Source Data Found      670 ##  $a Dolzall, G.W. Monon, c1987:
                               $b p. 171 (Louisville & Nashville)

Formatted Displays:

Authoritative Heading Record -- Uniform Title

Tagged Display:

Leader                 00330cz###2200145n##4500
Control No.            001   955113
Last Transaction       005   20010216174752.0
Fixed Data             008   790328n|#acannaab###########|a#ana######
LCCN                   010 ##  $a n##79018834#
Cat. Source            040 ##  $a DLC
Authorized Heading     130 #0  $a Beowulf
See From Tracing       430 #0  $a Bjowulf

Formatted Displays:

Subject Authority Record

Tagged Display:

Leader                 01984cz###2200505n##4500
Control No.            001   4673463
Last Transaction       005   20000324235934.0
Fixed Data             008   860211i|#anannbabn##########|a#ana######
LCCN                   010 ##  $a sh#85020914b#
Cat. Source            040 ##  $a DLC
                               $c DLC
                               $d DLC
Authorized Heading     150 ##  $a Online library catalogs
See From Tracing       450 ##  $a Catalogs, On-line
See From Tracing       450 ##  $a Library online catalogs
See From Tracing       450 ##  $a On-line catalogs (Libraries)
See From Tracing       450 ##  $a Online catalogs
See From Tracing       450 ##  $a Online public access catalogs 
                                  (Libraries)
See From Tracing       450 ##  $a OPACs (Libraries)
See Also From Tracing  550 ##  $a Library catalogs
See Also From Tracing  550 ##  $a Online information services
Source Data Found      670 ##  $a Library lit., 1990
                               $b (online catalogs)
Source Data Found      670 ##  $a ALA gloss.
                               $b (online catalogs; online public 
                                  access catalogs (OPACs))

Formatted Displays:

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Selected Bibliography

Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules. 2nd ed., 2002 revision. Chicago: American Library Association, 2002.

Crawford, Walt. MARC for Library Use. 2nd ed. Boston: G.K. Hall & Co., 1989. [Chapter 13 provides a good overview of authority records.]

Ferguson, Bobby. MARC/AACR2/Authority Control Tagging: A Blitz Cataloging Workbook. Westport, Conn.: Libraries Unlimited, 2005.

Maxwell, Robert L. Maxwell's Guide to Authority Work. Chicago: American Library Association, 2002.

Piepenburg, Scott. MARC Authority Records Made Easy: A Simplified Guide to Creating Authority Records for Library Automation Systems. San Jose, CA: F&W Associates, 2000.

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Selected Library of Congress Cataloging Distribution Service Publications

Cataloger's Desktop. LC's most popular cataloging publications on one CD-ROM disc and on the World Wide Web by subscription.

Classification Web. LC Classification Schedules and Subject Headings on the World Wide Web by subsciption.

Free-floating Subdivisions: An Alphabetical Index. Annual. 1 vol.

Library of Congress Classification Schedules. Multiple vols. Irregular.

Library of Congress Subject Headings. Annual. 5 vols.

MARC Content Designation training manuals.

Name and Subject Authorities. On the World Wide Web at: http://authorities.loc.gov

Understanding MARC Bibliographic.

MARC 21 documentation

MARC Code List for Countries.

MARC Code List for Geographic Areas.

MARC Code List for Languages.

MARC Code Lists for Relators, Sources, Description Conventions.

MARC 21 LITE Bibliographic Format. [On the World Wide Web at: www.loc.gov/marc/]

MARC 21 Concise Formats.

MARC 21 Format for Authority Data.

MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data.

MARC 21 Format for Classification Data.

MARC 21 Format for Community Information.

MARC 21 Format for Holdings Data.

MARC 21 Specifications for Record Structure, Character Sets, and Exchange Media.

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MARC 21 Content Designators: A Review

Part I: Authority record parts and "Signposts." Look at this sample line from a MARC 21 authority record (# indicates a blank space). Then fill in the blanks with letters representing correct answers. The number of times each answer will be used is given beside that answer.

100 1#  $a Woolf, Virginia, $d 1882-1941

Answers:

1. field/s (3)
2. indicator/s (4)
3. subfield/s (2)
4. subfield code/s (3)
5. tag/s (3)

1. The sample line represents one ___________________.

2. The number 100 is its __________________________.

3. There is one blank in the second __________________ position.

4., 5. What we see on the sample line is a ____________ that is made up of two _____________.

6. The characters of $a and $d are two examples of _____________________.

7., 8. In this field, the second ________________ has not been assigned meaning. In other words, the second _________________ in this field is undefined.

9., 10., 11. In MARC 21 records, there are 3 types of content designators: ____________________, _____________________, and _____________________.

12., 13. The 100 ______________________________ identifies this as the Heading -- Personal Name _________________________.

14. This field is divided into two ____________________: Personal Name, and Date.

15. In this field, $a is the __________________________ that identifies the personal name.

16., 17. Authority control assures (circle 2):

1. An author's name is always entered the same way for each book she/he has written.
2. Librarians oversee all reading rooms.
3. Cross references will help users find all items by or about an author or topic.
4. The title paragraph is written correctly.

Part II: Authority record content. Includes authoritative headings (name, title, or subject) reference tracings and notes.

For the book, To the Lighthouse, written by Virginia Woolf, draw lines to the correct answers:

Pattern tags: The tags for headings and references follow a pattern.

21. If a book is written about Hayes, Helen, the authority record used contains a 1_ _ heading.

22. If a book is written about the Chrysler Corporation, the authority record used contains a 1_ _ heading.

23. If a book is written about Brazil, the authority record used contains a 1_ _ heading.

24. If a book is written about football, the authority record used contains a 1_ _ heading.

One final question:

25. For the name, "Gustaf V, King of Sweden, 1858-1950," the first indicator of the 100 tag should be set to ______.

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