Go to page content.Go to Penn State Home

Cat Ref Home
Authority Control
Call Numbers
Descriptive Cat
E-Resources
Internet Tools
Language Tools
Links
Local Procedures
MARC Tagging
NACO
OCLC
Subjects

Team Documentation:
CatMarking
Maps
Monographs
Music/AV
Serials
Special Collections

Cataloging Home

University Libraries Cataloging and Metadata Services
Cataloging Reference Collection
MARC Fixed Field Cheat Sheet

MARC (Books) Format

This is an abbreviation of the USMARC standard, showing the most common and likely values for inputting Monographic records in Unicorn. This checklist is most useful for Creating new records in Workflows - to check codes on imported records, fuller information is available at the LC Website.

Rec_Type: aBib_Lvl: mEnc_Lvl: _Desc: aTypeCtrl: _
Entrd: 000000Dat_Tp: sDate1: ____ Date2: ____Ctry: ___
Lang: engMod_Rec: _Source: dIllus: ____Audience: _
Repr: _Cont: ____GovtPub: _ConfPub: 0Festschr: 0
Indx: 0Fiction: _Biog: _  

Rec_Type - Type of record (LDR/06) [OCLC: Mandatory]

Note: There are other valid values for this element, but in order to use them, you need to change the Format on the Control tab.

Bib_Lvl - Bibliographic level (LDR/07) [OCLC: Mandatory]

Note: There are also values for serial materials, but in order to use them, you need to change the Format on the Control tab. Except for special collections materials, accept the default.

Enc_Lvl - Encoding Level (LDR/17) [OCLC: Mandatory]

MARC 21 values [use in Unicorn]
  • [blank] = Full level (Default)
  • 1 = Full level, material not examined [use for retro conversion without the item in hand]
  • 4 = Core [may be used for original cataloging]
  • 5 = Partial (preliminary) level [use for MLP]
  • 7 = Minimal level [use for MLC]
OCLC values [used in OCLC only]
  • I = Full level input by OCLC partipant [use for full records input in OCLC]
  • K = Less-than-full input by OCLC particupants
Desc - Descriptive cataloging form (LDR/18) [OCLC: Mandatory]

TypeCtrl - Type of control (LDR/08) [OCLC: Required if applicable] Entrd - Date entered on file (008/00-05) [OCLC: System-supplied]
6 digits supplied by the system; do not change
Dat_Tp - Type of date (008/06) [OCLC: Mandatory]
Note: Date type "c" used to have a different meaning for monographs (it is the same as "t", publication date and copyright date.) However, since format integration, Date type "c" means "current," which it has always meant for serials, in all formats. In most older monographs, records coded "c" are wrong and should be changed to "t".
>Date1 and Date2 (008/07-10 and 11-14) [OCLC: Mandatory]
Note: Fill in the dates as usual, based on 260c; use "u" for any uncertain digits: for example, 260 $c[199-] would be coded Date1: 199u.

Ctry - Place of publication, production, or execution (008/15-17) [OCLC: Required if applicable]

Note: The default for this element is a [blank], which is not a correct value. The correct code should be input. The table is available in Cataloger's Desktop and on the LC Web site. The code for US places is a state code, followed by a "u" so the code for any place in Pennsylvania would be "pau."
Lang- Language (008/35-37) [OCLC: Mandatory]

Note: The default code is "eng" for English. Other codes are listed in the MARC Code List for Languages in Cataloger's Desktop or on the LC Website.
Mod_Rec- Modified record (008/38) [OCLC: Required if applicable]

Note: Other values are used when converting a printed LC card; for new cataloging accept the default.
Source - Cataloging source (008/39) [OCLC: Mandatory]

Illus - Illustrations (008/18-21) [OCLC: Optional]

Note: There are other values, but since this element is optional, do not change copy and accept the default for locally-created records. [???]
Audience - Target audience (008/22) [OCLC: Optional]

Note: There are more specific values for preschool, primary, etc.; accept copy but do not use on locally created records. [???]
Repr - Form of item (008/23) [OCLC: Required if applicable]

Cont - Nature of contents (008/24-27) [OCLC: Optional]

Note: There are many other values; since this element is optional, accept copy and do not use when creating new records.
GovtPub - Government Publication (008/28) [OCLC: Mandatory]

ConfPub - Conference publication (008-29) [OCLC: Mandatory]

Festschr - Festschrift (008/30) [OCLC: Mandatory]

Indx - Index (008-31) [OCLC: Optional]

Fiction - Literary form (008/33) [OCLC: Optional]

Note: There are other more specific types; since this is optional, do not change copy and do not use the more specific codes on new records.
Biog - Biography (008/34) [OCLC: Optional]


JCA/jih updated 3/29/01

Cataloging Services | University Libraries | Penn State


Last updated October 17, 2007 kas
©2003 The Pennsylvania State University
Privacy and Legal Statements