The UKMARC Manual

The British Library adopted MARC 21 as its cataloguing format in June 2004. Since that date, these pages have not been maintained. Information on our current practices can be found on our Bibliographic Standards pages.

Guide to UKMARC fields

The following section shows how elements of a bibliographic record are analysed, coded and input to produce a catalogue record output to the standard of the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (2nd ed., 1988 revision. London : Library Association, 1988). Each of the main fields and subfields of the UKMARC record is described and exemplified and related to the relevant cataloguing rule. Care must be taken to distinguish between the practices and conventions at input (i.e. from the cataloguer’s point of view) and the way in which the record is held and processed within the machine.

AACR2

Reference is made when possible throughout this section to AACR2. In order to gain the full benefit of the description, the analysis of bibliographic elements in the record should always be related back to the relevant rules in AACR2. In the case of the descriptive fields of the catalogue record, the reference is normally to the relevant rule in Chapter 1 of AACR2. The appropriate rule for a specific type of material is then found by reference to the mnemonic structure of the rule numbering in AACR2.

Examples

The examples are descriptive not prescriptive. Their purpose is to illustrate the use of the format, they do not necessarily reflect current British Library cataloguing practice though where possible examples have been drawn from records which have appeared in the printed British National Bibliography. Where appropriate, examples for different categories of material have been given in separate sequences. In some cases, where the coding depends on data in another field or fields, the related field(s) are also given. The punctuation of fields and subfields newly introduced since the third edition of the Manual should be regarded as provisional unless it is given in Appendix F.

The examples in this section may each have up to three parts:

• the example as a piece of data as it may appear in a conventional catalogue
• the same example coded for MARC input including the field tag and the subfield codes required to define the field correctly. The end of field marker (#) is omitted from the examples
• a short explanation if the example is otherwise insufficiently clear

Italicisation

Although fonts are not specifically mentioned in AACR2, the examples in this manual follow the conventions and practice of the examples in AACR2, which are also those of the printed BNB.

Repeatability of fields

Fields and subfields may be considered repeatable unless stated otherwise.

Order of subfields

Subfields are listed in the order of input. This is the order specified by content standards such as AACR2 or the Library of Congress (for LCSH). Depending on the nature of the data being input, some subfields may only be used when others are present or may be input in more than one sequence depending on the information being recorded or the item being described, e.g. field 583. In such cases the field notes give further information on order of use of subfields, and examples are included to illustrate practice.

Notation conventions

Subfield codes are introduced with the symbol $

Blanks are represented with the symbol ∇

Complete listing of UKMARC fields

For further information please contact:

The British Library
Bibliographic Development
Boston Spa, Wetherby
West Yorkshire
LS23 7BQ
United Kingdom

Tel: + 44 (0) 1937 546548
Fax: + 44 (0) 1937 546586
Email: bd-info@bl.uk