Bibliographic records or MARC (Machine readable cataloging) records represent and translate bibliographic information so the data will be readable, searchable, and sortable in a database like Evergreen. Librarians catalog materials according to cataloging standards like RDA (Resource Description & Access) and AACR2 (Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd edition).
A proficient cataloger must understand what an ideal record looks like.
Below is very brief overview of the components of an ideal record followed by an example of a record from the Balsam catalog.
LDR
Fixed field containing numbers and coded values that define parameters for the processing of the record and determine how the record will display
007
A control field that for non-print items like DVDs, CDs, Blu-rays, and e-resources that generates icons that display in the catalog
008
A control field that pulls data from the fixed fields and provides information for the Advanced Search (audience, language, publication date, etc
020
ISBN
022
ISSN (for serials only)
035
Contains an ID created by the record’s originating institutions, usually OCLC
040
The institution that created the record and if it is RDA compliant
050
Library of Congress Call Number
082
Dewey Decimal Call Number
100
Creator field (author, illustrator, artist)
=100 1\$aObama, Barack,$eauthor.
245
Title field (capitalize first word and proper nouns)
=245 12$aA promised land /$cBarack Obama.
246
Title variations
250
Edition Statement (widescreen, abridged, large print)
=250 \\$aCenter Point Large Print edition.
260
Obsolete Field – Publication information must be moved to 264; 260 should then be deleted.
264
Publication information
=264 \1$aNew York :$bMinotaur Books,$c2013.
300
Physical description of the item
=300 \\$a7 sound discs (ca. 8 hr.)$bdigital$c4 3/4 in.
=300 \\$a325 pages :$color illustrations ;$c27 cm.
=300 \\$a1 online resource
336
Content type, for RDA compliant records
337
Media type, for RDA compliant records
338
Carrier type, for RDA compliant records
490
Series statement, use with one 8XX field
=490 1\$aHarry Potter ;$v5
500
General Note
520
Summary
650
Subject – Topical Term
=650 \0$aPresidents$zUnited States$vBiography.
651
Subject – Geographic
=651 \0$aUnited States$xPolitics and government$y2009-2017.
655
Genre/Form
=655 \7$aAutobiographies.$2lcgft.
7XX
Added entries fields provide additional names and/or titles related to the item (illustrator, additional authors, actors, etc)
=700 1\$aRadcliffe, Daniel,$d1989-$eactor.
=700 1\$aYates, David,$d1963-$efilm director.
8XX
Series statement corresponding to the 490 field
=800 1\$aRowling, J. K.$tHarry Potter ;$v5.
856
Electronic Location and Access field for web links for e-book, e-audio, and e video (=856 40$u)
901
Information specific to Evergreen database — DO NOT DELETE OR EDIT if the field has a $bBALSAM
=901 \\$a737305$bBALSAM$c737305$tbiblio
9XX
Local system specific information that doesn’t need to be kept — DELETE
| Type | MARC Format | Icon | Code to copy and paste into 007 field in Evergreen |
| CD | $as $bd $df $eu $fn $gg $hn $in $jm $km $ln $me $nd |  |
sd\fungnnmmned |
| DVD (black and white) | $av $bd $db $ev $fa $gi $hz $iu |  |
vd\bvaizu |
| DVD (color) | $av $bd $dc $ev $fa $gi $hz $iu | |
vd\cvaizu |
| Blu-ray (black and white) | $av $bd $db $ev $fa $gi $hz $iu |  |
vd\bsaizu |
| Blu-ray (color) | $av $bd $dc $ev $fa $gi $hz $iu | |
vd\csaizu |
Example of a record from the Balsam catalog:
