What is MARC 21 & its Tags in Library Science: MCQs with Answer

MARC 21 (Machine-Readable Cataloging) is a standard format for the representation and communication of bibliographic data and related information in machine-readable form. Developed and maintained by the Library of Congress, it is widely used in libraries around the world to encode the bibliographic data in library catalogs.

Key Features of MARC 21

1. Structure: MARC 21 records are divided into fields, each representing a different element of bibliographic information (such as title, author, publication date, etc.). These fields are further divided into subfields, allowing for a detailed and structured description of library items.
2. Tags and Indicators: Each field in a MARC 21 record is identified by a three-digit tag (e.g., 245 for title statement, 100 for main entry—personal name). Indicators are used in conjunction with tags to provide additional information about the field.
3. Formats: MARC 21 encompasses several formats, including:
   • Bibliographic format: For representing bibliographic data.
   • Authority format: For maintaining authority records, which help in standardizing names and subjects.
   • Holdings format: For information about the items held by a library.
   • Classification format: For data about classification numbers assigned to library items.
   • Community information format: For non-bibliographic information such as events or services offered by the library.
4. International Use: Although MARC was originally developed in the United States, it has been adopted internationally, with MARC 21 being the most commonly used version. It supports multiple languages and scripts, making it adaptable for libraries around the world.
5. Interoperability: MARC 21 enables interoperability between different library systems, facilitating the exchange of bibliographic data. This standardization ensures that records created in one library can be easily understood and used by another.

Importance in Library Science

MARC 21 is essential in library automation, cataloging, and resource sharing. It allows libraries to create and maintain complex catalogs that can be easily searched and accessed by users. It also plays a critical role in the sharing of cataloging records between libraries, reducing duplication of effort and improving the accuracy and consistency of library catalogs.

Important Tags of MARC 21

Here’s a list of some important MARC 21 tags used in bibliographic records, along with a brief description of what each tag represents:

1. Leader (000)

• Contains information for processing the record. It is 24 characters long and does not have indicators or subfields.

2. Control Number (001)

• Contains the control number assigned by the organization creating, using, or distributing the record.

3. Control Fields (00X)

• 003: Control Number Identifier
• 005: Date and Time of Latest Transaction
• 008: Fixed-Length Data Elements (provides coded information about the record)

4. Main Entry (1XX)

• 100: Main Entry—Personal Name (author)
• 110: Main Entry—Corporate Name (e.g., an organization or group)
• 111: Main Entry—Meeting Name (e.g., conference or event)

5. Title and Statement of Responsibility (2XX)

• 245: Title Statement (including title, subtitle, and statement of responsibility)
• 246: Varying Form of Title (for alternative titles)
• 250: Edition Statement (for edition information)
• 260: Publication, Distribution, etc. (for publication information, replaced by 264 in RDA)
• 264: Production, Publication, Distribution, etc. (used in RDA cataloging)

6. Physical Description (3XX)

• 300: Physical Description (e.g., number of pages, illustrations)
• 336: Content Type (e.g., text, spoken word)
• 337: Media Type (e.g., audio, video)
• 338: Carrier Type (e.g., volume, CD, online resource)

7. Series Statement (4XX)

• 440: Series Statement/Added Entry—Title (not commonly used now, replaced by 490)
• 490: Series Statement (for the title of the series)

8. Notes (5XX)

• 500: General Note (for any kind of note)
• 504: Bibliography, etc. Note (e.g., includes bibliographical references)
• 505: Formatted Contents Note (e.g., table of contents)
• 520: Summary, etc. (for abstract or summary)
• 546: Language Note (for the language of the item)

9. Subject Access (6XX)

• 600: Subject Added Entry—Personal Name
• 610: Subject Added Entry—Corporate Name
• 650: Subject Added Entry—Topical Term (e.g., subjects/topics)
• 651: Subject Added Entry—Geographic Name

10. Added Entries (7XX)

• 700: Added Entry—Personal Name (e.g., co-authors, editors)
• 710: Added Entry—Corporate Name
• 730: Added Entry—Uniform Title

11. Series Added Entries (8XX)

• 800: Series Added Entry—Personal Name
• 810: Series Added Entry—Corporate Name
• 830: Series Added Entry—Uniform Title

12. Standard Numbers and Terms (020-040)

• 020: International Standard Book Number (ISBN)
• 022: International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
• 041: Language Code

13. Classification Numbers (082-090)

• 082: Dewey Decimal Classification Number
• 090: Local Call Number

14. Local Information (9XX)

• 9XX fields are often used for local information specific to a particular library or system.

These tags represent the key areas of a bibliographic record in MARC 21, used to encode detailed information about library materials.

MARC 21 based Multiple Choice Questions(MCQs) with Answer

Here are 25 multiple-choice questions (MCQs) on MARC 21 along with their answers:

1. What does MARC stand for?

(A) Machine Access to Resources in Cataloging

(B) Machine-Readable Cataloging        

© Metadata Resource and Classification

(D) Manual Resource Cataloging
Answer: B) Machine-Readable Cataloging

2. MARC 21 is primarily used for?

A) Creating library catalogs

B) Managing digital resources

C) Indexing journal articles

D) Storing multimedia content
Answer: A) Creating library catalogs

3. In MARC 21, what is a “field”?

A) A type of catalog record

B) A section of a bibliographic record

C) A method of organizing data

D) A format for storing data
Answer: B) A section of a bibliographic record

4. Which of the following is the correct MARC 21 tag for the title statement?

A) 100

B) 245

C) 260

D) 500
Answer: B) 245

5. What is the MARC 21 leader?

A) The first 24 characters of a MARC record

B) The last field in a MARC record

C) A field for author information

D) A control number
Answer: A) The first 24 characters of a MARC record

6. The 008 field in a MARC 21 record contains:

A) Bibliographic information

B) Fixed-length data elements

C) Variable-length data elements

D) Subject headings
Answer: B) Fixed-length data elements

7. What does the tag “100” represent in a MARC 21 bibliographic record?

A) Main entry-personal name

B) Publication date

C) ISBN

D) Edition
Answer: A) Main entry-personal name

8. Which MARC 21 tag is used for publication information?

A) 245

B) 260

C) 300

D) 500
Answer: B) 260

9. In MARC 21, what is the purpose of the “700” field?

A) Additional author entry

B) Series statement

C) Subject entry

D) Publisher information
Answer: A) Additional author entry

1o. The 020 field in a MARC 21 record is used to store:

A) Title

B) Author

C) ISBN

D) Subject heading
Answer: C) ISBN

11. Which of the following is a correct MARC 21 tag for subject headings?

A) 650

B) 245

C) 020

D) 300
Answer: A) 650

12. What does the subfield delimiter in MARC 21 look like?

A) #

B) $

C) %

D) &
Answer: B) $

13. In MARC 21, the “300” field is used for which type of information?

A) Physical description

B) Author’s name

C) Publication date

D) Series statement
Answer: A) Physical description

14. What does the “245” tag represent in a MARC 21 record?

A) Title statement

B) Publication date

C) Call number

D) Physical description
Answer: A) Title statement

15. Which of the following fields would you use to store a library’s copy number in a MARC 21 record?

A) 050

B) 090

C) 852

D) 866
Answer: C) 852

16. MARC 21 format includes which of the following?

A) Bibliographic format

B) Authority format

C) Holdings format

D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above

17. The “Leader” in a MARC 21 record is how many characters long?

A) 12

B) 24

C) 36

D) 48
Answer: B) 24

18. What is the purpose of the “Control Fields” in a MARC 21 record?

A) To store bibliographic data

B) To hold non-bibliographic control information

C) To record subject headings

D) To format the output
Answer: B) To hold non-bibliographic control information

19. Which of the following is a valid MARC 21 tag for the main entry-corporate name?

A) 100

B) 110

C) 111

D) 130
Answer: B) 110

20. What does the “indicator” in MARC 21 refer to?

A) Fixed field for language

B) Special coding used to give additional information about the field

C) A system of catalog classification

D) A method to organize records
Answer: B) Special coding used to give additional information about the field

21. The 520 field in MARC 21 is used for:

A) Physical description

B) Title statement

C) Abstract or summary

D) Subject heading
Answer: C) Abstract or summary

22. Which tag in MARC 21 is commonly used for series statements?

A) 440

B) 490

C) 505

D) 600
Answer: B) 490

23. In MARC 21, the “600” field is used for:

A) Personal name as subject

B) Corporate name

C) Topical term

D) Series statement
Answer: A) Personal name as subject

24. The 082 field in MARC 21 is associated with which of the following?

A) Dewey Decimal Classification number

B) Library of Congress Classification number

C) Subject heading

D) ISBN
Answer: A) Dewey Decimal Classification number

25. What is the purpose of the 500 field in MARC 21?

A) General note

B) Title statement

C) Physical description

D) Publication information
Answer: A) General note

These questions cover a broad range of topics related to MARC 21, suitable for testing knowledge on the structure and usage of MARC records in library cataloging.