Home → Cataloging in NC Cardinal → Cataloging Overview → Evaluating Bibliographic Records
Last Updated 03/17/2025
Before working with bibliographic records, it is important to understand what an ideal record looks like. NC Cardinal provides templates for RDA records encoded in MARC (see glossary for definitions) and sample records. These, plus training and workshops offered through NC Cardinal, can help item and bibliographic catalogers better understand and evaluate bibliographic records for import, update, deletion, etc. This guide will provide a brief overview on this topic. Tags below may have links that will take you to additional resources for more detailed information.
Additionally, there are certain fields that, while not necessary for most records, are nevertheless required for records of government documents owned by the State Library of North Carolina (SLNC). In such instances, these fields should not be deleted when encountered by a cataloger. A list and discussion of these fields can be found further down this document after the sample record.
| Tags | |
| LDR | fixed field containing numbers or coded values that define the parameters for the processing of the record including Record Type and Bibliographic Level, which strongly influence catalog display. |
| 007 | specific to non-print media (i.e. e-books, DVDs, CDs). Includes information about the resource and how information is stored on the resource. Used to generate correct format icons in the Evergreen OPAC. |
| 008 | includes information from fixed fields. Strongly influences catalog display and search results. MUST be complete! Provides information for Advance Search, such as publication date, language, and audience, so that patrons can filter search results. |
| 020 | ISBN in $a. Additional format-appropriate ISBNs can be added in $z (you can learn more about using $z here). However, ISBNs for non-matching resources should never be included, such as a different material type (e-book, e-audio, audiobook, large print ISBNs should not be on a regular print record) or different edition (with different content). If a price is listed in $c (no need to add, if missing), it should be the RETAIL price. Can add $q for type (trade paperback), (mass market), etc. |
| 02X |
For non-book resources, other 02X fields are likely and should be retained. Evergreen searches these fields for the indicated value(s) when using Numeric Search or z39.50. Evergreen searches the 022 field for ISSN and the 024 field for UPC, ISMN, EAN, ISRC, and SICI, based on LOC MARC 21 standards. 022: ISSN 024: UPC, ISMN, EAN, ISRC, and SICI 027: Technical report number is used by agencies that issue a lot of reports, like NCDOT and NCDEQ. Note: If these values are not correctly represented in the bibliographic record — e.g. the ISSN is in the 024, rather than the 022 — the record will not show up in search results when a cataloger attempts to search for these values in Evergreen using either Advanced Search or z39.50. Please check any bib records that you import or edit to ensure that, if these values are present, they are in the correct field. |
| 035 |
ID number, usually from OCLC. Not part of our templates, but if it is present on an imported record, retain it. Remove it if you make substantial changes from the original record. When any cataloger makes substantial changes in Evergreen to a bibliographic record that has an OCLC number (such as editing a regular print record to become a large print record or splitting a DVD/Blu-ray combo pack), that cataloger must remove the OCLC number before saving the edited record. Because the Cardinal match set uses the OCLC number as matching criteria and the edited record no longer matches the OCLC data, leaving the OCLC number would mean that batch imported items using OCLC data could be incorrectly matched to the edited record. |
| 037 | Five digit Agency code qualified by $b NCTE. |
| 040 | shows what agency created the record (good for evaluating quality!), whether it is RDA-compliant ($e rda), and what the language of cataloging (not the language of the resource) is ($b eng). Leave, if present. Cataloger can add $e rda if s/he makes record RDA-compliant. |
| 041 | shows when multiple languages are present or when item is a translation. Use in conjunction with the 546 field. Leave, if present. |
| 050 | LCC classification. Leave, if present. |
| 082 | the recommended Dewey Decimal Number. Do NOT delete or edit this tag. If a cataloger has a different classification number for a specific material, they should add an additional 082 field to the MARC record (according to the instructions outlined here), rather than replace the existing 082 with a new or different one. |
| 086 | The state sudoc number will always be qualified by $2 ncdocs. |
| 092 | Do NOT use this tag for local call number(s). DELETE, if present. |
| 1XX | for a creator (author, composer) of the entire work being cataloged. Only one person can be listed in the 100 field; all others must be in 700 fields. The name comes from the authority record for that person. Other 1XX fields are possible for corporate bodies as creators, meetings, or preferred titles of works (most common for movies and television shows). If there is no authority record for the creator in Evergreen, check the Library of Congress authority records to confirm that none exists. If no authority record exists, use the name as it is listed on the preferred source of information for the publication being cataloged. If there is not a clear creator for entire resource, okay to not have a 1XX. |
| 240 | for the preferred title of the work, if applicable, derived from the name/title authority record. |
| 245 | includes title information and statement of responsibility. Indicators and subfield codes are especially important for this field. For example, the first indicator should always be "0" if there is no 1XX field. The second indicator MUST be coded correctly to specify the presence of non-filing characters (e.g. a, an, the) at the beginning of a title and can affect the way the 245 displays in OPAC view, if incorrect. For example, if the lead word in title is an article, then the value in the second indicator shows how many non-filing characters (including the space before the next word in the title) to skip for alphabetization purposes, so "0" for a non-article, "2" for "A"; "3" for "An"; "4" for "The". Do NOT include series statement in this tag (belongs in 490/8XX); Include these tags as required/needed in this order: $a: Title proper as it appears on title page of the resource $n: Number of part/section of a work, if any $p: Name of part/section of a work (if any) $h: Medium designator MUST be listed only if/as listed in the Appendix B: Using GMDs; It follows the title proper ($a, $n, $p) and precedes $b; $b:subtitle, if any (not series statement) $c:statement of responsibility as transcribed from the resource. NC Cardinal Best Practice: Use sentence-style capitalization for title and subtitle (only capitalize first word and proper nouns). |
| 246 | other titles for the resource. Pay attention to indicators, as they generate text to tell patrons where titles came from. |
| 250 | edition statement. (Unabridged, Widescreen, Large print, etc.) Always include if a statement appears in the resource. |
| 260 | obsolete field; information from this field MUST be moved to 264; 260 should then be deleted. |
| 264 | production, publication, distribution, manufacture, and copyright information and date(s). The second indicator specifies which type of information appears in the 264 field. Place always appears in $a. If the publisher location isn't specified, put [United States] in $a. Publisher, distributor, manufacturer, appears in $b. Date appears in $c. Copyright dates are not publication dates; therefore, if the material only lists a copyright date, it is an assumed publication date. Brackets must surround an assumed publication date. If there is a publication statement with the date listed, use that publication date without brackets. If publication date and copyright date differ, you must list the copyright date in a second 264 (following the first 264 with publication information): =264 \4$c© If the copyright date and the publication date are the same, you do not need to list the copyright date in a second 264. Note: If book or audiobook records have multiple publishers, add a 500 note: Publisher and paging may vary |
| 300 |
physical description of the resource. Number of units (volume, discs) and/or subunits (pages), presence of illustrations, and dimensions of the resource appear here. Note: When cataloging a book that does not have numbered pages, use the following terminology in the subfield $a: 1 volume (unnumbered pages) |
| 336 | content type. The type of content one will find in the resource (i.e. text, still image, spoken word). Must use the controlled vocabulary established by RDA. See MARC Record Templates for the format you are cataloging. |
| 337 | media type. The type of device needed to access the information on the resource (i.e. unmediated, audio, computer). Must use the controlled vocabulary established by RDA. See MARC Record Templates for the format you are cataloging. |
| 338 | carrier type. The type of resource that holds the information (i.e. volume, audio disc, videodisc). Must use the controlled vocabulary established by RDA. See MARC Record Templates for the format you are cataloging. |
| 34X | specific to large print, electronic, audio, and video resources. Record information about font size (i.e., large print), sound, video, and electronic specifications. Must use the controlled vocabulary established by RDA. |
| 440 | obsolete field; information from this field MUST be moved to 490/8XX; 440 tag should then be deleted. |
| 490 | series statement transcribed from the resource. Partners with 8XX fields if an authority record exists for the series. Use first indicator "1" if series is traced (8XX access points); "0" if not. |
| 505 | Enhanced content notes with $t and $r recommended, especially for short story collections |
| 5XX | notes. These fields can include a wide variety of types of information, including table of contents, reading level, summary, language, and much more. Local notes for specific library systems should not be retained in a shared consortium record and should be deleted, if present. |
| 6XX | subject and genre headings. Prefer those established by Library of Congress (second indicator 0) and Library of Congress Genre/Form Thesaurus (655, second indicator 7, $2 lcgft). See Subject and Genre/Form Headings section. |
| 7XX |
linking fields for creators, contributors, included works, related works. Used to enhance access by providing links to names and titles related to the resource being cataloged. "Non-traditional" example from an SLNC government document: 787 08 $i Translated as: $t Puedo presentar una queja de forma anónima? $w (OCoLC)1398633934 |
| 8XX | series statement taken from authority record. MUST have a corresponding 490 field. |
| 856 |
links to external electronic resources. In Evergreen, a $9 with the system (or consortium) short name MUST be included to correctly display link in the OPAC. Most common for e-books, e-audio, and e-video. Can also be present in records for print books if linking to an electronic (pdf) copy of that book. Bibliographic records for electronic resources (i.e. e-books, e-audiobooks, e-videos) that require authentication through another website should never have physical holdings attached (except in the instance described above); they should include an 856 field with $y link text showing the vendor/group (i.e. e-inc, ncdigital) for batch import of e-resources. Never delete 856 fields that include a link to an actual e-resource (e.g. e-book, e-audiobook, e-video) or other complete version of item*. Remember that bibliographic records belong to the consortium, so the link may not be for your library system. *NOTE: Some bibliographical records for physical holdings may have 856 links to full digital pdf versions of the print resource, in which case, the $y is not required. Do not delete these 856 field(s). Also, do not delete digitization request links for bibliographic records that include Government and Heritage Library holdings. Always delete 856 fields that are not a link to the actual resource, but only to supplemental material (e.g. table of contents, cover image, excerpt). Some records may contain 856 fields with these supplemental links for anything from a table of contents to a thumbnail image. These links are sometimes broken and often do not stay up-to-date, so should be stripped out. |
| 901 | information specific to Evergreen - DO NOT alter or delete |
| 902 | information specific to authorities updates - DO NOT alter or delete |
| 903 | information specific to bib cleanup - DO NOT delete; catalogers who are working on bib cleanup may update according to specifications outlined here |
| 9XX | Local system specific information should not be retained in a shared consortium record and should be deleted, if present. |
Sample record:
|
LDR
|
04368cam a22006498i 4500 | ||
| 001 | 11174319 | ||
| 003 | CARDINAL | ||
|
005
|
20161004122839 | ||
|
008
|
151022s2016 nyub 000 1 eng | ||
|
010
|
‡a 2015041173 | ||
|
019
|
‡a930777259 | ||
|
020
|
‡a9780062409201 ‡q(hardcover) | ||
|
020
|
‡a0062409204 ‡q(hardcover) | ||
|
020
|
‡z9780062573896 ‡q(international edition) | ||
|
035
|
‡a(OCoLC)913135735 ‡z(OCoLC)930777259 | ||
|
035
|
‡a(GCLS)113995 | ||
|
040
|
‡aDLC ‡beng ‡erda ‡cDLC ‡dYDXCP ‡dBTCTA ‡dBDX ‡dOCLCF ‡dOCLCO ‡dOCL ‡dJNE ‡dJAI ‡dIUK ‡dYDX ‡dABG | ||
|
042
|
‡apcc | ||
|
043
|
‡an-us--- | ||
| 050 | 0 | 0 | ‡aPR9199.3.J54 ‡bN49 2016 |
| 082 | 0 | 0 | ‡a813/.54 ‡223 |
|
084
|
‡aFIC014000 ‡aFIC019000 ‡aFIC000000 ‡2bisacsh | ||
| 100 | 1 | ‡aJiles, Paulette, ‡d1943- ‡eauthor. | |
| 245 | 1 | 0 | ‡aNews of the world : ‡ba novel / ‡cPaulette Jiles. |
|
250
|
‡aFirst edition | ||
|
264
|
1 | ‡aNew York, NY : ‡bWilliam Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, ‡c[2016] | |
|
300
|
‡a213 pages : ‡bmaps ; ‡c20 cm. | ||
|
336
|
‡atext ‡btxt ‡2rdacontent | ||
|
337
|
‡aunmediated ‡bn ‡2rdamedia | ||
|
338
|
‡avolume ‡bnc ‡2rdacarrier | ||
|
520
|
‡a"In the aftermath of the Civil War, an aging itinerant news reader agrees to transport a young captive of the Kiowa back to her people in this exquisitely rendered, morally complex, multilayered novel of historical fiction from the author of Enemy Women that explores the boundaries of family, responsibility, honor, and trust. In the wake of the Civil War, Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd travels through northern Texas, giving live readings from newspapers to paying audiences hungry for news of the world. An elderly widower who has lived through three wars and fought in two of them, the captain enjoys his rootless, solitary existence. In Wichita Falls, he is offered a $50 gold piece to deliver a young orphan to her relatives in San Antonio. Four years earlier, a band of Kiowa raiders killed Johanna's parents and sister; sparing the little girl, they raised her as one of their own. Recently rescued by the U.S. army, the ten-year-old has once again been torn away from the only home she knows. Their 400-mile journey south through unsettled territory and unforgiving terrain proves difficult and at times dangerous. Johanna has forgotten the English language, tries to escape at every opportunity, throws away her shoes, and refuses to act "civilized." Yet as the miles pass, the two lonely survivors tentatively begin to trust each other, forming a bond that marks the difference between life and death in this treacherous land. Arriving in San Antonio, the reunion is neither happy nor welcome. The captain must hand Johanna over to an aunt and uncle she does not remember--strangers who regard her as an unwanted burden. A respectable man, Captain Kidd is faced with a terrible choice: abandon the girl to her fate or become--in the eyes of the law--a kidnapper himself"-- ‡cProvided by publisher. | ||
|
650
|
0 | ‡aVoyages and travels ‡vFiction. | |
|
650
|
0 | ‡aWidowers ‡vFiction. | |
|
650
|
0 | ‡aOrphans ‡vFiction. | |
|
650
|
0 | ‡aKiowa Indians ‡vFiction. | |
|
651
|
0 | ‡aUnited States ‡xHistory ‡y19th century ‡vFiction. | |
|
655
|
7 | ‡aHistorical fiction. ‡2lcgft | |
| 776 | 0 | 8 | ‡iOnline version: ‡aJiles, Paulette, 1943- author. ‡tNews of the world ‡dNew York, NY : William Morrow, [2016] ‡z9780062409225 |
The State Library of North Carolina (SLNC) is required by law (G.S. 125-11) to receive all North Carolina agency publications, both print and digital. A small team of librarians is responsible for finding, acquiring, cataloging, preserving, and distributing all publications produced by the many North Carolina agencies, departments, and divisions.
Managing the data for these print and digital objects requires a little extra MARC.
Many of these fields are only used by a handful of libraries, but are still MANDATORY and important to help SLNC keep track of it past and present publications distributed through the State Publications Clearinghouse program. If you are editing records that are already in NC Cardinal, never delete the following fields:
There are also a few “data” and notes fields that help state agency publishers keep track of funding and other information, like the 027 or the 536 fields. The NC DOT, for example, publishes dozens of monographic reports and uses these fields to tie them together. Other fields help SLNC patrons find related state publications. SLNC extensively uses the 7XX fields to provide access to formally related titles, reports, translations, etc., particularly when these titles are provided by SLNC, in its digital collections.
SLNC uses the following fields to manage its Clearinghouse program and to maintain print and digital access to State Publications in OCLC, NC Cardinal, and NC Digital, so please respect content you might find in:
|
Tags |
|
|
006 |
Additional material characteristics. Supplements both the 007 and 008 fields. Mostly used for non-print formats. |
|
027 |
Technical report number is used by agencies that issue a lot of reports, like NCDOT and NCDEQ. |
|
035 |
$a (OCLoC) & $z (OCoLC) Agency libraries have holdings associated with these numbers in WorldCat, so SLNC tries to keep the most current. Please preserve OCLC numbers you find in NC Cardinal. |
|
037 |
Five digit Agency code qualified by $b NCTE. |
|
040 |
SLNC's OCLC identifiers include NCS, NCNAM and N@N. If these are in the $a or $c, it was created by an NC_GOV library. |
|
086 |
The state sudoc number will always be qualified by $2 ncdocs. |
|
090 |
LoC call number used by Agency library. |
|
310 |
Serial frequency (also 321, former frequency). Serials published by state agencies can be a little … unpredictable. This helps clarify and identify. |
|
513 |
Report coverage information note. |
|
536 |
Funding information note. |
|
588 |
Title source information note. |
|
765 & 767 |
Original language entry cross-references. Many state agencies will publish health, safety, and child-development titles in multiple languages. Primarily Spanish. |
|
770 & 772 |
Supplement/special issue entry to link special publications which may have been assigned a different OCLC number due to cataloging rules/decisions. |
|
776 |
Additional form entry, usually referring to having an "Online version" or a "Print version". SLNC creates these to maintain bibliographic control over its digital assets in NC Cardinal, OCLC, and the Digital Asset Management System. You do NOT have to bring these into NC Cardinal when cataloging. But if you find them in SLNC's records, please leave them. |
|
777 |
Issued with entry just lists related titles. SLNC mostly limits these to Cardinal holdings, so there will not be a bunch of useless links to things that are NOT in NC Cardinal. |
|
780 |
Preceding title entry for serial title changes. Serials published by state agencies have more frequent title changes than "normal" serials. And back before RDA rules, they changed even more. |
|
785 |
Succeeding title entry for serial title changes. |
|
787 |
Other related title entry. SLNC does limit these to Cardinal holdings, so there will not be a bunch of useless links to things that are NOT in NC Cardinal (exception is for a few scientific publications that might only be in another depository library). |
|
856 |
When it has $9 CARDINAL and $7 ncgov or $7 ncgov_statepub, this is a state-maintained URL. |
|
856 |
When it has $9 GHL and a $y to request or suggest digitization this links patrons to SLNC's very active digitization program. These are not visible in the OPAC, but are found in bib records for SLNC's holdings that are more than 15 years old. |