2.26 Overview to the MARC Bibliographic Editor

This documentation will cover how this software works, but not how MARC 21 works. This documentation assumes the user is familiar with MARC 21 Bibliographic cataloging practices. This MARC Bibliographic Editor (hereinafter "Editor") is based on the MARC 21 standard as published by the Library of Congress at http://lcweb.loc.gov/marc. To build the logic for this Editor, many HTML pages have been downloaded from this site and subsequently parsed and inserted into the Editor's database. A few corrections were made, and a few additional tags are added (049 for OCLC Holdings, 096 and 099 for Local Call Number processing) Additional LC HTML pages are downloaded to enrich the Editor's rules database, e.g., the country codes from http://lcweb.loc.gov/marc/countries. All of the downloading and manipulation of the data are performed without the endorsement of the Library of Congress.

All editing is performed in a batch file, a temporary place where the MARC bibliographic record ("bib") may be perfected prior to installing the changes into the catalog's database. A batch file may contain many bibs.

If a batch file contains many bibs, then a bib must be selected prior to any editing, e.g.,

 --------------Select a MARC Bib from Batch 25380----------------
|  5337    Oral myofunctional disorders /                        | 
|  10214   Tongue thrust :                                       | 
|  29520   Hen's teeth and horse's toes /                        | 
|  47714   Interdisciplinary rehabilitation of low back pain /   | 
|  49057   Industrial low back pain :                            | 
|  51709   Diagnosis and treatment of low back pain [video] /    | 
|  92598   Approaches to digital surgery                         | 
|  92604   Atlas of improved surgical procedures for common foot | 
 ----------------------------------------------------------------
| [Quit]                                                         | 
 ----------------------------------------------------------------

The displayed numbers are database values called MARC Numbers and are unique to each catalog, and not part of the MARC 21 standard.

Once a bib is selected, the Editor displays the bib according to the prescribed Properties. The Properties dictate the level of decoding of the bib:

     - no decoding for a traditional MARC bib view;  
     - decode the field (tag) names;  
     - decode the fixed fields (Leader and tags 001 through 008);  
     - decode the variable fields' subfields.

If the variable fields' subfields are decoded, then any subfield which is a coded reference to a table also displays the code and the decoded reference table value.

The Editor displays the bib so that the tags may be selected. Once a tag is selected, an Editor function may be selected to operate on the tag.

The Editor offers a variety of functions:

     - Edit;  
     - Add;  
     - Remove;  
     - Copy;  
     - Swap;  
     - Properties;  
     - Help;  
     - Quit.

Function [Edit] requires that a tag be selected. If a tag is selected, and function Edit is selected, then the Editor proceeds to an appropriate tag editing window.

Function [Add] may or may not have a tag selected. If a tag is selected and function Add is selected, and if the tag is repeatable, then the Editor proceeds to an appropriate tag editing window. The new tag occurs immediately after the initially selected tag. If a tag is not selected but function Add is selected, then a window assists in determining the new tag according to the MARC 21 rules.

Function [Remove] requires that a tag be selected. If a tag is selected, and function [Remove] is selected, then the Editor will remove the tag and all associated position or subfield data.

Function [Copy] requires that a tag be selected. If a tag is selected, and function [Copy] is selected, then the Editor will open a new window, asking to which new tag should the selected tag be copied. Once answered, then the old tag and all associated position or subfield data are copied to a new instance of requested "copy to" tag.

Function [Swap] requires that a tag be selected. The selected tag must precede a tag of the same value. If a tag is selected, and function [Swap] is selected, then the Editor will switch the selected tag order with the subsequent instance. For example, given the following bib:

                 MARC# 71575 Handbook of parent training :  
  Select a tag and a function.  
 ( ) 060  0# $a WS 350.2 $b H2358 1989 
 ( ) 245  00 $a Handbook of parent training : $b parents as co-
        therapists for children's behavior problems / 
        $c edited by Charles E. Schaefer, James M. Briesmeister.  
 ( ) 260  0# $a New York : $b Wiley, $c c1989.  
 ( ) 300  $a xiv, 498 p. : $b ill.  
 (*) 650  #2 $a Behavior Therapy $x in infancy & childhood.  
 ( ) 650  #2 $a Child Rearing.  
 ( ) 650  #2 $a Parent-Child Relations.  
-----------------------------------------------------------------
 [Edit]  [Add]  [Remove]  [Copy]  [Swap] [Properties] [Help] [Ok]

where the cataloger has selected the first instance of 650, Behavior Therapy. If the cataloger then selected function [Swap], then Behavior Therapy will come after Child Rearing:

                 MARC# 71575 Handbook of parent training :  
  Select a tag and a function.  
 ( ) 060  0# $a WS 350.2 $b H2358 1989 
 ( ) 245  00 $a Handbook of parent training : $b parents as co-
        therapists for children's behavior problems / 
        $c edited by Charles E. Schaefer, James M. Briesmeister.  
 ( ) 260  0# $a New York : $b Wiley, $c c1989.  
 ( ) 300  $a xiv, 498 p. : $b ill.  
 ( ) 650  #2 $a Child Rearing.  
 ( ) 650  #2 $a Behavior Therapy $x in infancy & childhood.  
 ( ) 650  #2 $a Parent-Child Relations.  
-----------------------------------------------------------------
 [Edit]  [Add]  [Remove]  [Copy]  [Swap] [Properties] [Help] [Ok]

Function [Properties] determines the level of MARC decoding in the tag selection window.

Function [Help] offers this documentation and additional resources.

Function [Quit] returns the user to the Batch Control window.