BCC2003/SMF/4

MARC Formats Subcommittee
2003 Annual Report

Members: Paul Cauthen (Chair), James Alberts, Janet Bochin (through Mar. 2003), Bruce J. Evans, Grace Fitzgerald, Kevin Medows, Mark Scharff, Lois Schultz, Robert Sherrane (through Mar. 2003), Jay Weitz (OCLC Representative), Stephen Yusko (LC Representative)

As the MLA representative, Paul Cauthen attended the MARBI/MARC Advisory Committee meetings during the ALA Midwinter and ALA Annual meetings. The only MARBI topic of significant interest to the music community was the discussion and approval of field 024 (Standard number) for use in the authority format. On the horizon is a new ISO standard, the ISWC, a code for musical works that would be recorded in field 024 of the authority format, if the use of this number becomes part of cataloging practice.

At the Subcommittee's joint open meeting in Austin with the Subject Access Subcommittee, Paul summarized MARBI actions of particular interest to MLA. Stephen Yusko made a presentation on and led a discussion of the MARC Holdings Format.

Most noteworthy among the other issues considered by the Subcommittee in the past year was working with the US RISM Office to develop a proposal for a new field in the MARC bibliographic and authority formats to record musical incipits. The current expectation is for a discussion paper to be presented at the 2004 ALA Midwinter meeting.

The 2004 open meeting, to be held in conjunction with the Subject Access Subcommittee, will feature the usual review of MARBI activities and late-breaking MARC issues.

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Last updated October 26, 2003