MARC Record Corrections

Common Record Problems

If you find any of these common problems in any record, please send a message to cataloging@pls-net.org so the record can be improved.

MARC fields:

• 020 ISBN:
  • ISBNs with the incorrect amount of digits (normally they have 10, or more recenttly 13)
    • Publishers have to implement 13 digits by January 2007.
  • ISBNs containing hyphens
  • No ISBN in the record, but there is one on the item you have in hand
  • An additional ISBN needs to be added.
    • Multiple ISBNs are acceptable on a catalog record. Contact cataloging@pls-net.org to request that an ISBN be added to a catalog record.
  • The same ISBN is used for large print and regular editions.
    • an additional catalog record needs to be created
    • the ISBN from the first record needs to be removed
  • The same ISBN is used for two entirely different works.
    • The ISBN needs to be removed from the record for one of the two works.

100 Personal author

• Spelling errors in the name

245 Statement of Responsibility

Title and author, illustrator, editor

• Subtitle (|b)
  • missing or different
• Spelling errors in the title
• Title is slightly different
  • it may have changed from the time the item was ordered to when it was received
    • this happens typically with backorders.

250 Edition Statement

• For audio books, “Abridged” or “Unabridged” should appear in this field
• For large print books, “Large Print” should appear in this field
• If something has an edition number (8th ed.), it should appear in this field

264 Place of publication, publisher, and publication and copyright date need to be included

300 Physical description - these need to be added if they are missing:

• Page numbers
• Size
• Running time
• Number of CDs, Cassettes, DVDs, VHSs

490 Series name and volume number

• replaced 440 field

Incompatible item records

In a record with this error, another library appears to have put their item on a record for a different format. The most frequent example is when the item location or item category is large print, but the MARC record is for the regular edition. The item needs to be moved to the record for the large print edition.

Reporting Catalog Record Errors

Report record errors that you find to cataloging@pls-net.org (RT). Include the following in the subject line as they are appropriate

• Title error
• ISBN add
• Page and cm. add
• Replace record
• Merge records
• Wrong format (i.e. record is for large print, you have regular edition)
• Field errors - Errors in any other MARC field