News Release

99-10

MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data: Including Guidelines for Content Designation is now available

Ottawa, December 23, 1999 -- MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data: Including Guidelines for Content Designation is the first MARC 21 format to be issued. This format is the standard for representing and exchanging bibliographic data in machine-readable form. The MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data supersedes the 1994 edition of the Canadian MARC Communication Format for Bibliographic Data and updates nos. 1-6 (1994-1998).

In 1997, the National Library of Canada and the Library of Congress harmonized the CAN/MARC and USMARC formats. Prepared by the Network Development and MARC Standards Office, Library of Congress and Standards and Support, National Library of Canada, the MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data: Including Guidelines for Content Designation is published in a two-volume loose-leaf format, including binders and tabs. ISBN 0-660-17771-4, cat. no. SN3-40/3-1999E, $99.95 (in Canada).

Available in Canada in both English and French from

Canadian Government Publishing
Public Works and Government Services Canada
Ottawa, ON K1A 0S9

(Other countries can order the English versions of MARC 21 publications from CDS Customer Service, Mail Stop 4912, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington DC 20541 U.S.A., or by calling the Customer Service Section, Cataloging Distribution Service at 202-707-6100.)

The next MARC 21 format to be released will be the MARC 21 Format for Authority Data. The publication date for the MARC 21 authority format is spring 2000.

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For further information, contact

Margaret Stewart
Chief, Standards and Support
Telephone: 819-994-6900
E-mail: marc@lac-bac.gc.ca

Media contact
Line Parent
Media Relations Coordinator