For Librarians
Updated Jun 04, 2026
Editing MARC Data for a Book Record
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MARC 21 is the standard data format used by library systems worldwide to describe books. The MARC Catalog Editor lets you edit this data field by field for any record in your catalog.
When to Use the MARC Editor
- You received a book with no MARC data in the system
- You need to add detailed subject headings, author roles, or classification numbers
- You are migrating records from another system and need to correct field-level data
Opening the MARC Editor
- Go to Catalog Manager and open a bibliographic record.
- Click Edit MARC to open the MARC Catalog Editor.
Using the Editor
The editor is organized into six tabs:
| Tab | Fields |
|---|---|
| Control | MARC control fields (001, 003, 005, 008) |
| Numbers & Codes | ISBN (020), ISSN (022), Language (041) |
| Classification | LC Classification (050), Dewey (082) |
| Descriptive | Author (100), Title (245), Edition (250), Publication (260/264), Extent (300) |
| Subject / Added Entries | Subject headings (6XX), added entries (7XX) |
| Local | Local use fields (9XX) |
Each tab shows a completion percentage to help you know what is missing.
- To add a field: click Add Field, choose the field tag, and fill in the values.
- To remove a field: click the × button next to it.
- To add or remove a subfield: use the subfield controls within each field row.
- Click Save when finished.
What Happens on Save
The system automatically updates the book's ISBN, title, language, classification number, and publication year from your MARC data — no need to update those fields separately.
Importing MARC from an External Source
Click Import from External Source to look up the book by ISBN and pre-fill MARC fields from Open Library or Google Books.
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