Are you good people missing a point about MARC?

[Rami Heinisuo]

Hello,

I decided to contribute a bit after reading these MARC, Z39.50 etc.
postings.

MARC stands for machine readable cataloging. A MARC record can have three
fields or three hundred fields - the amount of fields depends on the
cataloging instructions, like AACR2 for books etc. in libraries. 

MARC is a standard way of recording information into a record with
variable width fields and subfields. Period. Using MARC
format does not necessarily mean that you have to spend hours cataloging a
single object. You can do it in 2 minutes, like I used to catalog dog
books when I had a cataloging-oriented summer job.

The record structure can vary a lot even for books. There are several
national rules for MARC-cataloging (UKMARC, USMARC, FINMARC, etc.) which
differ quite a lot from each other.

Also, I think that standard records and Z39.50 are not optional for
those institutions that receive their funding from the government. Relying
on standards means that there is a greater possibility for the data to be
still readable and accessible after a thousand years or so. No guarantees,
though.

Since there are freely distributable Z39.50 packages around, I see no
reason not to implement such a service. 

Greetings, 

Rami

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Mr. Rami Heinisuo                         City Library of Pori
Information specialist           Regional library of Satakunta
rami.heinisuo at pori.fi                   PB 200  FIN-28101 PORI
Regional database project       		       FINLAND
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