MARC (MAchine-Readable Cataloguing) format is a data format that is used by library applications or for the transfer of data among libraries.
If you open a MARC file it will be hard for anybody to read it. Handy Library does not add data from MARC files that are in the machine-readable form.
The MARC file should be converted to a human readable mnemonic form. From this file you can transfer data to our Handy Library Manager.
Library of Congress lists free Marc utilities. We are using Marc Edit utility by Terry Reese.
Important: one MARC field should be listed in one line.
Question: I am currently trying to import MARC files into our new Handy Library Manager program. The MARC files when opened in Notepad are not one item per line. I read on your site that you could convert this file for us, so that we can import it? Who would I send this to for converting?
Answer:
You can send us the MARC file, and we will convert it into a human-readable text mnemonic format, or we can transfer the content to the Handy Library Manager database.
import marc file
Question: We have a MARC export from Follett library that we used to use. Can you help convert it into a format that we can import into Handy Library Manager? We just downloaded the free trial and would like to see if it will work for small church library.
Answer:
We have processed hundreds of data conversions from MARC files to Handy. The service is free. You can send your library's MARC file to us as an attachment in your email.
import from marc file
Question: Is there a way to export my Marc records? I am trying to upload the Marc records into an online testing program students use so they can see if the book they are testing on is in the library.
Answer:
We do not want to support the MARC format for data entry because it complicates both the data entry process and the application overall. The MARC format is very complex, and only library personnel with a formal degree in library science typically understand its complicated rules. This is one of the reasons many of our new customers have chosen to switch to our library system. We do, however, offer free data transfer from MARC files to our software.
process marc file
Question: What is MARC?
Answer:
The term "MARC" stands for MAchine-Readable Cataloging. This standard was developed by Henriette Avram in 1960. Its primary purpose is to enable library records to be read by computers, allowing large libraries to share their records easily. For more information, you can refer to the Library of Congress.
The name of the standard includes the word "Machine," which raises the question: Who can understand this standard? The answer is straightforward: either a computer programmed to interpret it or a trained librarian who has dedicated many months or even years to studying library management.
import marc file
Question: Do your support the MARC format in Handy Library Manager?
Answer:
No, the Handy Library Manager does not support this format. This would complicate the software for all our users who do not need it.
import marc file
Question: Is there a translation of the Handy library Manager's database field names to the MARC Records numbers?
Answer: We support import from the MARC data file, and when importing data from the MARC mnemonic form, we use the following data mapping:
MARC FIELD | Handy Library Manager data field |
LDR | TYPE |
020 International Standard Book Number | ISBN |
050 Library of Congress Call Number | LCCN |
082 Dewey Decimal Classification Number | DEWEY |
100 Main Entry-Personal Name | AUTHOR |
245 Title Statement | TITLE |
250 Edition Statement | EDITION |
260 Publication, Distribution | PUBLISHER |
260 Publication, Distribution | PLACE |
260 Publication, Distribution | PUBLISHED |
300 Physical Description | PHYSICAL |
300 Physical Description | PAGES |
400 Series Statements | SERIES |
440 Volume Statements | VOLUME |
500 General Note | NOTES |
521 Target Audience Note | LEVEL |
600 Subject Added Entry | SUBJECT1, SUBJECT2, SUBJECT3, SUBJECTS |
700 Added Entry-Personal Name | COAUTHORS |
852 Location | BARCODE, CALL, PRICE |
If the MARC includes additional pieces of data, we can customize our retrieval of that information as well. import marc file
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