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MARC Development
Overview

The development of the MARC 21 formats is an international effort with avenues for all MARC 21 users to substantially contribute to it.

The Library of Congress, the Library and Archives Canada and the British Library serve as the maintenance agency for the MARC 21 formats for bibliographic, authority, holdings, classification, and community information data for the MARC 21 user community. As part of that responsibility, the Library of Congress maintains the MARC Forum, an electronic discussion list for the formats (MARC@LOC.GOV) that provides a conduit for broad, open discussion of proposed changes and other issues for all interested users around the world. Along with individual MARC user input, the Library of Congress, the Library and Archives Canada and the British Library hold open meetings for discussion of changes to the MARC 21 formats.

Proposals for changes to the format may originate from any MARC 21 user. To propose changes to the MARC 21 formats, please either fill out the Proposed Change Form or contact the Network Development and MARC Standards Office at the Library of Congress. Other contacts are the Standards division at the Library and Archives Canada or the Bibliographic & Metadata Standards section at the British Library. Maintenance agency staff (Library of Congress, Library and Archives Canada and the British Library) write, review, and edit proposals and discussion papers twice a year and distribute them electronically via the MARC Forum and the MARC web site. Following the open meetings, held in the context of the semiannual MARBI meetings in the United States, the CCM in Canada, and the BIC Bibliographic Standards Group in the UK, the views expressed, along with those contributed via email and the listserv, are used by the maintenance agency to make final decisions on the proposals.

All MARC 21 users are encouraged to voice any opinions and concerns about the MARC 21 formats via three different methods:

• The MARC Forum (Electronic discussion list)
• National committees, such as the U.S. MARC Advisory Committee, the Canadian Committee on MARC, or the BIC Bibliographic Standards Group
• National MARC offices, such as the Network Development and MARC Standards Office at the Library of Congress, the Standards division at the Library and Archives Canada, the Bibliographic & Metadata Standards section at the British Library.

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