Scope of Format (Introduction)
The USMARC Format for Classification Data is designed to be a carrier for information about classification numbers, and the captions associated with them, that are formulated according to a specified authoritative classification scheme .
A USMARC record is composed of three elements: the record structure , the content designation , and the data content of the record.
A USMARC classification record consists of three main components: the Leader , the Directory , and the Variable Fields . There are two types of variable fields: Variable control fields and Variable data fields . More detail is provided in USMARC Specifications for Record Structure, Character Sets, Tapes.
A classification data record should contain at a minimum the following fields:
008 Fixed-Length Data Elements
084 Classification Scheme and Edition
or
154 General Explanatory Index Term [A record with field 154 must also contain field 753 (Index Term - Uncontrolled) .]
See also:
Introduction to USMARC Format for Classification Data
