A MARC bibliographic, authority, community information, or holdings record may contain data in multiple scripts.  One script may be considered the primary script of the data content of the record, even though other scripts are also used for data content.  (Note:  ASCII is used for the structure elements of the record, with most coded data also specified within the ASCII range of characters.)  General models for multiscript data are described in the Appendices of each format, along with several full record examples.

The "Character Sets" section of MARC 21 Specifications for Record Structure, Character Sets, and Exchange Media provides detailed descriptions of the techniques used to access alternate graphic character sets and the designation of field orientation in MARC records.

The following content designators are used when alternate script data are included in MARC records:

066 Character Sets Present:  Subfield $c (Alternate G0 or G1 character set) in the 066 field contains codes that specify the alternate scripts that appear in the record.

01X - 8XX Variable Data Fields:  Fields that contain only data in a single script, e.g., roman.  Many of these variable data fields may have associated with them a field 880 that contains the same data in another script.  A subfield $6 (Linkage) in each associated field links it to the corresponding field 880, which also contains a subfield $6.  Only those associated fields for which subfield $6 is defined may be represented in alternate graphic form.

880 Alternate Graphic Representation:  The 880 field contains the fully content-designated representation, in a different script, of another field in the same record.  A nonroman data field that is not linked to a roman data field may occasionally occur in an authority record.

See also:

Appendix C:  Multiscript Records  (Authority)

Appendix D:  Multiscript Records  (Bibliographic)

Appendix C:  Multiscript Records  (Classification)

Appendix C:  Multiscript Records  (Community Information)

Appendix C:  Multiscript Records  (Holdings)

To return:

A General Introduction to the MARC Format