Conversion of bibliographic records to MARC 21 format

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this research is the conversion of the bibliographic records between the following different formats for bibliographic material processing – the YUMARC (which is a variant of the UNIMARC format in which the Serbian BISIS system operates), UNIMARC and MARC 21 format.

Design/methodology/approach

The CASE tools that support the information system developing methodology based on the XML technologies are used.

Findings

The result is the specification and implementation of information requirements for the conversion of the bibliographic records created in the BISIS system into the UNIMARC or MARC 21 format.

Research limitations/implications

The specification of the rules for bibliographic record conversion is not formalized, so the implementation of these rules cannot be done automatically. If the rules could be formalized, then a generator of the programming code could be developed for the implementation of the rules for the bibliographic record conversion.

Practical implications

The research result is applied for the conversion of the YUMARC bibliographic records in the Library of the Department for Mathematics and Informatics of Novi Sad University. The conversion of the records is made at first into the UNIMARC format and subsequently from the UNIMARC format into the records of the MARC 21 format. The task of conversion of the bibliographic records formed in the BISIS software system in the UNIMARC or the MARC 21 format is solved in that way.

Originality/value

The originality of the work is contained in the application of the XML technologies for the conversion of the bibliographic records between the different bibliographic formats (YUMARC, UNIMARC and MARC 21). For each of the formats an XML schema is formed and record conversion between the different formats is done by the XSLT transformations.

Citation

Rudić, G. and Surla, D. (2009), "Conversion of bibliographic records to MARC 21 format", The Electronic Library, Vol. 27 No. 6, pp. 950-967. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470911004057