MARC to Dublin Core Crosswalk

Development and MARC Standards Office
Library of Congress

Date issued: 2008/04/24

Previous version: //www.loc.gov/marc/marc2dc-2001.html



Table of Contents

I. Introduction

The following is a crosswalk between core MARC 21 bibliographic data elements and elements in the Dublin Core Element Set. It may be used in conversion of metadata from MARC into Dublin Core. Since MARC is richer in data than Dublin Core, it differs from the Dublin Core to MARC Crosswalk in that multiple MARC fields are mapped to a Dublin Core element. The Dublin Core to MARC crosswalk maps a Dublin Core element to a single MARC field. In both crosswalks there are different mappings for Dublin Core simple or qualified. Not all possible MARC fields are included in this mapping, but only those considered useful for broad cross-domain resource discovery. Applications may wish to include other MARC elements that are prevalent in their data but are not listed here, or they may not include all that are listed.

MARC 21 fields are listed by field number with specific subfields if applicable. In many cases specific subfields are not provided, since applications may differ in subfields used. Applications may not need control subfields such as $2, $5. Notes concerning implementation are given. Further information about the mapping is given at the end of the document. Definitions of MARC elements may be found at the MARC Bibliographic format site and definitions of Dublin Core elements from the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set Reference Description, Version 1.1 and DCMI Metadata Terms.

Note that it is not expected that round-trip mapping is possible using this crosswalk. Once MARC data is converted to Dublin Core, not enough information is retained to allow for mapping back to MARC accurately. This is inevitable when mapping a complex set of data elements to a simpler set. Where a tag is used in mapping to more than one DC element, a decision may need to be made which Dublin Core element to map it to.

II. MARC to Dublin Core Crosswalk (Unqualified)

MARC fields DC Element Implementation Notes
100, 110, 111, 700, 710, 711 Contributor  
720
651, 662 Coverage  
751, 752
  Creator Creator element not used.
008/07-10 Date  
260$c$g
500-599, except 506, 530, 540, 546 Description  
340 Format  
856$q
020$a, 022$a, 024$a Identifier  
856$u
008/35-37 Language  
041$a$b$d$e$f$g$h$j
546
260$a$b Publisher  
530, 760-787$o$t Relation  
506, 540 Rights  
534$t Source  
786$o$t
050, 060, 080, 082 Subject  
600, 610, 611, 630, 650, 653
245, 246 Title Repeat dc:title for each. Some applications may wish to include 210, 222, 240, 242, 243, and 247.
Leader06, Leader07 Type See Appendix 2 for Leader-Type rules.
655

III. MARC to Dublin Core Crosswalk (Qualified)


MARC fields DC Element DC Qualifier(s) Implementation Notes
541$c Accrual Method    
310$a Accrual Periodicity    
521 Audience    
100, 110, 111, 700, 710, 711$e Contributor Value in $e. Roles may be used as refinements of Contributor if using qualified DC. See "Roles" note below.
720$e
255, 034 Coverage Spatial Some 255 information equivalent to DC encoding scheme but different syntax.
522  
650$z, 651, 662  
751, 752  
043$c,044$c Coverage Spatial
ISO3166
 
651 if ind2=7 & $2=tgn Spatial
TGN
 
033$a Coverage Temporal  
533$b
260$c if precedes date Date Copyrighted  
542$g This field was defined in MARC in January 2008.
260$c$g Date Created  
533$d
008/07-10 Date Issued  
260$c
046$j Date Modified  
046$m$n Date Valid  
520 if ind1=# or 3 Description Abstract  
505 Description TableofContents  
300$a Format Extent  
533$e
856$q IMT  
340$a Medium  
856$u Identifier URI  
008/35-37 Language IS0369-2  
041 with no $2 ISO639-2  
041 with $2=iso639-3 ISO639-3
041 with $2=rfc1766 RFC1766  
041 with $2=rfc3066 RFC3066
041 with $2=rfc4646 RFC4646
561 Provenance    
530 Relation HasFormat  
776$n$t
530$u Relation HasFormat
URI
 
776$o
774$n$t Relation HasPart  
774$o Relation HasPart
URI
 
775$n$t Relation HasVersion  
775$o Relation HasVersion
URI
 
530 Relation IsFormatOf  
776$n$t
530$u Relation IsFormatOf
URI
 
776$o
440, 490, 800, 810, 811, 830 Relation IsPartOf  
760, 773$n$t
760, 773$o Relation IsPartOf
URI
 
510 Relation IsReferencedBy  
785$n$t Relation IsReplacedBy  
785$o Relation IsReplacedBy
URI
 
775,786$n$t Relation IsVersionOf  
775, 786$o Relation IsVersionOf
URI
 
780$n$t Relation Replaces  
780$o Relation Replaces
URI
 
538 Relation Requires  
506$a$d Rights AccessRights  
540$a$d
542$d Rights RightsHolder This field was defined in MARC in January 2008.
786$o Source URI  
082 Subject DDC  
050 Subject LCC  
600, 610, 611, 630, 650 if ind2=0 Subject LCSH  
600, 610, 611, 630, 650 if ind2=2 Subject MeSH  
060 Subject NLM  
655 if ind2=7 & $2=tgn Subject TGN  
080 Subject UDC  
245 Title    
130, 210, 240, 242, 246, 730, 740 Title Alternative  
Leader06, Leader07 Type DCMI Type Vocabulary See Appendix 2 for Leader-Type rules.
655 if $2=dct  

Appendix 1--Notes

DC Refinements and encoding schemes. Some DC refinements or encoding schemes have not been included because they are not generally found or can not be specifically identified in MARC data. Examples include DCMI Point, DCMI Box and Mediator.

Roles. Those roles in the MARC Relators list that indicate that they refine "Contributor" may be used in qualified DC. See: Relator Terms and Dublin Core Elements.

Appendix 2 - Conversion rules for Leader06 - dc:Type mapping

Multiple Type fields may be used; conversions below may result in 2 or 3 Type fields. There are several additional sources of type information in the MARC record; only coded values in Leader/06 and Leaader/07 are detailed in this chart. Field 655 may also be used for more specific type information.

Leader/06 value Leader/07 value Type value
a,c,d,t   text
e,f,g,k   image
i,j   sound
m,o,p,r   no type provided
p c,s collection

Institutions may want to consider generating additional type values, such as "map" or "cartographic" for codes e or g; "musical notation" for codes c or d, etc.


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