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MARC DISCUSSION PAPER NO. 2026-DP04

DATE: January 15, 2026
REVISED:

NAME: Recording Notated Movement Characteristics in the MARC 21 Bibliographic Format

SOURCE: Music Library Association (MLA)

SUMMARY: This paper discusses either defining a new field 358 or redefining field 348 in the MARC 21 Bibliographic Format for recording Format of Notated Movement and Form of Movement Notation.

KEYWORDS: Field 348 (BD); Field 358 (BD); Format of Notated Movement (BD); Form of Movement Notation (BD); Notated Music Characteristics (BD); Notated Movement Characteristics (BD); Notated Music and Movement Characteristics (BD)

RELATED: 2021-05; 2020-DP12

STATUS/COMMENTS:
01/15/26 – Made available to the MARC community for discussion.

02/18/26 – Results of MARC Advisory Committee discussion: There was some support for both Options 1 and 2, but no support for Option 3. During discussion a preference emerged for Option 1 (new field) to capture different forms of movement beyond dance. Calls were made for additional examples and for expansion of the proposed new field into the Authority format. However, the new field will not be defined with subfield $c (Form of movement notation term) in the Authority format because a use case has not been demonstrated at this time. The paper will return as a proposal.

Discussion Paper No. 2026-DP04: Recording Notated Movement Characteristics

1. BACKGROUND

Several initiatives are underway to better represent dance in institutional catalogs and collections. In 2023, the Library of Congress introduced the top-level term "Dance," and has since published 7 narrower dance related terms to the Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms for Library and Archival Materials. LCGFT terms "Notated movement" and "Dance scores" have highlighted the necessity for recording these and corresponding RDA terms. Various forms of notated movement and form of movement notation terms can be recorded as structured or unstructured descriptions in the MARC Bibliographic fields 546 (Language Note) and 655 (Index Term-Genre/Form), as well as the Authority fields 380 (Form of Work) and 381 (Other Distinguishing Characteristics of Work or Expression).

MARC Bibliographic field 348 (Notated Music Characteristics), allows catalogers to record two aspects of how music is presented in a resource: format of notated music (often a designation of score or parts) and form of musical notation (staff notation, graphic notation, and the like). Dance, like music, can be represented in multiple formats and forms—in scores and parts, and in several named and codified notation systems. This discussion paper presents several options for how best to provide equivalent affordances for dance materials in the 3XX block of the MARC Bibliographic Formats.

Field 348 is currently defined in the MARC 21 Bibliographic Format, in part, as follows:

Mirroring MARC's current terminology for music (notated music characteristics, format of notated music, and form of musical notation), this paper will use the term notated movement characteristics as an umbrella term for the two distinct aspects of format of notated movement and form of movement notation.

(Currently, the equivalent term for form of movement notation in the RDA Registry is Form of Notated Movement. A comment has been submitted by the authors of this paper to change the name of this element to Form of Movement Notation. This change, along with the proposal to create the RDA element Format of Notated Movement, would align choreographic movement terminology with the existing terms for notated music. To avoid confusion, subsequent sections of this paper will use the term Form of Movement Notation to refer to the RDA Registry element Form of Notated Movement.)

2. DISCUSSION

2.1. Relationship between the Format of Notated Movement element and 25X fields in the MARC Bibliographic Format

At the time of this publication, the details of format of notated movement do not yet exist in the RDA Registry, but a separate proposal is being drafted. Current discussions with the proposers have expressed a need for Format of Notated Movement to be recorded in fields other than the general note 500 field. Options include the MARC 25X block, specifically the 250 (Edition Statment), 251 (Version Information), and 254 (Music Presentation Statement) fields, with the option to propose new subfields or indicators to convey that a manifestation consists of choreographic movement.

2.2. Relationship between the Form of Movement Notation element and MARC Bibliographic field 655

Recording form of movement notation elements in the 3XX block, as suggested by this paper, does not preclude the use of terms taken from vocabularies to form headings in MARC Bibliographic field 655 (Index Term-Genre/Form). An institutional application profile can clarify whether it is using the 3XX block alone, the 3XX block in conjunction with 655, or simply 655 on its own. That decision is to be based upon the needs of the local user community and system capabilities or limitations.

2.3. Justification for recording notated movement characteristics in the 3XX block

A new repeatable field is required for recording the expression attributes Format of Notated Movement and Form of Movement Notation in the Bibliographic Format. A new field can be employed by institutions applying Official RDA, or by those using Original RDA or ISBD, where it corresponds to area 3.2. Music format statement (Notated music). The limitations of MARC fixed fields cannot satisfy the requirement for repeatability.

The choreographic movement presentation statement is material specific data and is recorded in ISBD area 3, MARC 21 fields 250 and 254, by institutions following RDA or ISBD. Institutions following RDA treat the choreographic movement presentation statement similar to the musical presentation statement as edition data and record it in field 250. However, the Format of Notated Music (Original RDA 7.13.5) is a distinct element from the choreographic movement presentation statement and cannot be recorded as an edition element.

The MARC Bibliographic 3XX block already includes several work and expression-level attributes, so this is the logical placement for notated movement characteristics. Unstructured descriptions could be recorded in the 381 field as attributes of a work or expression of a work similar to authority data. However, it should be noted that the LCGFT vocabulary is not established as a subject source code for the 381 field.

2.4. Omission of subfields for Format of notated movement code and Form of movement notation code

In Options 1 and 2 below, we have intentionally omitted new subfields paralleling the current field 348 subfields $b and $d, in other words, Format of notated movement code and Form of movement notation code. Our reasoning for this dates back to an issue which was first brought up in Discussion Paper No. 2020-DP12. In that paper, MLA proposed deprecating field 348 subfield $b as currently defined, because "NDMSO has not yet defined a set of coded values for Format of notated music, and there is no indication that there is any intent to do so. Indeed, it would be unusual were this to be done, as, although this may be the norm for the 33X fields, there is no other example of a vocabulary term paired with a vocabulary term code...in any 34X field." (Section 2.2).

At the January 2020 meeting, MAC blocked the deprecation of the field out of concerns for legacy data; additionally, some suggested that the four-digit "CURIE" codes from the RDA registry could be used to populate these subfields. This is how the examples in the MARC documentation for field 348 subfields $b and $d ended up using these codes. However, MLA is skeptical that these are really the appropriate pieces of data to go in those fields, as they are nothing like the codes explicitly defined for subfield $b in fields 336, 337, and 338. Additionally, as pointed out in Proposal 2021-05, these codes are already embedded in the terms' URIs, which can be linked in subfield $0 (Section 2). As a result, general practice among music catalogers has been to not use field 348 subfields $b and $d, and ideally we would like to see these examples removed from the documentation.

Therefore, for this discussion paper, we did not wish to compound the confusion around these code subfields by adding more of them. As pointed out, none of the other fields in the 34X block have these subfields, and we do not see any reason field 348 would be any different.

3. PROPOSED CHANGES

3.1. OPTION 1: Define new field 358

Define field 358 in the MARC 21 Bibliographic Format (in the 3XX Physical Description, etc., block) as follows:

358 - Notated Movement Characteristics (R)

Field Definition and Scope

The choreographic or physical layout of the content of a resource that is presented in the form of movement notation, as well as the form of movement notation itself.

Multiple formats from the same source vocabulary or code list may be recorded in the same field in separate occurrences of subfield $a (Format of notated movement term) and subfield $c (Form of musical notation term). Terms from different source vocabularies are recorded in separate occurrences of the field.

First Indicator - Undefined
# - Undefined

Second Indicator - Undefined
# - Undefined

Subfield Codes

$a - Format of notated movement term (R)
Term for the format of notated movement in the resource.

$c - Form of movement notation term (R)
Term for the form of notated movement in the resource.

$0 – Authority record control number or standard number (R)
See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

$1 – Real World Object URI (R)
See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

$2 - Source (NR)
Identification of the source of terms when they are from a controlled list.

$3 - Materials specified (NR)
Part of the described materials to which the field applies.

$6 - Linkage (NR)
See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

$7 - Data provenance (R)
See description of this subfield in Appendix J: Data Provenance Subfields.

$8 - Field Link and sequence number (R)
See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

When multiple terms apply, either subfield $a or $c can be repeated for each term, else the whole field can be repeated.

3.2. OPTION 2: Redefine field 348 and add new subfields

Redefine field 348 in the MARC 21 Bibliographic Format and define new subfields $e and $f to include the notated movement characteristics, as follows (changes in bold brackets and strikeouts):

348 - Notated Music [and Movement] Characteristics (R)

Field Definition and Scope

The musical [and choreographic] or physical layout of the content of a resource that is presented in the form of musical [and choreographic] notation, as well as the form of musical [and choreographic] notation itself.

Multiple formats from the same source vocabulary or code list may be recorded in the same field in separate occurrences of subfield $a (Format of notated music term), subfield $b (Format of notated music code), subfield $c (Form of musical notation term), and subfield $d (Form of musical notation code)[, subfield $e (Format of notated movement term), and subfield $f (Form of movement notation term)]. Terms from different source vocabularies are recorded in separate occurrences of the field.

First Indicator - Undefined
# - Undefined

Second Indicator - Undefined
# - Undefined

Subfield Codes

$a - Format of notated music term (R)
Term for the format of notated movement in the resource.

$b - Format of notated music code (R)
Code for the format of notated music in the resource

$c - Form of musical notation term (R)
Term for the form of notated musical notation in the resource.

$d - Form of musical notation code (R)
Code for the form of musical notation in the resource.

[$e - Format of notated movement term (R)
Term for the format of notated movement in the resource.]

[$f - Form of movement notation term (R)
Term for the form of movement notation in the resource.]

$0 - Authority record control number or standard number (R)
See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

$1 - Real World Object URI (R)
See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

$2 - Source of term (NR)
[Identification of the source of terms when they are from a controlled list.]
MARC code that identifies the source of the term or code used to record the format of notated music or the form of musical notation.
Code from: Genre/Form Code and Term Source Codes.

$3 - Materials specified (NR)
Part of the described materials to which the field applies.

$6 - Linkage (NR)
See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

$7 - Data provenance (R)
See description of this subfield in Appendix J: Data Provenance Subfields.

$8 - Field Link and sequence number (R)
See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

Subfield $e will carry the Format of Notated Movement and $f the Form of Movement Notation. Regardless, creators of such lists can apply to the Library of Congress, Network Development and MARC Standards Office for codes to be added to the lists of source codes for vocabularies, etc. When multiple terms apply for the respective RDA Registry term, either subfield $e and $f, or alternatively $a and $c, can be repeated for each term, else the whole field can be repeated. Choreographic terms appearing in a separate vocabulary would be coded in a separate 348 field so long as they share an identical source of term code.

3.3. OPTION 3: Redefine field 348 and its subfields

Alternatively, field 348 subfield $a/$b could be expanded from format of notated music terms/codes to include format of notated movement terms/codes, and $c/$d could be expanded to include both form of musical notation terms/codes and form of movement notated terms/codes, as follows (changes in bold brackets and strikeouts):

348 - Notated Music [and Movement] Characteristics (R)

Field Definition and Scope

The musical [and choreographic] or physical layout of the content of a resource that is presented in the form of musical [and choreographic] notation, as well as the form of musical [and choreographic] notation itself.

Multiple formats from the same source vocabulary or code list may be recorded in the same field in separate occurrences of subfield $a (Format of notated music [or movement] term), subfield $b (Format of notated music [or movement] code), subfield $c (Form of musical [or movement] notation term), and subfield $d (Form of musical [or movement] notation code). Terms from different source vocabularies are recorded in separate occurrences of the field.

First Indicator - Undefined
# - Undefined

Second Indicator - Undefined
# - Undefined

Subfield Codes

$a - Format of notated music [or movement] term (R)
Term for the format of notated music [or movement] in the resource.

$b - Format of notated music [or movement] code (R)
Code for the format of notated music [or movement] in the resource.

$c - Form of musical [or movement] notation term (R)
Term for the form of musical [or movement] notation in the resource.

$d - Form of musical [or movement] notation code (R)
Code for the form of musical [or movement] notation in the resource.

$0 - Authority record control number or standard number (R)
See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

$1 - Real World Object URI (R)
See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

$2 - Source of term (NR)
[Identification of the source of terms when they are from a controlled list.]
MARC code that identifies the source of the term or code used to record the format of notated music or the form of musical notation.
Code from: Genre/Form Code and Term Source Codes.

$3 - Materials specified (NR)
Part of the described materials to which the field applies.

$6 - Linkage (NR)
See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

$7 - Data provenance (R)
See description of this subfield in Appendix J: Data Provenance Subfields.

$8 - Field Link and sequence number (R)
See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

4. EXAMPLES

4.1. A manifestation consisting of a dance score and parts with notated movement


4.1.1. Using new field 358 (Option 1):

300 ## $a 1 dance score (19 pages) + 5 parts ; $c 31 cm
358 ## $a dance score $a dance part
358 ## $c Beauchamp-Feuillet notation $2 rdafnv
...
655 #7 $a Dance scores. $2 lcgft
655 #4 $a Parts (Dance) $2 local

4.1.2. Using an updated 348 field to input format of notated movement and form of movement notation in new subfields $e and $f, respectively (Option 2):

300 ## $a 1 dance score (19 pages) + 5 parts ; $c 31 cm
348 ## $e dance score $e dance part
348 ## $f Beauchamp-Feuillet notation $2 rdafnv
...
655 #7 $a Dance scores. $2 lcgft
655 #4 $a Parts (Dance) $2 local

4.1.3. Using an updated 348 field to input format of notated movement and form of movement notation in subfields $a and $c, respectively (Option 3):

300 ## $a 1 dance score (19 pages) + 5 parts ; $c 31 cm
348 ## $a dance score $a dance part
348 ## $c Beauchamp-Feuillet notation $2 rdafnv
...
655 #7 $a Dance scores. $2 lcgft
655 #4 $a Parts (Dance) $2 local

4.2. A manifestation consisting of both music scores with notated music, and dance scores with notated movement


4.2.1. Using field 348 and new field 358 (Option 1):

300 ## $a 1 vocal score (1 volume, unpaged) + 1 dance score (1 volume, unpaged) + 1 piano conductor part (2 volumes) + 2 parts
348 ## $a vocal score $2 rdafnm
348 ## $a piano conductor part $2 rdafnm
348 ## $a part $2 rdafnm
348 ## $c staff notation $2 rdafmn
358 ## $a dance score
358 ## $c Labanotation $2 rdafnv
...
655 #7 $a Vocal scores. $2 lcgft
655 #7 $a Scores. $2 lcgft
655 #7 $a Parts (Music) $2 lcgft
655 #7 $a Dance scores. $2 lcgft

4.2.2. Using an updated 348 field to input format of notated movement and form of movement notation in new subfields $e and $f, respectively (Option 2):

300 ## $a 1 vocal score (1 volume, unpaged) + 1 dance score (1 volume, unpaged) + 1 piano conductor part (2 volumes) + 2 parts
348 ## $a vocal score $a piano conductor part $a part $2 rdafnm
348 ## $3 vocal score, part, and piano conductor part $c staff notation $2 rdafmn
348 ## $3 dance score $e dance score
348 ## $3 dance score $f Labanotation $2 rdafnv
...
655 #7 $a Vocal scores. $2 lcgft
655 #7 $a Scores. $2 lcgft
655 #7 $a Parts (Music) $2 lcgft
655 #7 $a Dance scores. $2 lcgft

4.2.3 Using an updated 348 field repeatedly to input format of notated movement and form of movement notation in subfields $a and $c, respectively (Option 3):

300 ## $a 1 vocal score (1 volume, unpaged) + 1 dance score (1 volume, unpaged) + 1 piano conductor part (2 volumes) + 2 parts
348 ## $a vocal score $a piano conductor part $a part $2 rdafnm
348 ## $3 vocal score, part, and piano conductor part $c staff notation $2 rdafmn
348 ## $3 dance score $a dance score
348 ## $3 dance score $c Labanotation $2 rdafnv
...
655 #7 $a Vocal scores. $2 lcgft
655 #7 $a Scores. $2 lcgft
655 #7 $a Parts (Music) $2 lcgft
655 #7 $a Dance scores. $2 lcgft

4.3. A manifestation consisting of a condensed score, instrumental parts, and marching band drill parts.


4.3.1. Using new 358 field repeatedly to input format of notated movement and form of movement notation (Option 1):

300 ## $a 1 score 8 (pages) + 1 formation & text (12 unnumbered pages) + 18 parts ; $c 27 cm
348 ## $a score $a part $2 rdafnm
358 ## $3 formation & text $a drill sheet 
348 ## $3 score, parts $c staff notation $2 rdafmn
358 ## $3 formation & text $c Marching band drill
...
650 #0 $a Band music, Arranged $v Scores and parts
650 #0 $a Marches (Band) $v Scores and parts
650 #0 $a Marching drills
...
655 #7 $a Scores. $2 lcgft
655 #4 $a Parts (Music) $2 lcgft

4.3.2. Using an updated 348 field repeatedly to input format of notated movement and form of movement notation in subfields $e and $f, respectively (Option 2):

300 ## $a 1 score 8 (pages) + 1 formation & text (12 unnumbered pages) + 18 parts ; $c 27 cm
348 ## $a score $a part $2 rdafnm
348 ## $3 formation & text $e drill sheet 
348 ## $3 score, parts $c staff notation $2 rdafmn
348 ## $3 formation & text $f Marching band drill
...
650 #0 $a Band music, Arranged $v Scores and parts.
650 #0 $a Marches (Band) $v Scores and parts.
650 #0 $a Marching drills.
...
655 #7 $a Scores. $2 lcgft
655 #4 $a Parts (Music) $2 lcgft

4.3.3. Using an updated 348 field repeatedly to input format of notated movement and form of movement notation in subfields $a and $c, respectively (Option 3):

300 ## $a 1 score 8 (pages) + 1 formation & text (12 unnumbered pages) + 18 parts ; $c 27 cm
348 ## $a score $a part $2 rdafnm
348 ## $3 formation & text $a drill sheet 
348 ## $3 score, parts $c staff notation $2 rdafmn
348 ## $3 formation & text $c Marching band drill
...
650 #0 $a Band music, Arranged $v Scores and parts.
650 #0 $a Marches (Band) $v Scores and parts.
650 #0 $a Marching drills.
...
655 #7 $a Scores. $2 lcgft
655 #4 $a Parts (Music) $2 lcgft

5. BIBFRAME DISCUSSION

The BIBFRAME ontology already includes bf:NotatedMovement (a subclass of bf:Work) and bf:MovementNotation (a subclass of bf:Notation). The existing RDA list "RDA Form of Notated Movement" could be used with the bf:MovementNotation class. Additional properties and classes could be proposed if necessary.

6. QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

6.1. Has the need for recording notated movement characteristics sufficiently been established?

6.2. Which of the options presented in Section 3 is the preferred way of recording this information?

6.3. Is the omission of new subfields for Format of notated movement code and Form of movement notation code, as detailed in Section 2.4, acceptable? Will doing so have any unintended consequences?

6.4. Is there any need to define these elements in the Authority format? Currently, field 348 in the Authority format is limited in scope to Form of notated music.

6.5. Are there any other issues with any of the three options which have not been addressed?

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