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DATE: June 11, 2026
REVISED:
NAME: Adding an Indicator for Non-preferred Variant Headings in 4XX Fields in the MARC 21 Authority Format
SOURCE: Program for Cooperative Cataloging Non-Latin Script Variants in NARs Task Group
SUMMARY: This paper proposes adding indicators to See From Tracing fields (400, 410, 411, 430 and 451) in the MARC21 Authority Format to explicitly mark a variant form in a non-Latin script as non-preferred.
KEYWORDS: Field 400, 2nd indicator (AD); See From Tracing-Personal Name (AD); Field 410, 2nd indicator (AD); See From Tracing-Corporate Name (AD); Field 411, 2nd indicator (AD); See From Tracing-Meeting Name (AD); Field 430, 1st indicator (AD); See From Tracing-Uniform Title (AD); Field 451, 2nd indicator (AD); See From Tracing-Geographic Name (AD); Non-preferred heading (AD); Non-preferred variant heading (AD)
STATUS/COMMENTS:
06/11/26 – Made available to the MARC community for discussion.
In the MARC Authority Format, the following indicators are defined for fields 400, 410, 411, 430 and 451 (including the indicators approved by the MARC Advisory Committee at its 2026 Midwinter meeting to designate non-Latin script variants to be used in displays instead of the authority 1XX field, in certain contexts):
400 – See From Tracing-Personal Name (R)
First Indicator: Type of personal name element
0 - Forename
1 - Surname
3 - Family nameSecond Indicator - Preferred variant heading
# - No information provided
1 - Preferred variant heading410 – See From Tracing-Corporate Name (R)
First Indicator -Type of corporate name entry element
0 - Inverted name
1 - Jurisdiction name
2 - Name in direct orderSecond Indicator - Preferred variant heading
# - No information provided
1 - Preferred variant heading411 – See From Tracing-Meeting Name (R)
First Indicator - Type of meeting name entry element
0 - Inverted name
1 - Jurisdiction name
2 - Name in direct orderSecond Indicator - Preferred variant heading
# - No information provided
1 - Preferred variant heading430 – See From Tracing-Uniform Title (R)
First Indicator - Preferred variant heading
# - No information provided
1 - Preferred variant headingSecond Indicator - Nonfiling characters
0-9 - Number of nonfiling characters451 – See From Tracing-Geographic Name (R)
First Indicator - Undefined
# - UndefinedSecond Indicator - Preferred variant heading
# - No information provided
1 - Preferred variant heading
The Program for Cooperative Cataloging Non-Latin Script Variants in NARs Task Group charge asks it to develop guidelines and training for evaluating non-Latin script variants in name authorities and for identifying a variant as preferred in a particular language and script, and to conduct pilot testing according to those guidelines. The Task Group will use the newly defined first or second indicator in 4XX fields to mark non-Latin script variants as preferred.
In the course of its work, the Task Group has encountered cases in which it will be useful to identify a non-Latin script variant as a term not to be used in an alternate display for a given language/script. The most obvious case occurs when the same non-Latin script variant access point is preferred in one language but is non-preferred in a different language. In such cases it is not possible to use a single 4XX field for both languages, because the indicator value for "Preferred variant heading" applies only to one. To record the variant's languages using BCP 47 tags in subfield $7 it is necessary to repeat the field. For example:
100 1# $a Twain, Mark, $d 1835-1910
400 11 $a טוין, מרק, $d 1835-1910 $7 (bcp47)he
400 11 $a טוויין, מארק, $d 1835-1910 $7 (bcp47)yi
400 1# $a טוויין, מארק, $d 1835-1910 $7 (bcp47)he
In the example above, טוויין, מארק, $d 1835-1910 is coded as the preferred variant in Yiddish, but it is also a non-preferred variant in Hebrew. A single 400 field cannot be used to mark both the preferred Yiddish form and the identical non-preferred Hebrew. The repeated 400 field containing this Hebrew form can currently only be coded in the second indicator as “no information provided.”
The Task Group believes that a clear indication of the status of a field, rather than the implication conveyed by "No information provided", will best allow systems to provide user assistance, and will also alleviate potential confusion among catalogers about whether a second 4XX field containing an identical variant access point is a mistake or intentional. A new indicator value will affirmatively clarify that a particular variant is not preferred.
In the MARC 21 Authority Format, define a new second indicator value "0" in fields 400, 410, 411 and 451 to indicate the non-preferred variant heading for a language/script context when multiple versions using that language/script occur in the authority record.
In fields:
400 – See From Tracing-Personal Name (R)
410 – See From Tracing-Corporate Name (R)
411 – See From Tracing-Meeting Name (R)
451 – See From Tracing-Geographic Name (R)add 2nd Indicator value "0":
Second Indicator – Preferred variant heading
0 – Non-preferred variant heading
In the MARC 21 Authority Format, define a new first indicator value "0" in field 430 to indicate the non-preferred variant heading for a language/script context when multiple versions using that language/script occur in the authority record.
In field:
430 – See From Tracing-Uniform title (R)
add 1st Indicator value "0":
First Indicator – Preferred variant heading
0 – Non-preferred variant heading
In the above fields, define the "Non-preferred variant heading" indicator value as follows:
0 – Non-preferred variant heading
A variant heading in an alternate language/script that is not the variant in the same language/script that has been marked as preferred. Any number of variant headings in each language/script may be marked as "non-preferred" variants. Variant headings should only be marked as "non-preferred" for a given language/script if another variant heading is marked as "preferred" for that language/script. When identifying a non-preferred variant, language/script must be recorded as a BCP 47 code in a subfield $7 pertaining to the entire field.
100 1# $a Twain, Mark, $d 1835-1910
400 11 $a טוין, מרק, $d 1835-1910 $7 (bcp47)he
400 11 $a טוויין, מארק, $d 1835-1910 $7 (bcp47)yi
400 10 $a טוויין, מארק, $d 1835-1910 $7 (bcp47)heThe preferred non-Latin script variant in Yiddish is also a non-preferred variant in Hebrew. Explicit marking of this variant as non-preferred clarifies that the duplication of this variant access point is intentional.
100 0# $a Agamemnon, $c King of Mycenae (Mythological character)
400 01 $a Αγαμέμνονας, $c Βασιλιάς των Μυκηνών (Μυθολογικός χαρακτήρας) $7 (bcp47)el
400 01 $a Ἀγαμέμνων, $c Βασιλεὺς Μυκήνης (Μυθολογικός χαρακτήρας) $7 (bcp47)grc
400 00 $a Αγαμέμνων, $c Βασιλιάς των Μυκηνών (Μυθολογικός χαρακτήρας) $7 (bcp47)elThe base of access point for the preferred variant in ancient Greek (Ἀγαμέμνων) is virtually identical to the base of access point for the non-preferred variant in modern Greek (Αγαμέμνων). The other modern Greek variant is the preferred form in that language.
110 2# $a Chaemi Hanin Kwahak Kisulcha Hyŏphoe
410 21 $a 재미 한인 과학 기술자 협회 $7 (bcp47)ko
410 20 $a 재미 과기협 $7 (bcp47)koTwo variants in Korean, one marked as preferred and the other as non-preferred.
110 2# $a Kokugakuin Daigaku
410 21 $a 國學院大學 $7 (bcp47)ja-hani
410 20 $a 国学院大学 $7 (bcp47)ja-haniTwo variants in Japanese in Kanji, the first in traditional characters (kyūjitai) and the second in simplified, modern characters (shinjitai). The form used for the official name is marked as preferred, the other as non-preferred.
111 2# $a International Conference on Palynology
411 21 $a Международная палинологическая конференция $7 (bcp47)ru
411 20 $a МПК (Конференция) $7 (bcp47)ruThe full form of the Russian name is marked as a preferred variant and the Russian acronym as non-preferred.
130 #0 $a Sarang ŭi pulsich'ak (Television program)
430 10 $a 사랑 의 불시착 (TV 프로그램) $7 (bcp47)ko
430 00 $a 사랑 의 不時着 (TV 프로그램) $7 (bcp47)koOne variant title of this work is marked as the preferred form in Korean while the other Korean variant is marked as non-preferred.
100 1# $a Bati︠u︡to, A. I. $q (Anatoliĭ Ivanovich), $d 1920-1991. $t Works. $k Selections (2004)
400 11 $a Батюто, А. И. $q (Анатолий Иванович), $d 1920-1991. $t Сочинения. $k Избранное (2004) $7 (bcp47)ru
400 1# $a Bati︠u︡to, A. I. $q (Anatoliĭ Ivanovich), $d 1920-1991. $t Izbrannye trudy (2004)
400 10 $a Батюто, А. И. $q (Анатолий Иванович), $d 1920-1991. $t Избранные труды (2004) $7 (bcp47)ruOne variant access point in Russian for this work is marked as the preferred form, and the other is marked as non-preferred.
151 ## $a Beijing (China)
451 #1 $a 北京 (中国) $7 (bcp47)zh-hans
451 #0 $a 北平 (中国) $7 (bcp47)zh-hansTwo variants for this place in Simplified Chinese, one marked as preferred, the other as non-preferred.
While the usage of the indicator for the preferred variant heading will be helpful for constructing 880 fields during BIBFRAME data conversions, an indicator for a non-preferred variant heading may only be applicable within MADSRDF.
6.1. Has the need for an indicator value explicitly labeling a variant as non-preferred been adequately justified?
6.2. Do you agree with suggested use of value 0 for this?
6.3. Are there any potential consequences to this proposed change that have not been considered?
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