Resource Management

MARC Holdings Records: Best Practices Recommendations & Procedures

(formatting & updating in progress 2/19/25)

Background

The purpose of this document is to provide recommendations and general procedures for creation of holdings records for monographs and serials. Libraries may use templates provided in the Metadata Editor, but most units will probably want to create customized holdings templates to expedite the processing of similar materials. Best practices aim to ensure consistency in the encoding and display of holdings data.

Best Practices Recommendations

Scope

Procedures provide best practices for encoding holdings records for monographs and serials. Excludes holdings records for Course Reserves, local inventory, and legacy data. Note: For single-part items, accept default values in Alma for the Leader and Fixed-Field data elements.

References:

MARC Holdings Format Training (from 2016)

Creating Holdings Record with the MD Editor 

MARC 21 Format for Holdings Data 

For Serials, see MARC Holdings Records for Serials  (by Marcus Jun). [add permanent link to document here]

Creating a holdings record: 

 

Open Metadata Editor

Select Add Holdings

                View labeled display by clicking on Edit > Open Form Editor (Ctrl + F) to view Leader and Fixed      field elements described below. 

LDR (Leader)

Type of record (6)

v - Multipart item holdings

x - Single-part item holdings

y - Serial item holdings 

Encoding level (17)

        1 – Holdings level (default in Alma for single-part item)

  1. 3 – Holdings level (multi-part item and serials: textual summary holdings)
  2. 4 – Holdings level (serials)
  3.  

Item information in record (18)   

i - item information

n - no item information (Use “n” as default value)

 

Physical Description Fixed Field (007)

                                Except for text, same value as 007 from bibliographic record.

                                Add field (F8) and choose specific material

                                Example: 

007        ta                            [Item is regular print text.]

Fixed-length data elements (008)

                      Acquisition status (6):

0 – Unknown 

2 – For single items or complete multipart

For serials, consult MARC Holdings Records for Serials 

Method of acquisition (7)

Choose appropriate value. May default to:  u- Unknown

Note: Remember to code Provenance in Item Record. 

c - Cooperative or consortial purchase
d - Deposit
e - Exchange
f - Free
g - Gift
l - Legal deposit
m - Membership
n - Non-library purchase
p - Purchase
q - Lease
u - Unknown
z - Other method of acquisition

 

General retention policy:

Default value is 8 (item is to be retained permanently)

Completeness

For a single item, choose 4

For a multi-part item or serial:

Choose 1 when item is complete

Choose 2 when item is incomplete

Choose 0 when this information is unknown

Number of copies 

Default value should always be 001

Lending policy

        Choose a (will lend) if item will circulate   

        Choose b (will not lend) if item will not circulate 

 

Language

There should be no language code in the holdings record, but the positions assigned to the language code must be maintained as blank spaces. 

For serials, language of coded data contained in the 863-865 Enumeration and Chronology fields. Code: eng (see MARC Holdings Records for Serials ) [add permanent link to document here]

 

  1.  Location

 

First filing indicator: 

If an LC call number is used, choose 0 

If a Dewey call number is used, choose 1

If a SUDOC call number is used, choose 3

If a shelving control number is used, choose 4

If shelving by title, choose 5

If other shelving scheme, choose 8 (e.g., equipment)

 

Second indicator: blank

 

Fill in the appropriate value following $b, the Sublocation code (= Library).  This is used for the Library code. Check appropriate codes for your library.

Fill in the appropriate value following $c, the Shelving location code. This is used for the location code. Check appropriate codes for your library.

 

Fill in call number or shelving number subfields

To use the call number from the bib record, save record (this automatically populates call number in holdings record).

 

       Use $h for the classification number, and $i for item number and date, if present.

       Use $j  for shelving scheme numbers.

       Use $l for shelving form of title

       Use $k for call number prefix, if appropriate.

       Use $m for call number suffix, if appropriate.

 

Use Notes, as appropriate
       $x - Nonpublic note  
       $z - Public note 

 

866 Textual holdings

               Field required for multipart items. Input this field when cataloging a multipart item.  The summary                holdings are recorded in the $a and the second filing indicator is 0 (Non-Standard).

 

               866 _0 $a v.1-5 [Follow this for multi-part items]

 

               Note: For serials, if no 85X-86X pairs are not used, libraries must use 866 as the minimum              required data element. See MARC Holdings Records for Serials  [add permanent link to document here]

 

 

853-855 Captions and Pattern Fields

863-865 Enumeration and Chronology Fields

866-868Textual Holdings Statement Fields

 

Appendix: Creating and Using Holdings Template

Consult Creating a New Template from an Existing Record  to create holdings templates.

Resources