Eighteenth Century Collections Online
MARC Records -FAQ

1. What is a MARC record?

MARC stands for "Machine-readable catalog" record. "Machine-readable" means that a computer can be used to store, search and display these catalog records. MARC records are in a standard format so that computer software will know how to interpret the catalog information for each record. Please refer to http://www.loc.gov/marc/umb/ for a full description and additional information on MARC record standards.

2. What software is available to view the MARC records after they are purchased?

The most common method for loading, manipulating, searching and displaying MARC records is through an Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC). An OPAC is a computerized system containing a bibliography of the collections held by the institution. A list of OPAC software and other tools to manipulate MARC records can be found at http://www.loc.gov/marc/marcsysvend.html.

3. What is the origin of Cengage Learning's MARC records for Eighteenth Century Collections Online?

Cengage Learning has sourced these MARC records from the English Short Title Catalogue, 1473-1800 with the permission of the British Library through the offices of ESTC North America.. These records represent the titles from The English Short-Title Catalogue (EngSTC) that were digitized by Cengage Learning for the Eighteenth Century Collections Online product. Please refer to http://www.cbsr.ucr.edu/estcmain.html for additional information about the ESTC North America and its ongoing projects.

4. What cataloging standard is being used in the creation of the MARC records?

The MARC records were created using the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules Version 2/Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Books (AACR2/DCRB) and the Rare Serials Rules/Cooperative Online Serials program (DCRB/CONSER) standard. Some MARC records are unique due to the British Library/English Short Title Catalog (BL/ESTC) cataloging standards dating back over 25 years ago.

5. Do the current records include Hyperlink URLs back to the Eighteenth Century Collections Online database?

Cengage Learning has populated the 856 field in all the MARC records with a link to electronic version of the book in Eighteenth Century Collections Online.

6. How can I get a sample of the records before they are purchased?

Sample MARC records are available at ftp://ftp.bslw.com/PSM/ecco/. This can be accessed via any Web browser so there is no special software needed to download the sample. The 856 links to Eighteenth Century Collections Online are also included in the sample for you to review.

7. What support is being provided for the MARC records?

Cengage Learning Technical Support can assist customers with all other questions including any problems with the 856 hyperlinks. Contact our support department at emea.globaltech@cengage.com