Development of SAMARC: South African format for the exchange ofmachine-readable bibliographic descriptions

Abstract

In the early sixties, the Library of Congress decided to computerize its cataloguing procedures to promote co-operation between libraries in America. For this purpose the MARC (Machine-readable cataloguing) format was developed. This had far-reaching implications worldwide and other national formats were developed as well as attempts made to achieve international standardization. In South Africa the National Library Advisory Council (NLAC) followed these developments with great interest and decided to instigate surveys and investigations to establish possible utilization of MARC records by South African libraries. The possibility of a computerized network was also investigated, for which an exchange format would also be a prerequisite. In 1982 the first edition of SAMARC: South African format for the exchange of machine-readable descriptions was published. Since then a number of important developments in various fields made it essentialthat the format be updated and revised. A draft second edition was made available in 1993 and the SAMARC manual was published in 1995 by the State Library.In April 1997 it was however decided by the South African library community to change to USMARC. Aan die begin van die sestigerjare het die Library of Congress besluit om sy katalogiseringsprosedures te rekenariseer ten einde samewerking tussen biblioteke in Amerika te bevorder. Vir hierdie doel is die MARC (Machine-readable cataloguing) formaat ontwikkel. Dit het verreikende gevolge wereldwyd gehad en ander nasionale formate het ook ontstaan. Pogings is ook aangewend om internasionale standaardisasie te bewerkstellig. In Suid-Afrika het die Nasionale Biblioteekadviesraad (NBAR) hierdie verwikkelinge met groot belangstelling dopgehou en besluit om opnames en ondersoeke te loods ten einde moontlike benutting van MARC-rekords deur Suid-Afrikaanse biblioteke te bepaal. Die moontlikheid van 'n rekenaarnetwerk is ook ondersoek. 'n Uitruilformaat sou hiervoor ook 'n voorvereiste wees. In 1982 het die eerste uitgawe van die SAMARC .. South African format for the exchange of machine-readable descriptions verskyn. As gevolg van ingrypende ontwikkelinge op verskeie terreine het dit egter nodig geword om die formaat te hersien en op te dateer. 'n Konsep tweede uitgawe het in 1993 verskyn en die SAMARC manual is in 1995deur die Staatsbiblioteek uitgegee. In April 1997 is daar egter deur Suid-Afrikaanse biblioteke besluit om na USMARC oor te skakel