Extension of the authority data exchange format. Developments in the last two decades

Abstract

The authority data exchange format, also called metadataformat looks back to a past of 50 years. Since its birth in 1968 the MARC format has beengradually improved, and a number of versions (such as Unimarc) have developed. As themost significant feature, its choice of data elements has been substantially extended.Extension pertained mainly to data on relationship and data on attributes. The choice of dataon relationship consisted initially merely in the „see” and „see also” relationship types asknown from manual cataloguing. Later, paradigmatic relationship types used in thesauri,having developed from the 1950’s and defined in related standards, became to be applied. Ata certain time it has also become possible to provide the relationships in the 2XX and 3XXfields as text, within the format itself. It is expected that in the world of the semantic web thisopportunity will be highly appreciated in the future. The most significant extension was to beobserved in the field of data on attributes. As opposed to data relating to entity – which arerelated to bibliographic data, and as a result, constitute secondary or metadata –, the data onattributes are related to the data on entities put into the leader, and represent, therefore,metadata of metadata, i.e. tertiary data. To such metadata belong the notes data in the 6XXfields and the information data in the 0XX fields respectively. The authority MARC format iscapable of managing even authority data used with the materials of archives, as is illustratedin the article.