MARC Record Services: A Comparative Study of Library Practices and Perceptions

ABSTRACT The number of journal titles available in digital format to libraries through aggregators and publisher packages has increased, but library resources to catalog these titles have not kept pace with the increases. More libraries are therefore turning to MARC record service vendors to provide batches of electronic serials bibliographic records, either full or brief. This study presents the results of a survey asking library personnel about their experiences with and attitudes toward MARC record services. Although many survey participants expressed satisfaction with the services, they also responded that they would like a greater number of more accurate full bibliographic records. Also, although a majority of libraries use a separate records approach with the services, a significant minority use a single record approach.