MARC Advisory Committee (MAC) and MARC Steering Group
In 2004, during the course of the internationalisation of bibliographic standards, it was decided that the data format Machine-Readable Cataloging (MARC 21) should be introduced at all German-speaking libraries as a uniform, mandatory exchange format. The German National Library has been delivering its data in MARC 21 format since 2009.
More about standards, concepts and guidelines
As a member of the most important committee, the MARC Advisory Committee (MAC), the German National Library makes a significant contribution to the development of this format. The MAC convenes twice a year to discuss amendments and additions to formats on the basis of discussion papers and proposals. The final decisions are made by the MARC Steering Group, in which the Library of Congress, the Library and Archives Canada, the British Library and the German National Library are all represented.