VGCollect Forum
VGCollect Site Stuff => Site Feedback => Topic started by: bamdin on September 22, 2026, 09:50:09 am
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Hello :D I'm curious if the metadata associated with the individual games in this database is mapped to MARC (Machine Readable CataloGing) fields. I'm a university librarian, and MARC is a schema we use to map an item's metadata (i.e., publication date, item number, barcode, etc.) to a series of repeated "fields". Its main value is that it provides an interoperability layer that allows your data to be consumed, interpreted, and returned by libraries, archives, preservation projects, and discovery systems worldwide. It increases the longevity, visibility, and reusability of your metadata without requiring you to abandon the structure you've already built.
Most librarians use MARC begrudgingly, but part of the reason for that is that it hasn't been adapted to modern resources that aren't books - like video games! I think this project could be a cool opportunity to introduce publicly accessible video game catalogs to libraries across the world, AND help to establish clear standards for video game cataloging. It also ensures the survival of VGcollect's data for generations to come - MARC has been preserved for decades and is supported by thousands of institutions.
I'll hold off on saying more for brevity's sake. Let me know if this sounds interesting :)