Library of Congress >> MARC >> Authority >> 1XX,3XX  >> 381

381 - Other Distinguishing Characteristics of Work or Expression (R)


MARC 21 Authority - full
December 2025

First Indicator Second Indicator
Undefined
# - Undefined

Undefined
# - Undefined


Subfield Codes
  • $a - Other distinguishing characteristic (R)
  • $i - Relationship information (R)
  • $u - Uniform Resource Identifier (R)
  • $v - Source of information (R)
  • $0 - Authority record control number or standard number (R)
  • $1 - Real World Object URI (R)
  • $2 - Source of term (NR)
  • $4 - Relationship (R)
  • $6 - Linkage (NR)
  • $7 - Data provenance (R)
  • $8 - Field link and sequence number (R)

FIELD DEFINITION AND SCOPE

Any characteristic that is not accommodated in a special field that serves to characterize a work or expression. Examples are an issuing body, arranged statement of music, version, or a geographic term. May be used to differentiate a work from another work with the same title.

Multiple characteristics from the same source vocabulary may be recorded in the same field in separate occurrences of subfield $a (Other distinguishing characteristic). Terms from different source vocabularies are recorded in separate occurrences of the field.


GUIDELINES FOR APPLYING CONTENT DESIGNATORS

INDICATORS

SUBFIELD CODES

$a - Other distinguishing characteristic

A term that specifies a characteristic that differentiates a work or expression from another one.

130 #0$aResearch paper (South African Law Commission)
381 ##$aSouth African Law Commission
[Attributes of a work]
130 #0$aHarlow (Motion picture : 1965 : Douglas)
381 ##$aDouglas
380 ##$aMotion picture
046 ##$k1965
[Attributes of a work]
130 #0$aBible.$lEnglish.$sAuthorized.$f2004
381 ##$aAuthorized
046 ##$k2004
[Attributes of an expression]
100 1#$aDebussy, Claude,$d1862-1918.$tChansons de Bilitis (Songs).$pChevelure;$oarranged
380 ##$aSongs
381 ##$aarranged
[Attributes of an expression]
100 1#$aLangland, William,$d1330?-1400?$tPiers Plowman$s(A-text)
381 ##$aA-text
[Attributes of an expression]

$i - Relationship information

Designation of a relationship between the other distinguishing characteristic of work or expression recorded in the 381 field and the work or expression entity described in the record. This may be an uncontrolled textual phrase or a controlled textual value from a list of relationships.

100 0#$aAeschylus.$tOresteia.$lEnglish$s(Buckley)
381 ##$iTranslator:$aBuckley$4http://rdaregistry.info/Elements/u/P60385
130 #0$aEverything everywhere all at once (Motion picture)
381 ##$iAward received:$aAcademy Award for Best Picture$2wikidata/eng$s2023$4http://www.wikidata.org/entity/P166$1http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q102427

$u - Uniform Resource Identifier

Uniform Resource Identifier (URI), for example a URL or URN, which provides electronic access data in a standard syntax. This data can be used for automated access to an electronic item using one of the Internet protocols.

In field 381, subfield $u is used to record the location of electronically accessible source information.

$v - Source of information

Source where the information recorded in field 381 was found if not through a URI.

$0 - Authority record control number or standard number

See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

$1 - Real World Object URI

See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

$2 - Source of term

MARC code that identifies the source of the term in subfield $a when it is from a controlled list.

Code from: Subject Heading and Term Source Codes.

$4 - Relationship

Code or URI that specifies the relationship from the entity described in the record to the entity referenced in the field.

130 #0$aNevada women's oral histories series
381 ##$iIssuing body:$aNevada Women's History Project$2naf$4isb$4http://id.loc.gov/vocabulary/relators/isb$0http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no00051099$1http://id.loc.gov/rwo/agents/no00051099

$6 - Linkage

See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.

$7 - Data provenance

See description of this subfield in Appendix H: Data Provenance Subfields.

$8 - Field link and sequence number

See description of this subfield in Appendix A: Control Subfields.


CONTENT DESIGNATOR HISTORY

$i - Relationship information [NEW, 2025]
$0 - Record control number [REDEFINED, 2010]
$1 - Real World Object URI [NEW, 2017]
$4 - Relationship [NEW, 2025]
$7 - Data provenance [NEW, 2022]

Library of Congress >> MARC >> Authority >> 1XX,3XX  >> 381
(12/17/2025)
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