Statement on UNIMARC

IFLA has supported the UNIMARC format, through its Universal Bibliographic Control and International MARC (UBCIM) Core Activity, since 1987. Originally hosted by the British Library, it was transferred to Die Deutsche Bibliothek in 1990.

The coordination of the development and maintenance of the UNIMARC format is ensured by a group of experts who form the Permanent UNIMARC Committee (PUC). Without their support and that of their institutions, the programme could not have been sustained.

UBCIM is one of seven core activities within IFLA. In recent years, IFLA has experienced difficulties in raising sufficient funds and other resources needed to support the core activities. These difficulties appear to have given rise to rumours about the future of the UNIMARC format. We are therefore issuing this statement in order to set out the current position accurately.

Die Deutsche Bibliothek has informed us that it will no longer be in a position to support the UNIMARC part of the UBCIM Core Activity from 2003. IFLA wishes to record its gratitude to Die Deutsche Bibliothek for the generous support it has given to the UBCIM Core Activity over the years and for the indication that it wishes to support IFLA's work in other ways after 2003. We are very grateful that the National Library of Portugal has offered to take over the hosting of the UNIMARC programme, with effect from 2003. This offer has been made subject to any changes of policy the government of Portugal may make. One great advantage of this arrangement will be that the National Library of Portugal and many other libraries in Portugal are UNIMARC users.

At the Permanent UNIMARC Committee meeting held during the annual general conference of IFLA held in Boston, USA in August, it was agreed to set up a consortium of UNIMARC users to help ensure continuing support for the format.

Funding for all our core activities remains a problem, however. Between now and the time the National Library of Portugal takes over negotiations will take place on the amount of financially contributions will be needed annually by the new host library. In general, IFLA is currently able to contribute to each of the core activities about two-thirds the annual amount provided until two years ago. This money forms only a small proportion of the total costs of each core activity. The rest is provided generously by the host institution mainly in the form of premises, infrastructure and some staffing. Contributions to the overall costs also come from sales of publications, and grants from external agencies for specific projects. In the case of UNIMARC, the work of the members of the PUC represents a substantial contribution to the programme. We have launched an appeal for contributions to the core activities fund, which has generated a modest response. We are especially grateful for a generous one-off donation from OCLC, earmarked for UNIMARC, which is being invested. It will be available to provide some support for UNIMARC from 2003 onwards.

IFLA is committed to continuing to support the development and maintenance of the UNIMARC format, which is used by libraries in many countries around the world.

Ross Shimmon
Secretary General
IFLA
September 2001