Any records that conform to the MARC standard can be migrated to a new system with relative ease. A 245 field in one system will remain a 245 field in a new system, although there may be issues with call numbers and non-MARC tags that the current software may embed in records that otherwise follow the MARC standard. Migrating MARC data from one system to another is most successful when data is consistent and complies with current standards and practices. Any variations from the standard, such as locally-defined fields or indicators must be explained to the new vendor so that they can be accommodated in the new system. In some cases the locally-defined MARC fields in one system may be replaced by special "flags" or "ticklers" in the new system.

Preparing for MARC data migration:

1. Identify any aspects of the data that are not standard to determine if these local variations need to migrate to the new system.
2. Identify and correct inconsistencies within your records, particularly if they relate to call numbers.
3. Identify and correct any data problems, such as incorrect characters used as diacritics.
4. Identify any records that have been flagged for deletion but not actually deleted. Review and delete them.
5. Determine if there are other records that should be deleted or should not migrate to the new system.