SBC Standard v3

This is the complete specification of the SBC standard, version 3. As at 15 January 2025.

The parts of the standard#

The chapters can be read independently: if you only need to print barcodes, the first two parts are enough; if you exchange bibliographic data, you want the third.

• Library identifierThe seven-digit number that uniquely identifies each library.
• Barcode specificationHow an SBC barcode is built from an identifier and a barcode number, encoded in Code 39 or Code 128.
• Title specificationRecord structure and every data field from 001 to 761.
• Data carrier specificationThe layout of data carriers holding catalogue records, and of interlibrary loan and book block data.
• AppendixCharacter sets CP850 and Windows-1252, references and the changes against version 2.
• LicenceThe SBC standard is published under CC BY-SA 4.0 International – what that allows and what it requires.
• Legal informationVersion, copyright and licence terms of the specification.