2009 MeSH/MARC

Download of any of the full data files requires the completion of an online memorandum of understanding.

Conversion Information

• Download NLM 1999 Conversion Specifications (pdf format). This is the most current version. Form, language, and geographic qualifiers (subheadings) have been removed from MeSH. Any reference to these three types of records should be ignored.
• The NLM Conversion Specifications are to be used in conjunction with another document, USMARC Specifications for Record Structure, Character Sets, and Exchange Media for sale by the Cataloging Distribution Service, Library of Congress.

MeSH/MARC files available to download

Beginning with 2009 MeSH, if any changes in MeSH data are made in the middle of the year, a monthly full file and change file with these changes will be made available. Note that these monthly change files will include only changes made during that month - the changes are not cumulative. Mid-year change files that are available are indicated below.

The data are encoded in MARC-8. These files can only be transferred via FTP into a save file. A file extension of .bin has been used to prompt the local receiving computer to automatically open a file to save the data.

For users of Internet Explorer, if you want to save a file to your local hard drive rather than open it, you must right-click the link and then select Save Target As....

The full file is estimated to take 5 minutes to download on a T3 communications line (at 45 Mbps) and longer on slower lines.

• Annual files
  • Sample file contains 41 descriptor records, 83 qualifier records, and 870 descriptor/qualifier combinations, for a total of 994 records. Download sample file [320KB]
    • Label file provides size and other statistics for the sample file. [72B]
      
      
  • Update-only file contains new and modified terms with 3,864 descriptor records, 28 qualifier records, and 11,143 descriptor/qualifier combinations, for a total of 14,977 records. Download update-only file [6MB]
    • Label file provides size and other statistics for the update file. [72B]
  • Full file contains all terms with 25,186 descriptor records, 83 qualifier records, and 564,547 descriptor/qualifier combinations, for a total of 589,816 records. Download full file [145MB]
    • Label file provides size and other statistics for the full file. [74B]

  Summary contents of files. 2009 MeSH/MARC. November 1, 2008.

  File	Total Records	File Size	Bytes
  Full File	589,816	145MB	151,725,167
  Update-only File	15,035	6MB	6,216,041
  Sample File	994	318KB	325097

• Monthly change files

  Summary contents of monthly files. 2009 MeSH/MARC. June 2, 2009.

  Month	Total Records	File Size	Bytes
  December 2008	28	19KB	20,305
  January 2009	1	0.21KB	214
  February 2009	0	0KB	0
  March 2009	1	0.21KB	214
  April 2009	0	0KB	0
  May 2009	2	2.9KB	0
  June 2009	0	0KB	0
  July 2009	22	6.3KB	6,447

If you have questions concerning the content of MeSH/MARC files or FTP of MeSH/MARC data, please contact:

Jacque-Lynne Schulman

Medical Subject Headings

Telephone: 301-496-1495; FAX: 301-402-2002

email: schulman@nlm.nih.gov