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The data storage format used by the libraries, MARC 21, is a format maintained by the Library of Congress and used by millions of users around the world. A shared format enables the data to be transferred and records to be harvested between libraries. National adaptations of MARC have been developed internationally, but they have been largely abandoned. Finnish libraries used the FINMARC format for over twenty years, from the 1970s to the 2000s. In 2009, the databases of universities and universities of applied sciences were converted to the MARC 21 format. Public libraries started adopting the system immediately after this. The FINMARC system continues to be in use in some public libraries and most special libraries.

The National Library's MARC office maintains the Finnish and Swedish translations of the format, functions as the contact channel to the Library of Congress, provides training and guidance in the use of the format and maintains required versions of the format.

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