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Transcription Rules | Call Numbers | Fixed Field | 245 | 260 | 300 | 4XX/8XX | 5XX | 6XX Biographies | 6XX Pa. Imprints | 6XX Subdivisions | 655 | 700/710 | 773
Notes provide an important means of bringing out distinguishing characteristics of rare materials. Not every record needs notes. Accept/add notes that are generally required, notes that support identification of an item, and notes that reflect the value of an item. Notes may relate to any aspect of a publication, i.e. edition, contributors, hand-written statements, and physical characteristics.
Carefully examine the item-in-hand and the packet or flier (Special Collections staff frequently provide valuable information that we may use) and verify and/or supply relevant data. Generally, give the data in the order listed. Prefer quotations, followed by their source. When closely related, combine two or more notes to make one note. Create corresponding entries (650, 700, etc.) as appropriate.
General notes are recorded in field 500. Specialized notes use field 246 and fields 501-586, when available. Apply current tagging guidelines to matching copy, when used to create original catalog records (OCLC considers updated edition copy to be original). Both general and specialized notes are for information that is true for the whole edition. Copy-specific notes are given in field 590.
For additional information and examples of notes, see Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, Second Edition, Rev. (rule 1.7); Notes in the Catalog Record, by Jerry D. Saye and Sherry L. Vellucci; Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Books, Second Edition (rule 7); Examples to Accompany DCRB. Rev.
Use to amplify and explain the title proper and other title information.
500 490 numbered hymns.
500 Prospectus for: Bradley, his book.
500 A criticism of Vert's Explication simple, littérale et historique ....
500 A general satire, originally published in 2 volumes of 50 numbers each ...
500 In verse: begins: You beauteous ladies, great and small.
500 "Delivered at the Royal Institution, January 20, 1882."
Describe the language(s) of the item in field 546. The field is also used to describe the alphabets, script, or other symbol systems appearing in the item. Use the 546 field in conjunction with the 041 and fixed field; matching copy need not be changed, but all original cataloging records (including updated edition copy) should reflect this policy.
The 546 contains a textual note giving the language(s) of the described materials. The field is also used to describe the alphabets, script, or other symbol systems appearing in the item.
The 041 is used when the item contains more than one language, when the item is (or includes) a translation, or when the language of a component of the piece differs from the language on the piece. The 041 contains all language codes, listed consecutively and without punctuation.
Examples:
Text in two languages: Tag Ind. Contents 008 Lang: eng 041 0_
eng|afre 546 In English and French.
Translated text: Tag Ind. Contents 008 Lang: eng 041 1_
eng|hger 546 Translated from the German.
Multiple languages: Tag Ind. Contents 008 Lang: ger 041 0_
ger|aeng|afre|agrc|aita|alat 546 English, French, German, Greek, Italian, and Latin.
Translation on facing pages: Tag Ind. Contents 008 Lang: eng 041 1_
eng|alat|hlat 546 Latin text and English prose translation on opposite pages.
546 Latin and English texts in parallel columns.
546 Old English and Modern English on opposite pages.
546 Marginal notes and quotations in Latin.
546 Original Italian text at end.
If the item is a translation or adaption, provide information not otherwise shown.
500 In part a translation of: Le déserteur, by M.J. Seddine.
500 Revised and updated translation of: Commentarius brevis ...
500 Author's adaptation of his Latin text.
500 Adaptation of: Breviarum monasticum.
500 Title from container.
500 Caption title.
500 Each work has special title page.
500 Title taken from opening words of text, leaf [vii].
500 Title from descriptive insert.
500 Title supplied by cataloger.
In general, follow the rules and examples given in BPCR 246 and Record Creation 246.
Also available: 246 Cheat Sheet
In addition, add binder's titles:
246 1_ |iBinder's title: |aHistory of Lodge Harmony 372, 1823-1923
Sometimes variations in title, etc., will be found in a 500 note, usually with a corresponding 740. Accept as found on copy, unless obviously wrong. Do not convert into a 246.
When adding 246 fields to a CAT record, if 500/740 combinations already exist in the record, please convert them to 246 fields for consistency unless the 740 is an uncontrolled related/analytical title. See MARC 740 for examples.
500 Author statement taken from verso of t.p.
500 Author's preface to Balthasar Walter dated 1620 and signed Jacob Behmen.
500 Signed at end: A lover of truth.
500 Attributed to Daniel Heinsius. Cf. ...
500 Published anonymously by Cotton Mather. Cf. ...
500 Translated by John Kenrick.
500 Max O'Rell is a pseudonym for Paul Blouet.
500 Charlotte Elizabeth also known as Charlotte Elizabeth Browne Toma.
500 Illustrations are woodcuts by Dora Carrington. Cf. ...
500 Sequel to: The maiden and married life.
500 A reissue of the 1756 edition, without the plates.
500 1829 edition has title: ...
500 Reprinted from the Reformed Church in the United States.
500 Also issued as part of: ...
500 "German text and illustrations from the definitive German cover"--Cover. 500 "Issued also, with slight changes, under the title: Millennial dawn."
Limited edition notes:
When a statement regarding a limited edition includes the unique number of the copy being cataloged, note only the portion pertaining to the general edition in field 500. Give the unique copy number in a copy-specific note (590). Editions of more than 500 copies are normally not noted unless circumstances are unusual (for example, if they are hand numbered and signed by the author).
500 "Limited edition of 200 copies"--Verso of t.p.
500 "One hundred and fifty copies of this Quarto edition ... privately printed"--Colophon.
500 One of two editions in the same year.
500 Imprint from colophon.
500 Place of publication and name of printer from colophon, which gives 1539 as the date of printing.
500 Publisher statement on cancel slip. Original publisher statement reads: Sold by ...
500 Dedication dated: 1676. [when differs from imprint date]
500 Publication date from Wing.
500 "Copyright 1784."
500 "Praefatio nova" (sig. *8v) dated 1716.
Note distinctive characteristics of the copy being described. Carefully distinguish features that apply to all copies of an edition from those that are copy-specific. This may be difficult to discern. Limited editions, especially those put out by the "fine presses", often share special characteristics. Older publications, in particular, tend to be more unique in feature. Background information, reference material, and browsing available copy may be helpful. When in doubt, consider the feature(s) to be copy-specific. Give copy-specific information in field 590.
500 Alternating leaves are blank.
500 Page numbering irregular.
500 Published in parts.
500 Pages 167-168 numbered in duplicate.
500 Error in paging: v. 1, leaves 529-534 numbered 521-526.
500 Title vignette (port.).
500 Hand colored illustrations.
500 Title page and Old English text in red and black.
500 Woodcuts: ill., initials, publisher's and printer's devices.
500 Marginal notes. [Refers to printed notes in the margins of the text. Handwritten notes are copy-specific and should be noted in 590]
500 Manuscript text.
500 Flaps on plates lift to change the scene.
500 Inside back cover unfolds to reveal pop-up nativity scene.
500 Mounted photographs on continuous strip folded to form leaves.
500 Issued in slipcase.**Frequently used terms for containers:Case: A box containing bound or unbound items
Slipcase: A box containing bound or unbound items that is open on one side
Portfolio: A container for unbound materials, consisting of two covers joined together at the back and usually closed with ties
Make notes for any accompanying material not otherwise recorded. Carefully distinguish features that apply to all copies of an edition from those that are copy-specific.
500 A blade of grass from Poe's original grave site in pocket.
500 Sheets of samples tipped in.
500 Program guide laid in.
500 Instruction booklet laid in container.
500 Accompanied by supplement: "Roter Faden zu De Moddergoddesse," 1967.
Specific information from published bibliographic descriptions or reviews, not otherwise shown, - such as the identity of a publisher or an author - may be given in a general note, followed by the source. Prefer quotations.
500 Evans calls this the 2nd ed.
500 By Mr. O'Driscol. Cf. OCLC authority.
500 By Gaspar Schott, S.J.; author and probable place of publication from Backer-Sommervogel.
500 False place of publication and fictious publisher; actually printed in London by John Wolfe. Cf. Woodfield.
Specific information from published bibliographic descriptions or reviews, not otherwise shown, - such as the identity of a publisher or an author - may be given in a general note, followed by the source. Prefer quotations.
500 Evans calls this the 2nd ed.
500 By Mr. O'Driscol. Cf. OCLC authority.
500 By Gaspar Schott, S.J.; author and probable place of publication from Backer-Sommervogel.
500 False place of publication and fictious publisher; actually printed in London by John Wolfe. Cf. Woodfield.
The 520 note provides a brief summary of the scope and general content of a publication. Quote information from the packet or item as appropriate.
520 Contains descriptions of 32 different kinds of shops.
520 The distinguished detective apprehends a gang of robbers who have stolen a shipment of valuable Limburger cheese.
520 A collection of English and American poets arranged under such topics as "Wind and weather", "Odd and funny", and "Viewpoints."
Provide information on the contents of an item as appropriate. Note: Bibliography notes are given in field 504. Formal content notes are given in field 505. See next section.
500 "List of author's unpublished poems": p. 151-158.
500 "Translations": p. [101]-129.
500 "Author's Lebenslauf"-- p. 75.
500 "Opinion of the Supreme Court": p. [4]-16.
500 Errata on last leaf.
500 Without music.
500 Includes poem by Jeremy Hooker.
500 Dürer's illustrations are accompanied chiefly by ...
504 Includes bibliographical references (p. 169-174) and index.
Accept 505 on copy, checking for accuracy and typos. If you find errors, correct the record in WorldCat first before importing into the CAT. This is a database enrichment credit and all you need is a full login to correct the field. Accept 505 on copy for enhanced contents notes (they make use of subfields |g, |t, and/or |r).
Because the 505 field is keyword accessible, consider adding it when missing on copy if it provides keywords not found in the title or other fields that would help improve access to the record as well as assist users in determining if the resource will be useful to them. This includes keywords from the titles as well as the authors of articles, chapters, etc. A 505 field should usually be included for multi-volume sets that have distinctive titles for each volume (although one should consider cataloging these separately if the subject coverage varies significantly from volume to volume, see also Sets). Volume numbers and other sequential designations are included, but omit chapter numbers. Also omit insignificant sections from the 505 field, such as indexes (use 500 or 504), prefaces, references (use 504), appendices lacking useful titles, etc. Do not construct your contents note in "enhanced style."
As to a limit on how many titles should go into a 505 field, use cataloger's judgment. Consider that a book with 30 short chapter titles and one with five very long titles may both take the same amount of time to enter. If the contents are too time consuming to enter, do not add the 505. However, when the contents are too large and there are articles, chapters, etc. contributed by Penn State authors (if known), add a 505 with first indicator 2 including only those by Penn State authors (this is a partial contents note).
When adding a 505 field, add it to the WorldCat record first before importing it into the CAT.
505 0_ Eating couches and chairs / Grady Canseco -- Wondering what to do with shoelaces / Thomas Drainpiperson -- Scuba gear for fleabags / "Orange Soda" Templeton -- Sending sandwiches to the Moon / Emil Sitka.
505 0_ v. 1. I know about alphabet soup, do you? -- v. 2. Cataloging in space : a new project for NASA? -- v. 3. Nasal ways of saying reference notes out loud. -- v. 4. Adventures in Tissue-Box Land. -- v. 5. Atmospheric observations of the 650 field : telling the difference between a subject heading and a large continental mountain chain.
Example of an enhanced contents note (accept, but do not create):
505 00 |tInvestigations into 246 field migrations and implications on climate change /|rJoseph T. Cannedpotatoes --|tTroubling confusion over 773 field metrics and their corotational forces in Riemannian manifolds /|rCarl Hadron Collider --|tArchaeological evidence that 020s pre-date human civilization : are they extraterrestrial? /|rHydrobert N. Diacriticson.
Special Collections staff will often request that the name of a donor be put into a record. This enables us to search for all gifts by a particular donor in The CAT. When requested on the ORF (order form), such information is put into a 541 field with an indicator at the end to distinguish this field is only applicable to the Penn State copy. The current list of established 541s may be found in: Collections Requiring 541/773/793 Fields.
For guidelines on how to construct a 541, see Donor Notes Procedure.
Additional endowment notes and descriptions: Collection Endowments Descriptions (staff only).
Notes that are unique to our copy only belong in 59X notes. These notes generally relate to unique physical characteristics of the item (special bindings, damaged pages, parts "wanting", ownership marks, or the location/storage of the item). If there is more than one copy owned by PSU, indicate in the note which copy has the special characteristics. Some examples of copy specific notes:
590 Inserted in pam binder with pocket (31 cm.).
590 Rare Books copy inscribed by author.
590 PSU Archives copy signed by author.
590 Rare Books copy is no. 52/100.
590 Rare Books copy has letter from Big Bird to the author, 8 Aug. 1985, tipped in.
590 Annotated throughout in...
590 Marginal notes in old hand...
590 Line drawings in Rare Books copy hand-colored in crayon.
590 From the library of Luis Alberto Sanchez.
590 Rare Books copy 1 formerly owned by Bert and Ernie; copy 2 formerly owned and signed by Oscar the Grouch.
590 Rare Books copy is accompanied by a large clay casting ...
590 Presentation copy to F.L. Pattee.
590 HCLA copy is a review copy.
591 Bound with: Abdalla the Moor and the Spanish knight / Robert Montgomery Bird. London : J. Cunningham, 1839
See also: Record Creation: 5XX
See also: OCLC Bibliographic Formats and Standards: 5XX
