[DCRM-L] Several cataloguing questions

[Katy Rawdon-Faucett]

Dear DCRM-Lers,

 

Deborah Leslie invited me to join this list, and to ask a number of
cataloguing-related questions to fellow list members.

 

I am the Archivist and Librarian at a smallish art
collection/arboretum/school, and until recently my duties have been
solely related to our archives and our small circulating library. My
training and experience is as an archivist, so if my questions don't
make sense, or seem obvious or unclear, I apologize!

 

We have a small collection of books, exhibition catalogues, pamphlets,
and auction catalogues that either belonged to our founder, Albert C.
Barnes, or are not part of the circulating library for other reasons.
They are mostly 19th and early 20th century items, and often are either
annotated or inscribed by the author or Dr. Barnes. The annotations and
inscriptions are very important to us, as is previous ownership. We are
trying, with our small staff, to attack the job of cataloguing these
items.

 

I have a fair-to-middling knowledge of "regular" book cataloguing, and I
was fortunate enough to take Rare Book Cataloguing with Deborah at Rare
Book School a few years ago, but when it comes to the nitty gritty of
special collections cataloguing, I am pretty clueless. So, rather than
bore you all further, these are my questions:

 

1) What is the specific difference between the 500 field and the 590? Is
it a matter of institutional preference as to which is used?

 

2) What are the pros and cons of directly quoting inscriptions versus
simply describing them? I have noticed different institutions do both;
is there any sort of proper or recommended wording and vocabulary?

 

3) I have noticed that a few institutions record their name at the
beginning of a note (as in: "Barnes Foundation copy inscribed: To John
Doe, from Jane Smith"). Is this important, or recommended?

 

4) I know that Yale uses the 692 field to record terms regarding
inscriptions and ownership (as in: 692 14 |a Barrie, J. M. |q (James
Matthew), |d 1860-1937 |x Presentation inscription to A. Wood). Is this
a generally recognized field? It would be extremely useful for us to be
able to search inscriptions in this way, but I haven't seen many
examples where it is being used. Would a 700 be preferable?

 

Well, that will certainly do for a start... Thank you, if you have stuck
with me to the end!

 

-Katy

 

 

____________________
Katy Rawdon-Faucett
Archivist and Librarian
The Barnes Foundation
300 North Latch's Lane
Merion, PA  19066-1759
Ph:  (610) 667-0290 ext. 1048
Fax: (610) 664-4026
krawdon at barnesfoundation.org
<blocked::mailto:krawdon at barnesfoundation.org> 
www.barnesfoundation.org/archives.html
<http://www.barnesfoundation.org/archives.html>  



 

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