[DCRM-L] MARC coding for annotations, decorations etc.

[Deborah J. Leslie]

Dear Will,

(Respectfully suggesting that the discussion take place on-list): Thanks for pointing out the existence of field 562, new to me.

RDA maps 562$a to 2.21 (Note on item) and 3.22 (Note on item-specific carrier characteristic), both of which relate to the item. Since there are various methods in MARC for depositing item notes, its use would seem to make most sense for institutions who use other 56x fields for copy-specific information and want a place to park information that doesn't qualify as provenance or binding. Historically and for the foreseeable future, we at the Folger combine nearly all copy-specific information in 852$z

However, the scope of the field ("Information that distinguishes the copy(s) or version(s) of materials when more than one copy or version exists or could exist) suggests that it can be used for groups of copies within a manifestation or expression that differ from each other in a recognizable way but are not significant enough to describe separately. Putting aside the MARC-RDA mapping, might this be a useful place to designate and describe those differences, in conjunction with copy notes to specify which group an item belongs to?

Deborah J. Leslie, MA, MLS | Senior Cataloger, Folger Shakespeare Library | djleslie at folger.edu | 201 East Capitol Street, S.E. | Washington, DC 20003 | 202.675-0369 | orcid.org 0000-0001-5848-5467

From: dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu [mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu] On Behalf Of wah26
Sent: Thursday, 27 April, 2017 10:02
To: dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu
Subject: [DCRM-L] MARC coding for annotations, decorations etc.


Dear all,

We are in the process of changing our library management system at Cambridge and are taking the opportunity to update our local cataloguing guidelines. One point at issue is which MARC field to use for copy-specific information other than binding or named provenance, which clearly go in 563 and 561 respectively. The sort of thing I mean is descriptions of annotations, hand-applied decorations such as illumination or rubrication, or imperfections. Here are a few examples from our recent recataloguing of incunabula:

(1) Marginal manuscript nota signs and notes in cursive hands, and additional prayers on verso of upper free endpaper.

(2) Initials in blue with penwork decoration in red and blue on leaves A1r and e1 recto.

(3) Conjoint leaves [b1] and [b8] misbound after [b2] and [b6] respectively.

(4) Old shelfmarks: C-1-5; AB-1-3.

(5) Bound with: Paulus Venetus. Expositio in Aristotelem De generatione et corruptione et De mundi compositione. Venice : Bonetus Locatellus, for Octavianus Scotus, 21 May 1498  - Gaietanus de Thienis. Expositio in Aristotelem De anima, De sensu agente, De sensibilibus communibus et de intellectu. Venice : Bonetus Locatellus, for Octavianus Scotus, 23 December 1493.

At various points in my career I would have treated 1, 2 & 4 as provenance information and put them in 561 notes, or as general copy specific information and put them in 59x or 852 $z, depending on local practice, system requirements, my mood at the time, etc., etc. 3 and 5 I would always put in 59X or 852 $z. It has been suggested that field 562, "Copy and Version Identification Note" a field I was barely aware of and have never used, might be an alternative for this kind of information. (See http://www.loc.gov/marc/bibliographic/bd562.html if you are as ignorant of this field as I was). However, although the examples do seem to include notes similar to those above it seems to me that this field's purpose is different (differentiation between copies rather than the history of individual copies). I would be grateful to hear of other libraries' practice in this area.

I suggest you reply to me off-list, and I will summarise for the list if people are interested.

Many thanks,

Will Hale.
--
William Hale.

Rare Books Department,
Cambridge University Library,
West Road, Cambridge, CB3 9DR.<http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/deptserv/rarebooks/index.html>

Telephone: (+44) (0)1223 333122
Email: William.Hale at lib.cam.ac.uk<mailto:William.Hale at lib.cam.ac.uk>

1416-2016: Celebrating 600 Years of Cambridge University Library<http://www.lib.cam.ac.uk/600>
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