[DCRM-L] When to create a new record?

Sun Oct 19 23:49:52 MDT 2025

Putting on my teacher/trainer headgear here: In the hand-press period (1450-approximately 1830), how a book is bound is always copy-specific. That means a difference in how two copies are bound is irrelevant to how the book was issued (which is what you're cataloging), which in turn means that your two copies are of the same edition/issue and belong on the same record. One copy is imperfect (lacking the portrait), and has significant copy-specific characteristics (interleaved and in two volumes).

Backing up a bit, the record you chose (OCLC #2185758) isn't necessarily the best record to attach your copies to. Even though it's DLC DLC, it's neither an AACR2 nor RDA record. Something for you to investigate 🙂

Please feel free to reach out if you'd like more guidance!

Best,
Deborah

______________________
Deborah J Leslie [cid:6b856228-f65d-4f3d-902d-618634ac879c] , M.A., M.L.S. | Senior Cataloger | Folger Shakespeare Library | djleslie at folger.edu<mailto:djleslie at folger.edu> | Opinions her own

________________________________
From: DCRM-L <dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu> on behalf of Karen Attar via DCRM-L <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>
Sent: Thursday, October 16, 2025 3:43 AM
To: jcsherwood at law.berkeley.edu <jcsherwood at law.berkeley.edu>; DCRM Users' Group <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>
Cc: Karen Attar <karen.attar at london.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] When to create a new record?

Apologies, Thumy and all, for being overly zealous – I answered the query before seeing Jessie’s excellent and fuller response.

Best wishes,

Karen

Dr Karen Attar

Curator of Rare Books and University Art

Senate House Library, University of London

Senate House

Malet St

London WC1E 7HU

Tel. 020 7862 8472

https://research.london.ac.uk/search/fellow/516/dr-karen-attar/

From: DCRM-L <dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu> On Behalf Of Jessie Sherwood via DCRM-L
Sent: 15 October 2025 21:29
To: DCRM Users' Group <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>; thumy.webb at rice.edu
Cc: Jessie Sherwood <jcsherwood at law.berkeley.edu>
Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] When to create a new record?

Dear Thumy,

We get a fair number of interleaved books.

If the interleaved pages are blank or mostly blank, I would not make a second record for the interleaved version, since it was presumably interleaved when it was bound rather than when it was published (unless you can find evidence to the contrary). I would use the same OCLC record for both items and add a local note indicating that copy # is missing the portrait, includes X number of blank or mostly blank leaves, and is bound in two volumes.

If the interleaved pages were heavily annotated, however, I might create a separate manuscript record for the interleavings with a 501 noting that it is bound with copy # Principia. Then I would put both copies of the Principia on the OCLC record, add a local note indicating that copy # is missing the portrait and bound with the manuscript in two volumes, and then link the item records for the manuscript and copy # of the Principia in my ILS. If that makes sense?

Best,

Jessie

On Wed, Oct 15, 2025 at 12:57 PM Thumy Webb via DCRM-L <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu<mailto:dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>> wrote:

Hello,

I don't often catalog rare materials (sadly!) and am looking for some advice.

I have two copies of Newton's Principia from 1726. One copy appears to be the volume described in OCLC #2185758. The second copy also appears to be the one described in that OCLC record except it was bound as two separate volumes with blanks interleaved, and is missing the portrait.

Should I make a new bib record for the interleaved version? Do I use the same OCLC record for both copies and explain the interleaving (is that a word?) in a local note? Something else?

Thanks for any advice/opinions you can provide!

--Thumy

_____________________________________

Thumy Webb, Original Cataloging Librarian

Fondren Library · Rice University · Houston, TX

thumy.webb at rice.edu<mailto:thumy.webb at rice.edu> · 713-348-2604

Schedule a meeting with me in Google Calendar<https://calendar.app.google/ZYPnSA9rRVW5PWgM9>

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Jessie Sherwood

Associate Librarian

The Robbins Collection and Research Center

University of California Berkeley, School of Law

Tel: 510.643.1236

jcsherwood at law.berkeley.edu<mailto:jcsherwood at law.berkeley.edu>

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