[DCRM-L] Illustrative content for facsimiles?

[Deborah J. Leslie]

I discover to my surprise that "illumination" is a specified optional term for illustrative content<https://access.rdatoolkit.org/en-US_ala-126a56dc-d07f-34bf-9e42-0bfa48a3e574/9ec914cf-c8c4-467f-88e9-ed5efcbe74fb> in the official toolkit; even AMREMM 5C2 instructs the cataloger to use "illustration" in the physical description and to describe details in a note if desired.

Since it's optional, you get to choose. I don't see any obstacle to using illumination(s) in 300$b, but I would consider how its inclusion in the 300 might affect researcher expectations. In any case, you'd be wise to make a note explaining that the facsimiles are in fact illuminated.

I defer to those better acquainted with medieval manuscripts, facsimiles, and user expectations.

Deborah J Leslie, M.A., M.L.S. | Senior Cataloger | Folger Shakespeare Library | djleslie at folger.edu<mailto:djleslie at folger.edu> | Opinions her own



________________________________
From: Thumy Webb <thumy.webb at rice.edu>
Sent: Monday, March 16, 2026 11:49
To: DCRM Users' Group <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>
Cc: Deborah J. Leslie <DJLeslie at FOLGER.edu>
Subject: Re: [DCRM-L] Illustrative content for facsimiles?

I am using RDA, and I did not mention that gold leaf is applied to the facsimiles.

--Thumy

On Fri, Mar 13, 2026 at 12:48 PM Deborah J. Leslie via DCRM-L <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu<mailto:dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>> wrote:
Which cataloging code are you using? And are you saying that gold leaf is applied to the facsimiles?


Deborah J Leslie, 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<mailto:dcrm-l-bounces at lib.byu.edu>> on behalf of Thumy Webb via DCRM-L <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu<mailto:dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>>
Sent: Tuesday, March 10, 2026 12:50
To: dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu<mailto:dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu> <dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu<mailto:dcrm-l at lib.byu.edu>>
Cc: Thumy Webb <thumy.webb at rice.edu<mailto:thumy.webb at rice.edu>>
Subject: [DCRM-L] Illustrative content for facsimiles?

Hello hivemind, I hope it's okay to ask a rare materials-adjacent question here.

My library recently purchased a couple of facsimiles of illuminated manuscripts and I'm not sure how to code the illustrative content.

The pages of the facsimile volumes consist of printed photos of the original manuscripts, with gold leaf applied in the appropriate places.

Would I use "illuminations" in the 300 $b and fixed fields for a facsimile copy?

--Thumy


_____________________________________
Thumy Webb, Original Cataloging Librarian
Fondren Library · Rice University · Houston, TX (GMT-6)
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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