[Revised: March/April 2020, KJN]
Manuscripts
AMREMM (Descriptive cataloging of ancient, medieval, Renaissance, and early modern manuscripts) - Used primarily for describing manuscripts of pre-modern, scriptorium era.There is also a copy located in the SC area: TEC Z695.5 P37 2003.
DCRM(MSS) - Provides guidelines and instructions for the description of individual textual manuscripts. The term "manuscript" includes unpublished textual items.
EXAMPLES:
INCUNABULA (items produced prior to 1501) & PRE-1800 MATERIAL
As noted, provenance is important. All invoices, e-mails, dealer descriptions etc. which accompany the item are printed and retained for/in Special Collections.) ALL SC RECORDS MUST INCLUDE A FORMATTED 561 1_ for this data.
For regular purchases:
Purchased from [xxxx] on the [xxxx] Fund, 2020. ‡5 CaBViV
561 1/ ‡3 Special Collections copy: ‡a Gift of Robert Youds, 2019. ‡5 CaBViV
Include the copyright date in 264_4 and in 008, whenever available.
Include a date in all SC call numbers. In this context, when working with added SC copies, watch for earlier copies which according to former practice, do NOT include dates. Do add the date in the holdings for the earlier copy immediately, and include a note with the current copy, to John Frederick, asking him to add a date to the original copy. This does not apply to copies in locations other than SC.
Locations:
(sc) | Max. Height: 32 cm | Max. Depth: 22 cm |
(sc) ova | Max. Height: 39 cm | Max. Depth: 30 cm |
(sc) ovb | Max. Height: 51 cm | Max. Depth: 38 cm |
(sc) ovc | Greater than 63 x 57 cm |
ANATOMY OF A BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD
This is a general breakdown of a record catalogued for Special Collections. RDA cataloging and fast subject headings are used.
Catalogue record:
ESTC record:
Online record:
Cataloging: major fields:
245 | Full title transcribed as it appears on item. |
250 | Known to be first edition but not stated on item. |
264 |
Imprint transcribed in full with address. Technically you could use a 264-1 (London : …for Charles Dilly, in the Poultry) and a 264-3 (London : Printed by Henry Baldwin) but it is more confusing. As per DCRM(B) 4D2.1 - the date is transcribed in Roman numerals as it is found on the item (as per DCRM(B) 4D2.1). Do not include punctuation or spaces. Example: $c MDCCXLIV [1744] (on piece: M. DCC. XLIV.) |
340 |
#m [book format] #2rdabf is used when known. It is often in the record for older books, previously in the 300 field. |
500 | For notes of any type. Pagination, signatures, errors in pagination, plates, engravers, etc. |
510 |
This is citations/reference note field. This is used for ESTC numbers and any other sources available. |
561 |
Gift or purchase note field. Example: 561 1# $a Gift of Gordon Fulton, 2019. $5 CaBViV |
563 |
Describe the book in hand. Add appropriate notes about limitation number, variant state, etc. (See Description of material (563) document for more information) |
600-651 | LCSH |
655 | Genres in LC and FAST. Include RBMS Controlled Vocabularies as appropriate |
700 | All associated names: bookseller, printer, artists, engravers etc. |
This field is used to describe everything about the item in hand. This includes the binding itself, any bookplates, labels, autographs, inscriptions, annotations, marginal remarks, limitation number, etc. It includes dust jackets. See Dustjackets document for examples. These are what make a book unique. Trace any names if possible (owner, bookseller, binder, designers etc.)
Every book should have a 563 field, even new items.
The 563 field must end in ‡5CaBViV
Example: 563 ## ‡aRebound in quarter green morocco, marbled paper boards.‡5CaBViV
If appropriate, also add: 650 #0 Bookbinding‡vSpecimens.
DUST JACKETS
Many of the items that go to Special Collections come with a dust jacket. Items have more value if this is with the book. The inclusion or lack of a dust jacket should be noted in the 563 field as part of the description. In older records it may appear in a 500 note. If the designer is listed, trace as a 700 1 with #e book jacket designer. No need to trace corporate design companies.
EXAMPLES
See Web Sources document for links to various sites dealing with dust jackets.
When cataloging a book published before 1801, search for the item in the ESTC database.
If the exact item is found, add the ESTC Citation number to the bibliographic record in the 510 field.
Do not include leading zeros in the ESTC number.
For example, ESTC R019768 should be recorded as: 510 4_ ‡a ESTC, ‡c R19768.
Add a pink ESTC flag to the item to indicate to SC that there is an ESTC number in the record. Do not write the ESTC number on the flag.
SC will add UVic holdings to ESTC.
Example:
[revised 2022-04-13 LD]
DECORATIVE BINDINGS COLLECTION
In 2016, material with decorative bindings that were located in the main stacks were identified and transferred to Special Collections.
In order to keep track of these items, a $x note was added to the 852:
852 00 ‡b sc ‡h PR8533 ‡i F55 ‡i 1902 ‡x Decorative bindings collection (Knowles)
The information in the parentheses included: designer, style (e.g. Art Deco; Floral), unknown, unsigned. If there was no information available, only the collection name was added.
A holdings Boolean search in Voyager can be used to find this collection. However, as the $x is a non-public note, there is no way to search this in OPAC.
June 9, 2020 Decision (HD/LD)
DO NOT USE: 852 $x Decorative bindings collection (XXX)
Instead, include appropriate RBMS Controlled Vocabulary terms in the bibliographic record.
Example:
PDFs
Most of these are old reference books which we may not have in print. They are useful for names etc., and authority work.
Web Sources
General Information:
Editions, printings:
Sources for Authority Work:
Dating Items:
Authors:
Publishers:
Bindings - Description, etc.:
Binding Designers - Single Designer:
Binding Designers - Multiple Designers:
Genres and Broad Databases:
Bookplates, Dust Jackets, Illustrators:
Engravers:
Military:
Heraldry:
Metadata will add, when appropriate, RBMS (Rare Books and Manuscripts Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries) Controlled Vocabularies to bibliographic records for rare and unique printed materials in Special Collections.
Background
The RBMS vocabularies are developed and controlled by the RBMS Bibliographic Standards Committee and provide a standardized vocabulary for the description of rare books by form, genre, and/or other physical characteristics including binding, paper, printing and publishing evidence, provenance evidence, and type evidence. These characteristics are of particular interest to some researchers and will aid in the discoverability of the unique and special aspects of the Special Collections rare book collection.
The Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books) standards recommend the addition of RBMS terms for full-level records. In addition, many libraries, such as the American Antiquarian Society, the Folger Shakespeare Library, and the Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library at Yale University, are already incorporating the RBMS vocabularies into their descriptive cataloguing of special collections.
As per the June 10, 2020 meeting minutes for the RBMS Controlled Vocabularies Editorial Group, work is underway to publish these vocabularies as part of the Library of Congress Linked Data Service (id.loc.gov). The PCC also has this listed as Strategic Direction 5.2 for 2018-2021: “Institute a process for endorsing vocabularies for PCC use, developing best practices and documentation … [with] specialist communities (ACRL Rare Books and Manuscripts Section …)”
Use of RBMS Controlled Vocabularies
The RBMS Controlled Vocabularies will be used for the following types of Special Collections printed materials:
Apply terms as appropriate and only if readily ascertainable.
RBMS Thesaurus |
Source Code $2 |
Parenthetical Qualifier |
Geographic Subdivision |
Chronological Subdivision |
Website |
Add $5 CaBViV |
Example(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Genre Terms |
rbgenr |
[none] |
Do not subdivide |
Do not subdivide |
Introduction
|
No |
655 #7 ‡a Books of hours. ‡2 rbgenr 655 #7 ‡a Emblem books. ‡2 rbgenr |
Binding Terms |
rbbin |
(Binding) |
Do not subdivide |
Do not subdivide |
Introduction
|
Yes |
655 #7 ‡a Gilt edges (Binding) ‡2 rbbin ‡5 CaBViV 655 #7 ‡a Armorial bindings (Binding) ‡z France ‡y 18th century. ‡2 rbbin ‡5 CaBViV |
Paper Terms |
rbpap |
(Paper) |
Do not subdivide |
Do not subdivide |
Introduction
|
Yes |
655 #7 ‡a Vellum (Paper) ‡2 rbpap ‡5 CaBViV 655 #7 ‡a British marbled papers (Paper) ‡2 rbpap ‡5 CaBViV |
Printing & Publishing Evidence |
rbpri
|
(Printing)
|
Do not subdivide |
Do not subdivide |
Introduction
|
Yes |
655 #7 ‡a Miniature books (Printing) ‡2 rbpri ‡5 CaBViV 655 #7 ‡a Privately published books (Publishing) ‡2 rbpub ‡5 CaBViV |
Provenance Evidence |
rbprov |
(Provenance) |
Do not subdivide |
Do not subdivide |
Introduction
|
Yes |
655 #7 ‡a Autographs (Provenance) ‡2 rbprov ‡5 CaBViV 655 #7 ‡a Bookplates (Provenance) ‡2 rbprov ‡5 CaBViV |
Type Evidence |
rbtyp |
(Type evidence) |
Do not subdivide |
Do not subdivide |
Introduction
|
Yes |
655 #7 ‡a Old Style types (Type evidence) ‡2 rbtyp ‡5 CaBViV 655 #7 ‡a Black letter types (Type evidence) ‡2 rbtyp ‡5 CaBViV |
Resources
The following are resources that may aid in the assigning of terms:
Binding Terms:
Paper Terms:
Provenance Evidence:
Printing and Publishing:
Examples: