5B. Notes (Note Area)

A general outline of types of notes follows; notes other than those provided for may be made if desired. Specific applications of many of these notes are provided in the preceding sections. Make notes as called for in the following subrules, and, generally, in the order in which they are listed here. When appropriate, combine two or more notes to make one note. Institutional policy may dictate the order of notes.

5B1. Source of title proper:

Always make a note on the source of the title proper transcribed from a reference source; record the source also when the title proper has been taken from accessories to the material even if they form part of the chief source of information.

Examples

5B2. Variations in title:

Make notes on titles borne by the material other than the one chosen as the title proper. Make a note on variations found in reference sources, if it helps to identify the material.

Examples

5B3. Parallel titles and other title information:

Make notes on parallel titles appearing on the material that have not been transcribed in the body of the entry; also give other title information appearing on the material, if considered important.

5B4. Continuation of title:

If desirable, complete the transcription if the title proper and/or other title information was abridged in the description.

Example

5B5. Translation of foreign title:

If desirable, give the translation of a foreign language title.

Example

5B6. Picture caption:

When the pictorial element of a single work with text (e.g., a poster or broadside) has a distinctive caption independent of the chosen title, give it in a note introduced by the words "Picture caption." Headings and mottoes may be similarly described with the appropriate label.

Examples

5B7. Statements of Responsibility

5B8. Publication, State, and Edition

5B9. Physical Description/Condition

5B10. Accompanying material:

Make notes on accompanying material that is not described in the physical description area.

Examples

5B11. Series:

Make notes regarding series titles, incomplete series (see also 3B3), and of numbers or letters that imply a series.

Examples

5B12. References to published descriptions:

Give references to the best or fullest published description of a work or collection.

Cite a published source when it would substantiate information provided by the cataloger or when it would provide a more detailed description of the material being cataloged.

Give references to published descriptions in catalogues raisonnés or authoritative checklists in a standard and abbreviated form. Generally, for catalogues raisonnés only the surname of the compiler and the entry number are necessary for the citation.

Examples

5B13. Characteristics of original of photographic copy or photomechanical print:

If desirable, give the location of the original work(s) and the dimensions, if the information is readily available.

Examples

5B14. Subject description:

Use this note, introduced by the word "Subject" (followed by a colon), for an objective narrative summary of a collection or for clarification of the content, meaning, or iconography of a single item. Information that places the material in a proper context and conjectural statements may be included. Extrapolations, conjectures, and educated guesses should be clearly indicated by wording or a question mark.

For a collection include, as appropriate: date or span dates and bulk dates depicted; the most significant topic(s), event(s), person(s), place(s), etc.; arrangement; and remarks on printed or handwritten explanatory or identifying text and the language. [ : date or span dates and bulk dates are placed in the physical description area.]

Use this note also to describe the functional type(s) of the material, e.g., poster, broadside, snapshot, studio portrait, slide, etc.

5B15. Biographical/historical note:

Record any significant information on the creator or collector of the material required to make the nature or scope of the materials clear. For persons this may include place of birth and domicile, occupations, information on original and maiden names or pseudonyms, significant accomplishments, place of death, etc. For corporate bodies, include information on the functions, purpose, and history of the body, its administrative hierarchy, and earlier, variant, or successor names.

5B16. Arrangement:

When the general arrangement of a collection is not given elsewhere, make a note on that arrangement, specifying the structure and order of the materials in the unit being cataloged.

Example

5B17. Contents:

If desirable, make a note of the specific contents of a collection having titled parts. Introduce this note by "Contents" or "Partial contents," as appropriate, followed by a colon. Separate each part by space, dash, space ( -- ).

Example

5B18. Finding aids to collections:

Make a note on any guides the respository may have to the organization and contents of a collection. If the guide has been published, make a standard bibliographic citation for it. Note also the existence of other related unpublished material, such as indexes, card catalogs, caption lists, lecture notes, and checklists, which are not actually located with the collection.

Examples

5B19. Numbers or letters borne by the material:

If desirable, make a note of important numbers borne by the material other than those associated with a series title, such as collectors numbers, plate numbers, negative numbers, etc. (see also 5B8.2 and 5B26).

5B20. Publication and other uses of the material:

Make notes relating to subsequent publication and other uses of the material, if considered important.

Examples

5B21. Relationship note:

When the item or unit being cataloged is related by provenance or hierarchy to a larger unit or collection, give the title or other designation (if the collection of unit does not have a distinctive title) for the larger unit or collection. In addition, indicate the relationship of the material being cataloged to the unit of which it is a part using the phrases "Forms part of" for collection or unit level description, and "In" for item analysis. (See also 5B8.3.)

Examples

5B22. Addition note:

When an addition to an already cataloged collection is being recorded as a separate record, make an addition note (see also 3B2.)

Example

5B23. "With" note:

When cataloging as separate records two or more separately titled images on a single support or parts either bound together or in one container, make a note of the other images or parts.

Examples

5B24. Terms of Access, Use, and Reproduction

5B25. Provenance:

If considered significant, make a note on the history of the custody of the material being cataloged. For those who have left their marks on prints and drawings, give the designation if identified in Lugt, Les marques de collections de dessin & d’estampes, Amsterdam, 1921, and supplements. If desirable, add the year or years of ownership to the name of a previous owner. It may be appropriate for clarity to introduce this note by the word "Provenance" followed by a colon. When the provenance and source (see 5B26) are the same, do not make this note, but record the information in the source note.

Examples

5B26. Source:

Record how the material was acquired (i.e., gift, purchase, deposit, transfer, etc.) and the donor or source (i.e., the immediate prior custodian). Unless this information is confidential, follow the status statement with the source and date of acquisition. In addition, the donor’s relationship to the material may be indicated. For cataloging purposes, the source of material acquired through purchase may be omitted. Add the year or years of accession (and the accession number, if desirable) to the name of the donor or source. When the source is unknown, state this.

Examples

See also:

5. Note Area