Introduction

Archival Moving Image Materials: A Cataloging Manual (AMIM) and this second edition (AMIM2) provide rules for the cataloging of archival moving image materials, both film and video. AMIM2 is a thorough revision and expansion of the first edition.

Archival materials are those materials intended to be kept so that they may be available for future generations, regardless of their age at the time of acquisition. Their origin or provenance is a key element in any understanding of their significance. Their historical context shows their relation to other works, and in cases of works with multiple manifestations, the development of individual works. AMIM2 emphasizes the tracing of the history of works and their relationships to other works. Knowledge of the historical context and development of materials is essential to their preservation.

This manual has been developed and written within the framework of the International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD) and Chapter 7 of the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd edition (AACR2). The general introduction to AACR2 states that the rules "are not specifically intended for specialist and archival libraries, but such libraries are recommended to use the rules as the basis of their cataloguing and to augment their provisions as necessary."

These rules diverge from AACR2 in four major ways: filmographic data for the original manifestation of the work is used as the basis for cataloging all subsequent manifestations of that work; multiple lines of physical description are used in one record to describe separate sets of elements for the same work or its manifestations; rereleases and reissues are combined on the same bibliographic record with the original manifestation of that work; and instead of a chief source of information, this manual prescribes a preferred source of information.

When applying AMIM2, catalogers will need to interpret the rules and exercise judgment. If archives determine that such interpretations should be applied consistently, they should record them in documentation, such as local rule interpretations and policies.

Guidance in choosing name, subject, genre, and title access points is provided in Appendix A. AACR2 provides rules for the formulation of name headings in Chapters 22 through 24. The Subject Headings Manual and the Library of Congress Subject Headings provide guidance for the choice and formulation of subject headings. For guidance on applying genre and form terms, a standard list, such as The Moving Image Genre-Form Guide or Moving Image Materials: Genre Terms, may be used.

Revision Process

Changes in the Second Edition