260  Publication, Distribution, Etc. (Imprint) (R)  (Variable Data Field)

Field definition and scope:

Field 260 contains information relating to the publication, printing, distribution, issue, release, or production of a work.

For unpublished items or materials that are collectively controlled, this field may not be included in a record or may contain only subfield $c (Date of publication, distribution, etc.).

Information in field 260 is similar to information in field 264 (Production, Publication, Distribution, Manufacture, and Copyright Notice).  Field 260 is useful for cases where the content standard or institutional policies used do not make a distinction between functions.

The National level record requirement for this field is Mandatory if applicable; for serials it is Mandatory.

Field 260 is repeatable.

Guidelines for applying content designators:

All data elements are separately subfield coded except:

qualifiers and subscription addresses added to place names

statements of the function of the publisher, printer, distributor, etc.

adjacent dates of publication, distribution, etc. data (including dates preceded by the word distributed or the term i.e.)

The data in this field are customarily entered as specified by various cataloging rules.  In records formulated following cataloging rules based on International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD) principles, a relationship exists between prescribed ISBD punctuation and the identification of specific subfield data.  AACR 2 formulated bibliographic records follow ISBD principles for description and punctuation.  Most of the examples in this section illustrate the prescribed ISBD punctuation associated with specific subfields.

For indicator and subfield code definitions and examples, National-level (NLR) and Minimal-level (MLR) record requirements, and designator repeatability, see table below:

Input conventions:

Punctuation

Spacing

Temporary data

Content designator history:

First Indicator - Presence of publisher in imprint  (BK MP MU SE)  [obsolete, 1990]:  The use of the first indicator to indicate the presence of publisher in the imprint was made obsolete in 1990.  The values were:  0 (Publisher, distributor, etc. is present) and 1 (Publisher, distributor, etc. not present).

First Indicator - Sequence of publishing statements  [redefined, 2001]

Second Indicator - Added entry/publisher relationship  (SE)  [obsolete, 1990]:  The use of the second indicator to indicate the added entry/publisher relationship was made obsolete in 1990.  The values were:  0 (Publisher, distributor, etc. not same as issuing body in added entry) and 1 (Publisher, distributor, etc. same as issuing body in added entry).

Subfield $d - Plate or publisher's number for music (Pre-AACR 2)  [obsolete, 1981, CAN/MARC only]  [local, 1999, USMARC only]:  In 1980, the use of subfield $d was restricted to pre-AACR 2 records for music.  At that time, field 028 (Publisher or Distributor Number) was defined for the data in field 260 subfield $d in AACR 2 cataloging.  In MARC 21, this subfield is described in Appendix H: Local Data Elements.

Subfield $k - Identification/manufacturer number  [obsolete, 1988]  [CAN/MARC only]

Subfield $l - Matrix and/or take number  [obsolete, 1988]  [CAN/MARC only]

Subfield $3 - Materials specified  [new, 2001]:  Subfield $3 was defined to differentiate the multiple statements of the described materials to which the field applies.

In 2001, field 260 was changed from Not repeatable (NR) to Repeatable (R) to account for publisher changes over time.

In 2004, subfields $e, $f, and $g were made repeatable for archival materials.

Related MARC field or document:

028  Publisher or Distributor Number

See also:

25X-29X  Edition, Imprint, Etc. Fields

Variable Data Fields