Cataloger's Reference Shelf
Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Books, 2nd Edition
Cataloger's Reference Shelf
Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Books, 2nd Edition
II. Relationship to Other Standards (Introduction)
II.1. AACR2, ISBD(A), and other cataloging documentation
As a revision of DCRB, DCRM(B) is based on AACR2 as amended by the Library of Congress Rule Interpretations (LCRI), as well as on the second edition of ISBD(A). The Library of Congress authorizes DCRM(B) as its interpretation of AACR2, 2.12-18. DCRM(B) deviates in substance from AACR2 and LCRI only when required by the particular descriptive needs of rare materials. In matters of style, presentation, wording, and subarrangement within areas, DCRM(B) follows its own conventions.
Refer to AACR2 and LCRI for guidance and instructions on matters of description not covered in DCRM(B). The relevant sections of AACR2 and LCRI must be consulted for rules governing name and uniform title headings to be used as access points for authors, editors, illustrators, printers, series, etc. For subject headings, numerous controlled vocabularies are available; within the United States, the subject headings of the Library of Congress are widely used. Consult classification documentation for assignment of call numbers. For genre/form headings, consult the various specialized thesauri issued by the RBMS Bibliographic Standards Committee. Terms from other authorized thesauri (e.g., the Art & Architecture Thesaurus Online) may also be used as appropriate.
MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data is the presumed format for presentation and communication of machine-readable cataloging. Use of DCRM(B), however, need not be restricted to a machine environment, and MARC 21 is not mandatory. Examples in the body of DCRM(B) are shown using ISBD punctuation; use of MARC 21 coding appears only in some of the appendixes. Catalogers using MARC 21 should follow MARC 21 documentation for input, and be aware of how their bibliographic systems interpret MARC 21 codes to automatically generate display features. This usually means, for example, that the cataloger omits punctuation between areas, parentheses enclosing a series statement, and certain words prefacing formal notes.
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