Scope: This is a handy-reference list of the order in which to arrange 5xx notes in catalog records for rare print materials.  For details on notes, see Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Books),  p.127-148.

Contact: Margaret Nichols

Unit: Cataloging & Metadata Services

Date last reviewed:   

Date of next review: May 2025

Nature and scope of the work
Examples:
500 Book review.
500 Reply to Christine de Pisane's City of ladies (1473).

500 Poems.

500 Prospectus.


Language/translation
Examples:

500 Translation of: The wind in the willows.

500 Parallel text in Catalan and English.

500 Text in English, French, Russian, and Chinese.


Title
Examples:
500 Caption title.
500 Volume 2 has title: Der strenge Meister und seine Tochter.

500 Published in Great Britain under title: ...

500 Previous edition published under title: ...


Responsibility for the work
Examples:

500 Attributed to Frederick Douglass.

500 Illustrated by ... (if the illustrator is known but is not named on cover or title page)


Publication note
Examples:
500 Volume 2 has imprint: London: Smith & Elder, 1873.
500 No more published.

500 Volume 1 published in 1782, volume 2 in 1777, volume 3 in 1779, and volume 4 in 1778.


Physical description
Examples:
500 Last page incorrectly numbered 153.
500 Printed in double columns.


Bibliography or bibliographical references (504 field)
Examples:

504 Bibliography: pages 173-174.

504 Includes bibliographical references.

 

References (510 field, used to cite a bibliography where the book is described)
Example: 510 4 Fowler, M.  Petrarch, $c page 127, Pet G 104


Notes concerning the contents of the work
Examples:
500 Includes index. 
500 "Petrarch and Laura": pages 204-210.


Formal contents note (505 field)
Example: 505 0 1. Introduction -- 2. The young Petrarch --  3. Petrarch's early poetry -- 5. Petrarch's poetic achievement -- 6. Death of Petrarch

"Bound with" note (for titles issued together)

Example: 501 Bound with: New experiments physico-mechanical, touching the spring of the air, and its effects ... / By the Honorable Robert Boyle Esq;. [2nd ed.]  Oxford : Printed by H. Hall, printer to the University, for Tho. Robinson, 1662. -- An examen of Mr. T. Hobbes his Dialogus physicus de naturâ aëris. As far as it concerns Mr. R. Boyle's book of New experiments ... / by the author of those experiments.  London : Printed by J.G. for Thomas Robinson ..., 1662. Issued together.

For titles issued separately and bound together after publication, put the "Bound with" note on the holdings record in FOLIO, since it's a copy-specific note in this case.

 

Gift note (holdings note in FOLIO) (Note type: Source of acquisition)

For more information, see LTS Procedure 149, Gift Notes.