Scope: This document describes the differences between cataloging a bound manuscript and cataloging a book or loose manuscripts. If a given field is not mentioned below, treat it the same as you would when cataloging a book. For further details on how different fields are used, see Procedure 91, Details on Fields Used in Manuscript Cataloging.
Contact: Margaret Nichols
Unit: Cataloging & Metadata Services in RMC
Date last updated:
Date of next review: January 2019
Bibliographic Records
Leader
Type of record: t Bibliographic Level: m
008 field
Publication status: s for single date, m for a range of dates (beginning date goes in Date 1, ending date in Date 2), or q for a questionable date (with the beginning date of the probable date range in Date 1, and the end date of the probable date range in Date 2).
Place of publication: enter the country code for where the manuscript comes from.
040 field: $a NIC $b eng $c NIC $e dcrmmss
We now use DCRM(MSS) (Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Manuscripts)), freely available at http://rbms.info.dcrm/dcrmmss, when describing a single manuscript or small collection (roughly 10 or fewer items), whether bound or unbound.
099 _9 field: Local call number
Put the collection number and bound manuscript number here, e.g. 4605 Bd. Ms. 1. You need not include the size designation here.
Overall, follow the LTS Procedure for cataloging a single manuscript. Below is the information that is specific to bound manuscripts.
Specifics for bound manuscripts
300 field
If the pages are unnumbered, it's usually sufficient to describe the extent of the item as "1 volume" (or "(number) volumes" for a multivol). Do not abbreviate; spell out "volume," "pages," etc. If the manuscript has numbered leaves or pages, it's helpful to also give the extent in terms of the number of leaves or pages. If the pages are not numbered, you may give an approximate total number of leaves or pages. If the text of the manuscript ends before the last numbered page, give the number of the last numbered page in the 300 field and make a 500 note about the blank pages at the end (e.g. "Pages 50-75 are blank").
Examples:
300 1 volume.
300 1 volume (164 pages).
300 1 volume (approximately 400 leaves).
300 6 volumes.
You also have the option to mention illustrations, if the manuscript is illustrated, and physical dimensions. For a bound manuscript, if you choose to give its dimensions, give height x width of the binding in centimeters. If the dimensions of the manuscript itself differ significantly from the dimensions of its binding, specify both if considered important.
If the manuscript consists of multiple volumes of different sizes, give the dimensions of the largest volume, followed by the words "or smaller."
For more details on the extent statement, see DCRM(MSS) 5B-5E.
561 field: Provenance (coded with first indicator 1 to display to the public)
Use this field for the provenance note if the item has a signature, bookplate, stamp, etc. with a previous owner's name, or the previous owner is known based on other evidence. There's no need to code this or other item-specific notes in the bib record with a $5 NIC at the end; because this is a manuscript, all the notes are item-specific notes, and in fact the whole bib record is at the item level as well as the work level.
561 1_ Provenance: Joseph R. White (bookplate).
561 1_ Provenance: Formerly part of the Duveen Lavoisier collection.
Note: Use LC subject headings as usual, but don't use "special files fields" for the date or place of the work (650 _4 or 651 _4). We use those fields for printed works, not for manuscripts.
655 _7 field: Form/genre or other thesaurus terms
Form/genre terms for manuscripts can be drawn from the Art & Architecture Thesaurus or (less commonly) from RBMS Genre Terms. We subdivide RBMS terms by country and century (or by country and decade for common 20th-century genres such as novels). "Diaries" is a valid term in both thesauri, but it's helpful to use the RBMS version so you can subdivide it by country and century (we have many, many diaries). See the LTS Procedure on special files fields for more information.
Examples:
655 _7 Diaries $z Germany $y 20th century. $2 rbgenr
655 _7 Photograph albums. $2 aat
If the item has an especially interesting binding or the like, you can use a term from one of the other RBMS Controlled Vocabularies to describe it, as you would for a book. See LTS Procedure 88, "Thesaurus Terms Commonly Used for Rare Books."
Example:
655 _7 Clasps (Binding). $2 rbbin
7xx field
Make added entries for co-creators of the manuscript, or other contributors such as editors, translators, copyists, etc. If the volume is a letterbook, for example, trace the compiler of the letterbook as the creator in a 100 field, and the predominant correspondents in 700 fields.
If the volume has a bookplate, signature, inscription, stamp, etc. of a former owner, besides adding a note in the 561 field, trace the former owner's name in a 700 or 710 field with the appropriate $e at the end:
$e former owner
$e signer
$e inscriber
$e associated name (use this when the person's relation to the manuscript is unclear)
The $e terms are MARC or RDA relator terms.
Example: 700 1_ Dejours, Pierre, $e former owner.
Holdings Records
852 8_ $b [location, usually rmc] $k [sublocation, usually Archives] $h [collection no.] Bd. Ms. [no.] $m [size designation if oversize or tiny]
In general, for RMC bound manuscripts, use the location $b rmc $k Archives.
If there is only one bound manuscript in this collection, make it Bd. Ms. 1. Additional bound manuscripts may be added to the collection in the future.
Examples:
852 8_ $b rmc $k Archives $h 4600 Bd. Ms. 53 $m ++
852 8_ $b rmc,hsci $k Lavoisier $h 4712 Bd. Ms. 24
If you have a multivolume manuscript, use 852 81 and add an 866 field as you would for a book.
Example:
852 81 $brmc,hsci $k Lavoisier $h 4712 Bd. Ms. 27
866 41 $8 0 $av.1-4
Code the Leader and 008 fields on the holdings record for a multivolume manuscript as you would for a multivolume book:
Leader
Type of record: v Encoding level: 4
008
Receipt status: 2 if we have the complete set of volumes, 5 if we don't
Completeness: 1 if the set is complete, 2 if it isn't