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https://confluence.cornell.edu/x/I3rHFScope: This procedure gives bare-bones instructions for cataloging a single manuscript according to the standard Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (Manuscripts), aka DCRM(MSS), whose text is available at http://rbms.info/dcrm/dcrmmss . This procedure assumes that the bib record will be created in OCLC, while the holdings and item records will be created in VoyagerFOLIO.
Contact: Margaret Nichols
Unit: RMC
Date last updated: 03/05/2020
Date of next review: October 20202025
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Anchor A A
A. Fixed fields
| A | |
| A |
Note: Fixed fields not listed below are left blank.
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Type (Type of record): t (for manuscript text) or p (for mixed material)
BLvl (Bibliographic level): m (for individual item ) or c (for collection) [NB: OCLC accepts only c if the type of record is p]or just a few items)
Desc (Descriptive cataloging form): a
ELvl (Encoding level): I (capital I ("eye"blank (for full), for full)or 7 for a minimal-level record
Srce (Cataloging source): d (other)
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Fest (Festschrift): 0
LitF (Literary form): 0 if not fiction,or 1 if fiction
DtSt (Type of date/publication status): m for a range of dates, s for a single date, q for questionable date(s)
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Ctry (Country): use appropriate MARC country code for the place of production, not for the location of the repository as prescribed in DACS
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Anchor B B
B. Variable fields [ _ used to denote blank indicators; bolded fields are required if applicable]
| B | |
| B |
040 __ COO $b eng $c COO $e dcrmmss (Note: OCLC will fill in $a, $c, and also $e rda; delete that, add $b, and add $e dcrmmss at the end)
099 _9 Collection number--required by RMC9 Collection number (optional)
1xx x_ Creator [100 1_ for individual, 100 3_ for family, 110 for corporate body, etc.]
Note: the creator is the one who creates the intellectual content of the item. So for a manuscript by person A which is copied by person B, the creator is still person still person A, even though person B was B was responsible for the physical production of the manuscript copy.
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264 _0 $a Place of production, $c date(s) of production. Place and date are normalized (given in modern form). See DCRM(MSS) 4B-4C.
300 __ Extent [usually in cubic feet or number of items or volumes; do not use abbreviations] : $b illustrations [if significant] ; $c dimensions [height x width in cm]. $b and $c are optional, but RMC always uses $a , and generally also $c.
545 0_ Biographical/Historical Note [first indicator 0 for a person, 1 for an organization]
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500 __ Source of formal title if there is one (see DCRM(MSS) 1C1.1, 7B4.1)
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546 __ Language(s) of the item or collection; $b script or alphabet used, if non-Roman or coded (e.g. “In Turkish; written in Arabic”Arabic script”).
524 __ Preferred form of citation (OPAC label for this field is "Cite as:"): [Creator]. [Title], #[collection number]. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.
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- Ambiguous statements of responsibility: DCRM(MSS) 1E9, 7B5.4
- By name Byname not used as title: 1B6, 7B3.7
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- With/Bound-with notes: 7B18.1
6xx xx: Subject headings: Archivists use subject headings partly to group together manuscripts on similar topics, and also to capture what we have relating to people in various occupations. So in addition to the usual headings, consider adding a subject heading such as Lawyers—[place] if the creator is a lawyer. We have a lot of manuscripts by actors and actresses, so it’s worth adding a subject heading for them when you come across them (e.g. Actors $z France). A term such as Politicians $z (country) $v Correspondence can be useful especially when the creator is an obscure person who likely won't be searched for by name.
655_7 Form/genre (with $2 aat or $2 rbgenr at end, depending on whether the term you're using comes from the Art & Architecture Thesaurus or from RBMS Genre Terms)
700 1_ Name of another contributor or otherwise related individual, such as a translator, copyist, addressee (for the person a letter is addressed to), etc., followed by $e and that person's role. See MARC Code List for Relators for terms to use for their role.
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Anchor C C
C. Holdings record fields
| C | |
| C |
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(bolded fields are required if applicable
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Call number for a bound manuscript:
Prefix: Archives ; call number: (collection number) Bd. Ms. 1; suffix: size designation (if other than "regular")
Holdings note
--If the item is a gift, use note type Source of acquisition; text: Gift of (donor's name)
--If the item is a bound-with and is not the first item in the volume, use note type Bound with item data and put the barcode number in the note.
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541 0_ Immediate source of acquisition:
$8 Field link and sequence number, beginning with 1.1\a for the first one
$a Source $b[Address]
$c Method of acquisition, e.g. gift or purchase
$d Accession date, e.g. 2017-02-15; use YYYY-MM-DD format for date
$e Accession number (for a new accession): see LTS Procedure #80, Accession Numbers, on how to construct one
$h Purchase price
$n Extent, e.g. 2
$o Extent units of measurement, e.g. items
$3 Type of material, e.g. manuscript, galley proofs, etc.
583 0_ Actions taken :
$8 Field link and sequence number, beginning with 1.2\a for the first 583 field, if you have used 1.1\a for the first 541 field; for details, see Procedure 91, Details on Fields used in Manuscript Cataloging
$a Action, e.g. Cataloged
$c Date of action taken, or of future action to be taken, e.g. 2018-01-31; use YYYY-MM-DD format for date
$k Agent [Last name, First name]
$x Non-public note
$3 Type of material, e.g. manuscript, galley proofs, etc.
852 8_ Call number: $b rmc $k Archives $h collection number $m size designation (if other than "regular")
For bound manuscripts, add "Bd. Ms." at the end of the call number, but before the size designation.
Example: 4718 Bd. Ms. 1 $m +